ADLWPW Participation Policy

As a student at National Command & Staff College, you should be aware of the rights you have as a student and of the responsibilities associated with completing course work. These policies apply to ALL National Command & Staff College students, regardless of whether the student is taking classes online or in classroom.

The Student Code of Conduct is based on respect for self and others and was developed to challenge students to embrace high ethical standards, and interact with other students, faculty, and staff with integrity.

As a student, you have the right to an opportunity to learn in an environment that is healthy and free from any verbal and/or physical harassments, discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. It is the responsibility of all members of the National Command & Staff College community – students, faculty, and staff – to create and maintain an environment where all persons are treated with respect, dignity, and fairness. Students have responsibility for assuming the consequences of their actions.

CORE VALUES & MISSION OF NATIONAL COMMAND & STAFF COLLEGE

The core values of the college are:

• Honor
• Integrity
• Intellect
• Loyalty
• Respect
• Duty
• Service to BECOME More

Students are expected to accept their obligations and honor and respect the value and integrity of each person and to conduct themselves accordingly.

National Command & Staff College’s mission is:  Turbocharge star-performing leaders … Continuously improve the trajectory of individuals, organizations and communities. Provide scientific, proven and especially practical credible leadership education and development learning experiences. Focus on turbocharging star performing leaders who sustain strategic innovation and operational excellence.

STUDENT CONDUCT CODE

The primary intent of this Code is to set forth community standards necessary to maintain and protect an environment conducive to learning.

A suspicion of wrongdoing, based on probable cause, must exist before a student shall be subject to disciplinary review. Throughout the judicial procedures, staff will ensure that students receive adequate due process and make sure that their rights are protected.

1. Any conduct that violates the core values of the College listed above.
2. Acts of Dishonesty including but not limited to the following:

• Academic Dishonesty. Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty.
• False Information. Furnishing false information to any College Official.
• Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any National Command & Staff College document, record, or instrument of identification.

1. Physical abuse, verbal or written abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers the physical health, mental health, or safety of any person, including oneself. Such prohibited conduct includes but is not limited to repeated unsolicited attempts to contact any National Command & Staff College community member via any means and/or exhibiting other behavior which could be construed as stalking.
2. Attempted or actual theft of and/or damage to property of National Command & Staff College or property of a member of the National Command & Staff College community or other personal or public property.
3. Conduct that is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; breach of peace; or aiding, abetting, or procuring another person to breach the peace.
4. Any behavior which constitutes Hazing – any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to faculty, staff and/or students.
5. Failure to Comply. Failure to comply with directions of College Officials or law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties including failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so.
6. Unauthorized Entry. Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of passwords to any online programs.
7. Unauthorized Activities. Any activity that could adversely affect the mental, emotional and/or physical health, safety or security of a member of the National Command & Staff College community (faculty, students and/or staff). National Command & Staff College will cooperate with local, state and federal criminal agencies, and may initiate criminal investigations into the conduct of students when deemed appropriate.

INTERPRETATION AND REVISION

1. Any question of interpretation or application of the Student Code shall be referred to the Chief of Staff or her designee for final determination at sbass@CommandCollege.org.
2. The Student Code shall be reviewed every five (5) years under the direction of the Chief of Staff.

FILING A COMPLAINT REGARDING A VIOLATION OF THE STUDENT CODE

Any member of the National Command & Staff College community may file a complaint against a student for violations of the Student Code. A complaint shall be prepared in writing and directed to the Chief of Staff.  Any complaint should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place, preferably within one (1) week of the incident. 

SANCTIONS

The following sanctions may be imposed upon any student found to have violated the Student Code:

1. First Warning – A verbal notice to the student by a Faculty, College Chancellor, President or Chief of Staff that the student is violating or has violated institutional regulations.
2. Second Warning – A notice in writing to the student that the student is violating or has violated institutional regulations.
3. Probation – A written reprimand for violation of specified regulations. Probation is for a designated period of time and includes the probability of more severe disciplinary sanctions if the student is found to violate any institutional regulation(s) during the probationary period.
4. Loss of Privileges – Denial of specified privileges for a designated period of time.
5. Restitution – Compensation for loss, damage, or injury. This may take the form of appropriate service and/or monetary or material replacement.
6. Discretionary Sanctions – Work assignments, essays, service to the College, or other related discretionary assignments.
7. College Suspension – Separation of the student from National Command & Staff College for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
8. College Expulsion – Permanent separation of the student from National Command & Staff College.

CONDUCT CODE PROCEDURES

Any member of the National Command & Staff College community may file a complaint against a student for violations of the Student Code. A complaint shall be prepared in writing and directed to the Chief of Staff. Any complaint should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place, preferably within one (1) week of the incident.

The Chief of Staff may investigate to determine if the complaint has merit and/or if it can be disposed of administratively by mutual consent of the parties involved on a basis acceptable to her. Such disposition shall be final and there shall be no subsequent proceedings. If the complaint is not admitted and/or cannot be disposed of by mutual consent, the Chief of Staff may later serve in the same matter as the Student Conduct Board or a member thereof. If the Student admits violating the Code, subsequent process shall be limited to determining the appropriate sanction(s).

All complaints shall be presented to the Accused Student in written form. A time shall be set for a Student Conduct Board Hearing, not less than five nor more than fifteen calendar days after the student has been notified. Time limits for scheduling of Student Conduct Board Hearings may be extended or reduced at the discretion of the Chief of Staff.

The hearing shall be conducted by a 5-member Student Conduct Board (5 faculty members selected by the chancellor annually) according to the following guidelines except as provided by item #8 below:

1. The Student Conduct “Board” may include a group of people (students, faculty, and staff) or may consist of only the Chief of Staff or designated individual.
2. Student Conduct Board Hearings normally shall be conducted in private via a Go-To-Meeting call.
3. The Complainant, Accused Student and their advisers, if any, shall be allowed to attend the entire portion of the Student Conduct Board Hearing at which information is received (excluding deliberations). Admission of any other person to the Student Conduct Board Hearing shall be at the discretion of the Student Conduct Board and/or the Chief of Staff.
4. In Student Conduct Board Hearings involving more than one Accused Student, the Chief of Staff, at her discretion, may permit the Student Conduct Board Hearings concerning each student to be conducted either separately or jointly.
5. The Complainant and the Accused Student have the right to be assisted by an adviser they choose, at their own expense. The adviser must be a member of the College community and may not be an attorney. The Complainant and the Accused Student is responsible for presenting his or her own information, and therefore, advisers are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any Student Conduct Board Hearing before a Student Conduct Board. A student should select as an adviser a person whose schedule allows attendance at the scheduled date and time for the Student Conduct Board Hearing because delays will not normally be allowed due to the scheduling conflicts of an adviser.
6. The Complainant, the Accused Student and the Student Conduct Board may arrange for witnesses to present pertinent information to the Student Conduct Board. The College will try to arrange attendance of possible witnesses who are members of the National Command & Staff College community, if reasonably possible, and who are identified by the complainant and/or Accused Student at least two weekdays prior to the Student Conduct Board Hearing. Witnesses will provide information to and answer questions from the Student Conduct Board. Questions may be suggested by the Accused Student and Complainant to be answered by each other or by other witnesses. This will be conducted by the Student Conduct Board with such questions directed to the chairperson, rather than to the witness directly. This method is used to preserve the educational tone of the hearing and to avoid creation of an adversarial environment. Questions of whether potential information will be received shall be resolved at the discretion of the chairperson of the Student Conduct Board.
7. Pertinent records, exhibits, and written statements (including Student Impact Statements) may be accepted as information for consideration by the Student Conduct Board at the discretion of the chairperson.
8. All procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the chairperson of the Student Conduct Board.
9. After the portion of the Student Conduct Board Hearing concludes in which all pertinent information has been received, the Student Conduct Board shall determine (by majority vote if the Student Conduct Board consists of more than one person) whether the Accused Student has violated each section of the Student Code which the student is charged with violating. The Student Conduct Board’s determination shall be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the Accused Student violated the Student Code.
10. Formal rules of process, procedure, and/or technical rules of evidence, such as are applied in criminal or civil court, are not used in Student Code proceedings.

There shall be a single verbatim record, such as a tape recording, of all Student Conduct Board Hearings before a Student Conduct Board (not including deliberations). Deliberations shall not be recorded. The record shall be the property of National Command & Staff College.

• If an Accused Student, with notice, does not appear before a Student Conduct Board Hearing, the information in support of the charges shall be presented and considered even if the Accused Student is not present.
• The Student Conduct Board may accommodate concerns for the personal safety, well-being, and/or fears of confrontation of the Complainant, Accused Student, and/or other witness during the hearing by providing separate facilities, by using a visual screen, and/or by permitting participation by telephone, videophone, closed circuit television, video conferencing, videotape, audio tape, written statement, or other means, where and as determined in the sole judgment of the Chief of Staff to be appropriate.

APPEALS

1. A decision reached by the Student Conduct Board, or a sanction imposed by the Chief of Staff may be appealed by the Accused Student(s) or Complainant(s) to the Chancellor within five (5) business days of the decision. Such appeals shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the provost or his/her designee.
2. Except as required to explain the basis of new information, an appeal shall be limited to a review of the verbatim record of the Student Conduct Board Hearing and supporting documents for one or more of the following purposes:

• To determine whether the Student Conduct Board Hearing was conducted fairly in light of the charges and information presented, and in conformity with prescribed procedures giving the complaining party a reasonable opportunity to prepare and to present information that the Student Code was violated and giving the Accused Student a reasonable opportunity to prepare and to present a response to those allegations. Deviations from designated procedures will NOT be a basis for sustaining an appeal unless significant prejudice results.
• To determine whether the decision reached regarding the Accused Student was based on substantial information, that is, whether there were facts in the case that, if believed by the fact finder, were sufficient to establish that a violation of the Student Code occurred.
• To determine whether the sanction(s) imposed were appropriate for the violation of the Student Code which the student was found to have committed.
• To consider new information, sufficient to alter a decision or other relevant facts not brought out in the original hearing, because such information and/or facts were not known to the person appealing at the time of the original Student Conduct Board Hearing.

1. If an appeal is upheld by the Provost or Dean of Students, the matter shall be returned to the original Student Conduct Board and/or Chief of Staff for re-opening of Student Conduct Board Hearing to allow reconsideration of the original determination and/or sanction(s). If an appeal is not upheld, the matter shall be considered final and binding upon all involved.

STUDENT IDENTITY VERIFICATION

In compliance with the provisions of the United States Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, Public Law 110-315, concerning the verification of student identity in distance learning, National Command & Staff College has established and will periodically evaluate its process to confirm that a person who is enrolled in the College is the person who is completing the courses and associated exams. To authenticate identities, the College will use one or more of the following methods for verification:

• A secure login with username and password authenticated with an agency assigned e-mail address
• New or emerging technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identification

All methods of verifying student identity must protect the privacy of student information in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html?and any other applicable laws or regulations regarding the confidentiality of personally identifiable information, and the College’s Privacy Policy.

Personally, identifiable information collected by the College may be used as the basis for identity verification. This information may include a combination of the following:

• Student username plus at least 2 other pieces of information such as the student’s email address on file, rank, agency name, or username
• Student username and password authenticate an authorized user of the College Learning Management System (PSLMS). A strong password is key to the PSLMS security.
• Students are responsible for safeguarding the passwords for their computing accounts. Passwords must not be shared or disclosed to anyone including friends or family.
• It is strongly recommended that students change their passwords regularly, at least once per year.
• Students are encouraged to not use the password that they choose for PSLMS accounts with other off-campus services such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google and Yahoo.
• Students are encouraged to utilize a strong password for their PSLMS access. Rules for length and complexity of passwords are outlined below.

• Minimum password length: 16 characters
• Maximum password length: 30 characters
• Characters limited to: a-z, A-Z, 0-9 and [ ] & + * @ ! % ? = ~ #
• Password must contain at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, and one number
• Password must contain at least 5 unique characters and no more than four characters can be in a “sequence”. For example a password of “A1a1a1a1a1a1a1a1” or passwords containing “aaaaa”, “abcde”, “55555”, “12345”, “54321”, etc. are not allowed.

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Disclaimer ~The information contained in this Command & Staff Leadership program, provided by the National Command & Staff College, is for educational and informational purposes only.  The content contains scientific and theoretical information published in scholarly journals, proprietary content and therefore may not reflect complete body of knowledge in various domains.  The information is not guaranteed to be comprehensive, complete or current.  the program makes no warranty, expressed or implied, about the accuracy or reliability of the information at this portal or at any other website to which it is linked.  By participating in this course, you RELEASE, WAIVE, DISCHARGE, AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE the National Command & Staff College, Board of Trustees, commissioners, advisers, officers, agents, or employees (hereinafter referred to as RELEASEES) from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions, and causes of action whatsoever arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by me, or to any property belonging to me, while maintaining and using this certification personally and professionally, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH LOSS IS CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES, or otherwise and regardless of whether such liability arises in tort, contract, strict liability, or otherwise, to the fullest extent allowed by law.  You further hereby AGREE TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS the RELEASEES from any loss, liability, damage, or costs, including court costs and attorneys’ fees that Releases may incur due to my participation in said activities, WHETHER CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE OF RELEASEES or otherwise, to the fullest extent allowed by law. It is my express intent that this Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreement shall bind the members of my family and spouse, if I am alive, and my heirs, assigns and personal representative, if I am deceased, and shall be deemed as a RELEASE, WAIVER, DISCHARGE, AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE the above-named RELEASEES. You also agree that this Waiver of Liability and Hold Harmless Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and that any mediation, suit, or other proceeding must be filed or entered into only in Delaware and the federal or state courts of Delaware. Any portion of this document deemed unlawful or unenforceable is severable and shall be stricken without any effect on the enforceability of the remaining provisions. Copyright © 2017.