Incivility Protocol
Blinn College Administrative Regulations Manual
Subject: Incivility Protocol
Effective Date: July 20, 2004; amended November 8, 2011, May 29, 2012, and August 26, 2014
Board Policy Reference: FLB
Purpose
Civility Statement
Blinn College has adopted Civility and Civility Notification statements, and a statement of Incivility Protocol. The Civility Statement (also included in the Master Course Syllabus Outline) reads as follows:
Members of the Blinn College community, which includes faculty, staff and students, are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Blinn College holds all members accountable for their actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to behave in a manner that recognizes personal respect and demonstrates concern for the personal dignity, rights, and freedom of every member of the College community, including respect for College property and the physical and intellectual property of others.
This Civility Statement is to be placed in the Course Syllabus of every course the college offers.
Civility Notification Statement
The Civility Notification statement (also included in the Master Course Syllabus Outline) is primarily for student notification and reads as follows:
If a student is asked to leave the classroom because of uncivil behavior, the student may not return to that class until the student arranges a conference with the instructor; it is the student’s responsibility to arrange for this conference.
This Civility Notification Statement is placed in the Course Syllabus of every course the college offers. If behavior is threatening or violent, the college police have jurisdiction and the college's Discipline Code takes precedence.
Discipline and Penalties
In the case of incivility in the classroom, the college's Incivility Protocol provides for removal of the uncivil student immediately from the classroom to maintain student/teacher integrity and essential pedagogical decorum. IF THE INCIDENT IS THREATENING OR VIOLENT, BLINN COLLEGE POLICE HAVE JURISDICTION AND SHOULD BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AND THE BLINN COLLEGE DISCIPLINE CODE TAKES PRECEDENCE. If the incident is one of common incivility, the student removed from class must arrange a conference with his or her instructor to discuss and resolve the problem resulting from the uncivil incident before being readmitted to the class.
Incivility Protocol
- Level One
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A student removed from class for uncivil behavior shall make an appointment with his or her instructor. (The instructor may request a third party present if the instructor deems it necessary.) The incident must be resolved before the student may return to class. If there is no resolution, the process moves to appeal level two. (If the instructor is an assistant dean or department head, level two is bypassed.) If the student does not appear for the appointment, the student is barred from returning to class until there has been a meeting and resolution.
- Level Two
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At level two the student will meet with his or her instructor and the assistant dean (or designee). If there is resolution the student may return to class. If there is no resolution the process moves to appeal level three. If the student does not appear for the appointment, the student is barred from returning to class until there has been a meeting and resolution.
- Level Three
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At level three the student will meet with his or her instructor and the appropriate instructional dean (or designee). If there is resolution the student may return to class. If there is no resolution, the process moves to appeal level four. If the student does not appear for the appointment, the student is barred from returning to class until there has been a meeting and resolution.
- Level Four
-
At level four the student will meet with the appropriate Vice President or designee (and any others listed above at the Vice President or designee’s discretion). If there is resolution the student may return to class. If there is no resolution, or if the student does not appear for the appointment, the student is administratively dropped from the course following drop procedure (barring extenuating circumstances, such as a medical emergency). The Vice President or designee is the last appeal level; his or her decision is final.
Time Completion and Terms of Resolution
- The student has five days to complete the above process. Any missed work may be made up after a resolution is achieved.
- *Student may not return to class until resolution is met. If deemed necessary, the instructor may ask a third party to be present.
- If the instructor is the division designee for Level 2, skip Level 2.
- NOTE: THE STUDENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REQUESTING APPOINTMENTS AND HAS TWO SCHOOL DAYS TO COMPLETE EACH LEVEL OF THE APPEAL PROCESS [10-31-2016]
Incivility Protocol Flow Overview
- Incident occurs: Instructor directs student to leave class and to request an appointment within two school days for a Level 1 meeting. If the student’s behavior is threatening or violent, Blinn College police have jurisdiction and the Blinn College Discipline Code as outlined in the Blinn Catalog takes precedence.
- Level 1 (student and instructor meet*):
- If resolution: Student returns to class (resolution form completed with student’s and instructor’s signature)
- If no resolution: Instructor notes no resolution, moves to Level 2
- If no meeting (student fails to make appointment or attend): Student is administratively dropped from the course following drop policy - Level 2 (student, instructor, and dean or designee meet):
- If resolution: Student returns to class (resolution form completed with student’s, instructor’s, and dean’s signature)
- If no resolution: Dean or designee notes no resolution, moves to Level 3
- If no meeting: Student is administratively dropped from the course following drop policy - Level 3 (student, dean, and appeal committee meet):
- If resolution: Student returns to class (resolution form completed with student’s, instructor’s, and dean’s signature)
- If no resolution: Dean or designee notes no agreement, moves to Level 4
- If no meeting: Student is administratively dropped from the course following drop policy - Level 4 (student meets with VP or designee and others as noted):
- If resolution: Student returns to class (resolution form completed with student’s, instructor’s, dean’s, and VP of Student Services signature)
- If no resolution: VP or designee notes no agreement on resolution form. Student is administratively dropped from the course following drop policy.
- If no meeting: Student is administratively dropped from the course following drop policy
Barring extenuating circumstances (e.g., medical emergency), student is administratively dropped from the course following drop policy at any no-meeting or no-resolution stage.