Faculty Prerogatives in Maintaining a Safe, Supportive, and Effective Learning Environment

1. POLICY

   Salt Lake Community College promotes a safe, effective, and equitable learning environment for all students. The college recognizes the faculty's role in monitoring and promoting a safe, effective, supportive, and equitable learning environment and the exercise of defined prerogatives when dealing with student behavior that distracts from learning.

   This policy outlines and clarifies roles and procedures that protect faculty members, students, and other college officers. It defines prerogatives that faculty members may exercise when dealing with student behaviors that disrupt a safe, supportive, equitable, and effective learning environment.

2. REFERENCES
   1. Campus Discipline, Utah Bd. of Regents r. 253.
   2. SLCC ADA Procedures.
3. DEFINITIONS
   1. Disruptive Behavior: Behavior that distracts students from learning or obstructs the institution’s goal of creating a safe and productive learning environment.
   2. Learning Environment: Any location or modality where a faculty-supervised learning activity occurs.
4. PROCEDURES
   1. Faculty members, instructional administrators, campus security personnel, and student services officers must collaborate in mutual trust to uphold a safe, effective, supportive, and equitable learning environment at Salt Lake Community College.
   2. As outlined in the Academic Freedom, Professional Responsibility, and Tenure Policy, a faculty member maintains a safe, effective, supportive, and equitable learning environment.
      1. In faculty-supervised learning activities, faculty members monitor and promote safe, effective, supportive learning environments and exercise defined prerogative when dealing with student behavior that distracts students from learning.
      2. Disruptive behavior that occurs outside of faculty-supervised learning activities is dealt with in accord with the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
   3. The faculty member’s response to disruptive behavior should be progressive beginning with the least confrontational and disruptive method given the circumstances.
   4. If the faculty member believes the disruptive behavior is not an immediate threat to safety and does not rise to the level of behavior that merits the steps in section IV.E below, the faculty member should follow these steps:
      1. When a student’s behavior negatively impacts the learning environment for other students or the instructor, the faculty member should give an individual verbal warning to the student. The warning should include a description of the disruptive behavior and change(s) that should be made.
      2. At the discretion of the faculty member, the warning can be made in the learning environment or away from it, but the warning should at all times attempt to resolve the situation and defuse tensions.
      3. If the behavior occurs again, the faculty member may dismiss the disruptive student from the learning environment for that class meeting or learning activity.
         1. If the student refuses to leave the classroom or learning environment, the faculty member should call security.
         2. Within 24 hours or before the next regularly scheduled learning activity (whichever comes first), the faculty member notifies the associate dean in writing of the dismissal. The written notification must include the circumstances and the action taken.
         3. The associate dean notifies the instructional dean and the dean of students in writing within 24 hours of receiving the faculty member’s notification.
      4. If a student’s behavior disrupts learning activities again, a faculty member may dismiss the student from that class or learning activity.
      5. The faculty member must tell the student that the student may not return to the class or learning activity until meeting with the associate dean and faculty member.
      6. The faculty member must document the behavior in writing and notify the associate dean within 24 hours or before the next regularly scheduled learning activity (whichever comes first).
      7. The associate dean must notify the student, the instructional dean, and the dean of students within 24 hours of receiving the faculty member’s notification.
      8. Within five business days, the associate dean must meet with the faculty member and student to confer and resolve the conflict.
      9. If the faculty member or the associate dean considers it necessary, either may invite the relevant academic dean to assist with the resolution.
      10. The associate dean ensures that the student has an opportunity to voice the student's concerns and ensures that disciplinary actions are appropriate.
      11. The student may return to the learning environment on recommendation from the associate dean, faculty member, after consultation with the dean of students.
   5. If a student is impaired by alcohol or drugs or the student’s behavior is physically aggressive, verbally abusive or threatening, or results in property damage but is not an immediate threat to the safety of the members of the learning environment, the faculty member should follow these steps:
      1. The faculty member may dismiss the disruptive student from the learning environment and inform them that they may not return until the student meets with the associate dean and dean of students.
      2. If the student refuses to leave the classroom or learning environment, the faculty member should call security.
      3. The faculty member must document the behavior in writing and notify the associate dean and dean of students within 24 hours.
      4. If the student left the learning environment without knowing that the faculty member is invoking this portion of the policy, the faculty member must notify the associate dean.
      5. The associate dean must contact the student to inform them that they may not return until they have met with the associate dean and dean of students.
      6. Within five business days, the associate dean will convene a meeting with the dean of students and the student to discuss the behavior.
      7. The faculty member or the associate dean may invite the relevant academic dean to assist with the resolution.
      8. The student may return to the learning environment on recommendation from the associate dean, faculty member, and dean of students.
   6. If the faculty member believes there is an immediate threat to the safetyof the members of the learning environment, the faculty member should immediately call 911.
      1. The student may not return to the learning environment until the threat has been resolved.
      2. Faculty must immediately report to their associate dean the incident and the actions taken. The associate dean will notify the instructional dean and the dean of students of the details of the incident and the action taken.
      3. The student will not return to the learning environment until the student has gone through the disciplinary process described in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and all parties feel secure that the safety of the learning environment will not be compromised.
      4. The faculty member, associate dean, instructional dean, and the dean of students will not allow a student to return to class until the conflict has been resolved and there is no longer a threat to the participants in the learning environment.
   7. While the student is removed from the learning environment or upon return, the faculty member and associate dean shall, with the input from the student, decide how the student may make up missed work. Makeup requirements must be communicated to the student by the associate dean.
   8. Because due process sometimes requires several steps, this fair decision will take into consideration the amount of time that the student is removed from the learning environment.
   9. If the faculty member or any other college officer has knowledge that the student has a documented disability that is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, they must notify the associate dean, who must ensure that the ADA coordinator is consulted and involved in all disciplinary procedures.
   10. If the student is not satisfied with decisions and disciplinary actions, the student may follow the appeal procedures outlined in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, including specified timelines.

Date of last cabinet review: July 21, 2020

The originator of this policy & procedure is the associate dean of Learning Advancement. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the originator by calling 801-957-4280.