Student Community Standards Policy

Ref. No.	Executive sponsor	Policy steward	Approval authority	First approved	Last reviewed	Effective date	Next review
33.01	Vice President, Campuses and Communities	Director, Student Supports	Executive Council	June 8, 2022	May 2026	August 15, 2026	May 2027

Purpose
1. NSCC values a safe, respectful learning, working, and living environment. As members of the College, we have a responsibility to treat each other with respect and consideration, being aware of the impact of our behaviour on others. This policy ensures a shared understanding and defined expectations for students on how the College defines safe and respectful behaviours in the learning and working environment.
2. This policy protects the rights of all members of the College community. It:
  1. Defines the responsibility of students to respect the rights, safety, and wellbeing of others.
  2. Provides a framework to resolve concerns using relational and restorative approaches when possible.
  3. Ensures accountability and a shared understanding within the community of expected standards of behaviour while a student is learning at the college.

Scope
1. Academic concerns, including those of academic integrity, are not addressed under this policy. Policy and appeals information for academic behaviours can be found on Employee and/or Student Connect, the College’s intranet.
2. Student Community Standards applies to non-academic behaviour of a student or group of students that takes place:
  1. On College property
  2. Off College property, including online or virtual activities, in circumstances where:
    1. A student’s behaviour impacts the rights, safety, or wellbeing of an individual(s), and/or
    2. A student is participating in a sanctioned College activity, regardless of where that activity takes place, and/or
    3. Any circumstance where a student’s conduct adversely impacts the College or College Community.
  3. In any situation where a student represents, claims to represent, or would reasonably be perceived to be representing, the College.
  4. In the context of an academic program, including conduct that occurs when a student is participating in:
    1. Any class activity, including a lecture, tutorial, lab, or classroom discussion.
    2. Any off-campus learning, including without limitation, field work, work experience placements, studies abroad and other international learning opportunities.

Definitions

Key definitions are found in Appendix A - Definitions. Additional definitions are found in the Glossary of Terms. 

Policy
1. Guiding Principles
2. The College’s goal and responsibility is to protect and promote a community that is welcoming, caring, respectful, safe, and recognizes that fostering this kind of environment is essential to student success and wellbeing.
3. The College is committed to embedding a dignified, equitable, trauma informed, as well as culturally informed and responsive approach to all student supports, services, policies, and processes. This is vital to achieving and sustaining a climate of educational equity.
4. Every policy interaction is a potential learning opportunity for our students; we aim to educate and help students grow and transform.
5. The College is committed to enabling early communication, education, and awareness of NSCC values and expected behaviours to our students.
6. We are committed to all aspects of fairness. Decision makers under this policy will consider procedural, substantive, and relational fairness.
7. Student Rights and Responsibilities
  1. All students have a right to:
    1. A safe and respectful learning environment.
    2. Raise concerns without fear of negative repercussions or retaliation.
    3. Fairness in the process and determination of outcome as it relates to the policy.
  2. All students have a responsibility to:
    1. Respect the rights, safety, and well-being of others
    2. Be respectful of members of the College community
    3. Respect community and college property
    4. Be aware of and uphold policies that guide community expectations
    5. Raise concerns and report behaviour of students that go against NSCC values and this policy.
8. Community Standards
  1. Behaviours that do not align with NSCC values and/or interfere with the rights of another member of our community may be breaches of this policy. Breaches noted below are based on a continuum of harm or impact on the rights of others. Details of some examples of unacceptable behaviour can be found in Appendix B and include:
    1. behaviours that have a limited impact on the rights or academic experience of others and may create a disturbance or impact on the operation of the campus community.
    2. behaviours that have a significant impact on the rights or academic experience of others and may not pose a threat or danger to other individuals in the community.
    3. incidents that have a significant impact on the rights or academic experiences of others, and in addition pose a threat or danger to individuals in the community.
    4. behaviours that pose a danger or threat to individuals are in many cases illegal, and in most cases have already caused physical or psychological harm.
    5. concerns related to bullying, harassment, discrimination, hate, or racism as they relate to Human Rights, will not be addressed through this policy. If HR determines issues of this nature may be present, they will enact the Duty to Consult with the Human Rights Office (HRO) and may request a Collaborative Case Response Table to action and address the matter under the Human Rights Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination Policy. If concerns related to sexual violence are noted, HR will enact the Duty to Consult with the HRO and may refer the matter to the HRO as part of the Sexual Violence Policy.
9. Addressing Concerns
  1. NSCC is committed to providing a timely response to addressing breaches that arise from this Policy.
  2. Outcomes will be grounded in collaborative resolution options and restorative practice wherever possible, with a focus on:
    1. healing, learning, and growth.
    2. culturally informed and responsive approaches.
    3. empowering participants.
    4. strengthening relationships and community.
    5. repairing harm as a way of building a safe and respectful community.
  3. The nature of the behaviour or incident, intersectionality, and past interactions with the Policy may be factors in determining outcomes that arise out of this Policy.
10. Appeals
  1. Students have the right to appeal an outcome of suspension or dismissal under this policy if grounds are met. The grounds for an appeal are set out in the Student Non-Academic Appeals Procedures, part of the Student Community Standards Procedures.

Policy Supports

5.1 Related Policies and Procedures

33.02 Student Community Standards procedures
33.03 Student Non-Academic Appeals Procedure
Student Community Standards (SCS) Report Form

All NSCC policies and procedures

5.2 Related Laws are all applicable laws including but not limited to the following:

Nova Scotia Human Rights Act

Appendix A - Definitions

Term	Definition
Bullying	conflict is not, on its own, harassment (also known as bullying). However, conflict may escalate to the point where it becomes harassment. A single incident of unreasonable or inconsiderate behaviour may not, on its own, harassment. However, conflict may escalate to the point where it becomes harassment and could be in breach of this policy or other policies. Reasonable management action (in class or work settings) is not harassment: Any reasonable action taken by the College, or by its employees in supervisory positions, relating to the management and direction of employees or the workplace. Any reasonable action taken by the College, or by an instructor, faculty member, or person in a similar position, relating to the management and direction of Students in the classroom or to the management, direction, assignment, or supervision of research or academic work. Examples of reasonable action, when undertaken in an appropriate manner, include expressing differences of opinion; offering constructive feedback, guidance, or advice; evaluating work; and establishing deadlines. Examples of conduct or comments that might constitute bullying and harassment include verbal aggression, using derogatory names, vandalizing personal belongings, and making aggressive or threatening gestures.
Culturally informed	an approach that recognizes and incorporates the cultural identities, worldviews, and lived experiences of individuals and communities into programs, policies, and practices including those of Mi’kmaq and Indigenous Peoples or African Nova Scotian and people of African descent. It requires acknowledging how culture shapes health, well-being, and social determinants; valuing distinct traditions, languages, and histories; addressing systemic inequities; and working with communities to co-create solutions that reflect their priorities and strengths.
Culturally responsive	an approach that recognizes the uniqueness of each individual, their culture, and history.
Duty to consult	an obligation imposed on an employee to engage with a particular college department or office before making decisions or taking actions that could impact an individual's rights, interests, or well-being.
Fairness	requires Procedural, Substantive, and Relational fairness.
Interim measures	temporary steps to help keep the learning and working environment safe. These steps are not meant to punish anyone and do not mean that a decision has been made about what happened. They are usually used to keep everyone safe and reduce harm when someone is accused of breaching a policy.
Procedural fairness	requires notice of the matter under consideration; access to information that will be considered when the decision is made. The College considers personal privacy and safety factors when determining access to information; the right to respond; a meaningful opportunity to be heard; an impartial and unbiased decision maker; reasons for the decision or outcome.
Racism	the discrimination or antagonism by, or the prejudice of, an individual, community or institution against a person or people based on the person’s or people’s membership or perceived membership in a racial or ethnic group (from DRH Act, NS).
Relational fairness	endeavoring to ensure a person feels they have been treated fairly, regardless of outcome. Relational fairness requires a decision maker: provide attention, listen to points of view and evidence; be approachable and easy to communicate with about the decision and decision-making process; be honest and forthright in dealing with those affected by decisions; respect confidentiality during and after the process; be accountable, offer apologies if mistakes are made;  refrain from retaliation in any form.
Reporting individual	an individual who is a member of the NSCC community and submits a report.
Responding student	a student who has been named in a SCS report as being in breach of the Student Community Standards Policy.
Substantive fairness	requires that decisions be made by those with appropriate authority to do so; made with relevant information; not unjust, oppressive, or discriminatory; wrong in fact or law; and are reasonable.
Support person	an individual (e.g., family member, elder) asked by the Reporting Individual and/or Responding Student to attend meetings for the purpose of offering personal and/or emotional support and/or to take notes. This person cannot be a witness in a report or act as an advocate or legal representative.
Trauma-informed	understanding that many people have experienced trauma, and that it affects how individuals feel and behave. It means working to create physically, emotionally, and culturally safe environments and processes; and treating people in ways that build trust, gives choices, and helps to empower
	For additional definitions, refer to: Glossary of Terms for Policies \| NSCC

Appendix B: Examples of Harmful Behaviour

This appendix provides some examples of harmful behaviour; it is not a complete list.

Behaviours that have a limited impact on the rights or academic experience of others may create a disturbance or impact on the operation of the campus community. For example:
• Creating a disturbance in a learning environment or public place such as unreasonable noise or non-threatening behaviour.
• Failure to properly monitor the conduct of a visitor.
• Use or possession of illegal drugs, controlled substances, and/or prescription drugs not prescribed to the person in possession of these drugs.

Incidents that have a significant impact on the property, rights, or academic experience of others but may not pose a threat or danger to other individuals in the community. For example:
• Disruptive behaviour, defined as preventing others from carrying out their legitimate activities, in or out of a learning environment.
• Unauthorized entry, or use for reasons other than intended or accepted, of NSCC facilities or equipment.
• Theft or damage to community or College property, or unreturned property belonging to the College.
• Not complying with the directions of or providing false information to a NSCC employee.
• Failing to prevent, intervene or report when witnessing a harmful act.
• Failure to comply with an outcome imposed by this policy, other policy or regulation recognized by NSCC.
• Findings under other college policies,

Incidents that have a significant impact on the rights or academic experiences of others, and in addition pose a threat or danger to individuals in the community. For example:
• Conduct, which may threaten the health and safety of anyone
• Hazing – activities endanger or seeming to endanger the psychological or physical health and safety of individuals for the purpose of initiation, admission into or affiliation with any campus club, group, team, or organization.
• Unauthorized use, recording or dissemination of information, including audio, visual or digital content or images of an individual that is unwelcome and/or known or ought to be known to cause harm or distress.
• Obtaining, using, or distributing information or media of others, in any format, without consent that would knowingly cause harm, distress or breach of an individual(s)’s reasonable expectation of privacy.
• Making false allegations, engaging in a reprisal under any policy.

Incidents that pose a danger or threat to individuals are in many cases illegal, and in most cases have already caused physical or psychological harm. For example:
• Assault, threats of harm or intimidation
• Interfering or damaging with emergency facilities including life safety, fire equipment, or alarms
• Intentionally creating hazardous conditions that put the community at risk.
• Possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of illegal drugs, controlled substances, non-prescription drugs, and/or prescription drugs not prescribed to the person in possession of these drugs.
• Possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons or replicas or chemicals not expressly authorized by NSCC or otherwise a part of an academic program.
• Forgery, misuse, duplication or alteration of any document, record, or NSCC brand for the purpose of personal, monetary, or academic gain within the College.