Graduate Student Conduct

As part of Hood’s mission to prepare students for lives of responsibility and leadership, the Graduate School expects students to maintain a high standard of student conduct. Graduate students are expected to take personal responsibility for their own conduct. Hood College reserves the right to suspend, dismiss or otherwise discipline a student who violates the policies or regulations with respect to student conduct. In addition, the Graduate School may request that a student withdraw for reasons of conduct detrimental to the College community. 

The Graduate School defines disruptive conduct in the following way: 

The disruptive student is one who continues to make unreasonable demands for time and attention from faculty and staff and habitually interferes with the learning environment by disruptive verbal or behavioral expressions, threatens or abuses members of the College community or willfully damages college property. The result is a disruption of academic, administrative, social or recreational activities on campus. 

Students are asked to refrain from behaviors that include, but are not limited to: 

1. Behaviors that disrupt or interfere with teaching, research or other academic activities 
2. Behavior that can lead to physical harm 
3. Physical or verbal threats, intimidation that may interfere with another’s full participation in the life of the College 
4. Conduct that constitutes sexual harassment or any violation of Policy 55 
5. Unauthorized access to College or personal data
6. Refusing to comply with directions of school officials, instructors, administrators or staff

A complaint of alleged student misconduct should be filed with the dean of the Graduate School by a member of the faculty, staff or student body. All allegations should be filed in writing within 14 calendar days of the incident with the exception of a violation under Policy 55 (see policy on Hood's Human Resources site). The dean will provide a thorough investigation of the incident and take appropriate action. These sanctions may include: 

1. Warning: written notice to the student that continued and/or repeated incidents/violations may be cause for further disciplinary action (reprimand, dismissal). A permanent record of the incident report will be retained in the student’s file. Additionally, the warning may include referrals to appropriate office for assistance. 
2. Reprimand: written reprimand for the violation of specified conduct or policy including notice to the student that repeated violation may result in further disciplinary action. 
3. Dismissal: termination of student status at the College.