Student Handbook

Standards of Student Conduct

The University is a community of learning in which the ideals of freedom of inquiry, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of the individual are sustained. The exercise and preservation of these freedoms and rights require a respect for the rights of all in the community to enjoy them to the same extent. It is clear that in a community of learning, willful disruption of the educational process, destruction of property, and interference with the orderly process of the University or with the rights of other members of the University cannot be tolerated. Students enrolling in the University assume an obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the University’s function as an educational institution. To fulfill its functions of imparting and gaining knowledge, the University retains the power to maintain order within the University and to exclude those who are disruptive of the educational process.
College is an experience in community living. Out of concern for the growth of students as individuals, every attempt is made to use sanctions for conduct violations which are educational and developmental leading to positive behavioral change.
Iowa Wesleyan University affirms the right of its students, faculty, and staff to be free of racial, sexual, physical, or verbal harassment by any member of the University community. Iowa Wesleyan University will not tolerate any acts of harassment on the part of its students.

CRIME STATISTICS

Colleges and Universities are required, by law, to report summary statistics of certain crime categories. This information can be found on the IW Web site, or can be requested from the Office of Student Development.

IW SAFETY FIRST

This on-line reporting mechanism allows Iowa Wesleyan community members to report non-emergency crimes and concerns to the Office of Student Development. Concerns raised involving Faculty or Staff will be shared with Human Resources and when necessary or more appropriate, addressed by the Director of Human Resources.
Anonymous reporting is available within this mechanism. However, those reporting anonymously will not receive any direct response from the University. Anonymous reports will be investigated and addressed to the best of the University’s ability. The reporting form can be found at https://www.iw.edu/campus-safety/.

CODE OF CONDUCT

A student enrolling at Iowa Wesleyan University assumes an obligation for observing certain regulations. Students are expected to know and abide by all policies. Iowa Wesleyan University students are held accountable for their actions and those of their guests.

Misbehavior that occurs off-campus may be a Code of Conduct violation. An Iowa Wesleyan University student may be subject to the student judicial process and sanctions up to and including dismissal for engaging in the following kinds of behavior that include, but are not limited to:

CAMPUS PROPERTY:

  • Obstructing or denying access to services or facilities by those entitled to use such services or facilities.
  • Failure to vacate a building or facility when a fire alarm is activated.
  • Improper use or tampering with fire-detecting and/or fire-fighting equipment (including fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire alarm pull stations, etc.).
  • Unauthorized entry or use of University facilities, including, but not limited to, propping open doors, unauthorized use, possession or duplication of University keys and failing to leave when asked.
  • No one is allowed on the roof of any University building without authorization.
  • The public disposal of any substances or items other than in a trash receptacle is prohibited. All personal room trash is to be taken to the dumpsters outside the residence halls.
  • Objects (including liquids) may not be thrown, dropped, or otherwise propelled from any University facility, including but not limited to residence halls.

COMPLIANCE:

  • Dishonesty, such as cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University (including but not limited to making false oral or written statements to any institutional official, faculty/staff member, or hearing board/officer).
  • Failure to observe sanctions imposed through the established University conduct process.
  • Conduct that adversely affects the student’s ability to be a contributing member of the academic and residential community.
  • Disrespecting a university official in their official capacity.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT:

  • Disrupting the orderly process of the University, including but not limited to the following:
  • To cause noise on campus grounds or in any University building, that disrupts an atmosphere conducive to work, study and rest.
  • Any persons who shall cause, provoke, or engage in any fight, brawl, or riotous conduct.
  • Any person who antagonizes another person through the use of “fighting words.”
  • Intentionally causing a breach of the peace; committing lewd, indecent, or obscene acts, including posting of pictures that would be considered offensive, pornographic or derogatory.
  • Falsifying, distorting, or misrepresenting information before a conduct authority, and/or knowingly instituting a conduct proceeding without cause.
  • Failure to comply with directions of University officials acting in the performance of their duties in conducting the regular operation of the University or in protecting persons and property. This would include but is not limited to failure to produce a valid IW photo ID upon request.
  • Students are responsible for the actions of their guests. Residential students are responsible for actions that occur in their room and for any/all guests visiting them. Any Wesleyan student may be sanctioned if their guests violate a policy.
  • Conduct which constitutes a hazard to the health, safety, or well-being of members of the
  • University community or is deemed detrimental to the University’s interests. These sanctions apply whether or not such conduct occurs on campus, off campus, at University-sponsored or non-University-sponsored events. Disciplinary action may also be taken regardless of any criminal proceedings that may be pending or in progress.

HARASSMENT (including BULLYING & DISCRIMINATION):

  • Physical abuse, threats, or endangering in any way the health or safety of any person(s) on Campus or at any University-sponsored or supervised function. This would include but is not limited to harassment and/or behavior that threatens any group or individual and/or causes any person to be placed in danger, real or perceived.
  • Stalking and/or willfully, maliciously, and following, harassing, calling, or contacting another person in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to feel frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed or molested.
  • Bullying is defined as any written or verbal expression, physical act or gesture, or pattern thereof, by a student that is intended to cause or is perceived as causing distress or intimidation to one or more students. Bullying interferes with another student’s or students’ ability to be fully immersed and engaged as contributing members of the campus community. Bullying includes, but is not limited to, conduct by a student against another student that a reasonable person knows has the potential to:
  • Harm a student.
  • Damage a student’s property.
  • Place a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or property.
  • Create a hostile curricular or co-curricular environment for a student.
  • A student who engages in an act of bullying, false reporting of bullying, or permits, condones, or tolerates bullying shall be subject to referral to the Student Code of Conduct.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY:

  • Any action which would violate civil or criminal code.
  • State and University regulations prohibit any form of gambling. Fund-raisers such as raffles and drawings must be cleared through the Office of Student Development.
  • Appropriating public or private property of another for personal use without the consent of the owner or the person legally responsible for it, including but not limited to theft, damage or misuse of University property or a member of the University community, regardless of intent.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY—ALCOHOL, DRUGS, TOBACCO, and WEAPONS:

  • Possession, use, sale, or exchange of weapons and indiscriminate use of self-defense protection/items (or weapons of self-defense) at any location on campus, or within University residences, is prohibited and may result in the student being immediately suspended from the University and removed from University owned residences. Firearms, fireworks, chemicals of an explosive nature, explosives or explosive devices, or weapons shall not be maintained on the

University campus. The term “weapon” includes any object or substance designed to inflict a wound, cause injury, propel an object, or incapacitate and includes, but is not limited to: all firearms and ammunition, pellet/BB guns, darts, paintball guns, home manufactured cannons, bows and arrows, slingshots, martial arts devices, switchblade knives or knives with a blade longer than three inches (with the exception of table knives). Toy guns and other simulated weapons are also covered by this policy. Reasonable and prudent judgement applies must be evident should a “weapon.”

  • Possession/consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted in residence halls or anywhere else on the IW campus or at IW sponsored events.
    • Drunken behavior will not be tolerated on the Iowa Wesleyan University campus or at any IW-sponsored event.
    • Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at any University sponsored event.
    • University officials may require students to dispose of alcohol that is present during a violation.
    • If students are in the presence of others violating the policy, they are also subject to the Student Conduct process.
  • The possession and/or use of any controlled substance is strictly prohibited on campus. Similar to the alcohol policy, students do not need to be in possession of nor consuming a controlled substance to be found in violation of the policy.
    • If students are in the presence of others violating the policy, they may be subject to the Student Conduct process.
    • Students may also be found in violation of the policy when the odor of marijuana is present and/or drug paraphernalia is discovered.
    • Decorative room items, such as posters, promoting the use of a controlled substance are not permitted.
  • Student-athletes are required to comply with the athletics department Policy on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs. This policy includes a drug testing program. Violation of athletic drug testing is a violation of the university drug policy.
  • Possession or distribution of any prescription or narcotic drug, marijuana, or other additive, dangerous or hallucinogenic substance, except as expressly permitted by law may result in the student being immediately suspended from the University and removed from University owned residences. Persons who are in the presence of persons in violation of this policy are also in violation.
  • Smoking and vaping are not permitted on University property, including in campus buildings and individual residence hall rooms.

PROHIBITED MATERIALS:

  • Any item or substance, the use or possession of which is prohibited by University policy will be confiscated by University officials. This would include, but is not limited to the unauthorized use or possession of gasoline, naphtha, benzene, and/or other flammable materials. Students who fail to surrender prohibited items or substances will be subjected to further disciplinary action.