Pursuant to Education Code, Subsection 51.935 (Disruptive Activities) the college shall adhere to the following rules and regulations:
No person or group of persons acting in concert may intentionally engage in disruptive activity or disrupt a lawful assembly on the college campus. Disruptive activity means:
- Obstructing or restraining the passage of persons to the campus or an area of the campus or to an exit, entrance or hallway of any building without the authorization of the administration of the college;
- Seizing control of an area of the college campus or any building or portion of the building for the purpose of interfering with any administrative, educational, research or other authorized activity; or
- Disrupting and/or preventing or attempting to prevent by force or violence or threat of force or violence any lawful assembly authorized by the college administration. A lawful assembly is disrupted when a person in attendance is rendered incapable of participating in the assembly because of the use of force or violence or a reasonable fear of force or violence.
Any person who is convicted the third time of violating this statute shall not thereafter be eligible to attend any school, college or university receiving funds from the State of Texas for a period of two years from such third conviction.
Nothing herein shall be construed to infringe upon any right of free speech or expression guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States or the State of Texas.
Student Conduct
Each student is expected to be fully acquainted and comply with all published policies, rules, and regulations of the College and of the Texas State University System outlined within this Catalog as well as on LSCO’s website. Students are also expected to comply with all federal and state laws.
Each student is expected to act in a manner consistent with the college’s functions as an educational institution, including off campus conduct that is likely to have an adverse effect on the college or on the educational process. Specific examples of misconduct for which students may be subject to disciplinary action include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Commission of an act that would constitute an offense under appropriate federal, state, or municipal law;
- Violation of any Regents’ rule, regulation, or order or College policy, rule, or regulation, including policies or contracts relating to residential living in College-owned or operated facilities;
- Failure to comply with the direction of a College official acting in the performance of his or her duties; or, failure to heed an official summons to the office of a College official within the designated time;
- Giving false testimony or other evidence at a campus disciplinary or other administrative proceeding;
- Failure to meet financial obligations including but not limited to the issuance of a check to the College or its contractors without sufficient funds;
- Unauthorized use or possession of ammunition, firearms, illegal knives (knives with blades longer than five and one-half inches, hand instruments designed to cut or stab another by being thrown, stilettos, poniards, Bowie knives, swords, and/or spears), or other illegal weapons on College property;
- Conduct that endangers the health or safety of others on the campus, including, by way of example, unauthorized throwing of any objects in or from College facilities;
- Stealing, destroying, defacing, damaging, vandalizing or misusing College property or property belonging to another;
- Engaging in hazing or voluntarily submitting to hazing. Hazing means any intentional or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members are or include students at an educational institution. Please see complete information on hazing at www.lsco.edu/hazing/hazing.asp.
- Possessing and/or using, without authorization according to the College policy, intoxicating beverages in a classroom building, laboratory, auditorium, library building, faculty or administrative office, apartment, and intramural athletic facility, or any other public campus area, or being intoxicated in any public area of the campus;
- Illegal gambling in any form on College property;
- Illegal possession, use, sale, or distribution of any quantity, whether usable or not, of any drug, narcotic, or controlled substance;
- Advocating or recommending the conscious and deliberate violation of any federal, state, or local law. Advocacy means addressing an individual or group for imminent action and steeling it to such action as opposed to the abstract espousal of the moral propriety of a course of action;
- Forgery, alteration, theft, or misuse of College documents, forms, records, or identification cards;
- Unauthorized possession, ignition, or detonation, on College property, of any explosive device, fireworks, liquid, or object that is flammable or capable of causing damage to persons or property by fire or explosion;
- Unauthorized entry into or use of College buildings, facilities, equipment, or resources, or possession or use of College keys for unauthorized purposes;
- Failure to maintain a current official mailing address in the Registrar’s office and/or giving a false or fictitious address to a College office or official;
- Knowingly initiating, communicating, or circulating a false or baseless report or alarm of a present, past, or future bombing, fire, offense, or other emergency that would ordinarily cause action by others charged with dealing with emergencies; placing a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or preventing or interrupting the occupation of a building, room, aircraft, automobile, or other mode of conveyance;
- Harassment where the individual threatens or bullies, in person, by telephone, electronically, in writing, or by other means, to take unlawful action against any person and by this action intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly annoys or alarms the recipient;
- Academic dishonesty;
- Campus disruptive activities or disorderly conduct on College-owned or controlled property or at a College-sponsored or supervised function that inhibit or interfere with the educational responsibility of the College community or the College’s social-educational activities shall include but not be limited to: using abusive, indecent, profane or vulgar language; making offensive gestures or displays that tend to incite a breach of the peace; perpetrating fights, assaults, acts of sexual violence, abuse, or threats; or evincing some obviously offensive manner or committing an act that causes a person to feel threatened. Such prohibition includes disorderly classroom conduct that obstructs, interferes with, inhibits and/or disrupts teaching and/or related classroom activities;
- Using authority granted by state law, System rule, or College policy to deprive any person of his or her civil rights;
- Violation of College policy relating to electronic network facilities such as local area networks and the Internet;
- Failure to acquire and maintain a College-issued student photo identification (I.D.) card; failure to replace a lost/stolen I.D. card; and/or any falsification, misrepresentation or other misuse of the student I.D. card.
- Sexual Misconduct and Title IX. Each student is expected to be fully acquainted and comply with the LSCO Sexual Misconduct Policy. The procedures for investigation and adjudication of violations of said policy are described in the Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures and these policies and procedures supersede all other discipline policies and procedures.
Procedure for Administration of Discipline
The Dean of Student Services shall have primary authority and responsibility for the administration of student discipline at the college and for investigating allegations that a student has violated the Texas State University System or College code of conduct.
The Dean of Student Services or his/her designee, herein referred to as officer, will investigate the alleged violations. During the investigation, if the student is available, the Dean will give the student an opportunity to explain the incident. If the Dean concludes that the student has violated a Texas State University System or college policy, the officer will determine an appropriate disciplinary penalty. The officer will schedule a meeting with the student to review the case, as outlined below:
- The officer will discuss his/her findings and his/her determination of an appropriate penalty with the student if the student is available and will give the student an opportunity either to accept or reject the officer’s decision.
- If the student accepts the officer’s decision, the student will so indicate in writing and waive his/her right to an appeal. The officer will then put the penalty into place.
- If the student does not accept the officer’s decision or does not waive his /her right to an appeal, the student can request an appeal through the Student Discipline Committee.
Student Misconduct Administration of Discipline Appeal Process
Within five (5) days after receiving the officer’s decision, the student should use their assigned LSCO email account to submit a written request for a hearing before the Student Discipline Committee. Although the hearing is most effectively conducted in person, arrangements can be made for virtual hearings if needed. Within the written request to appear before the Student Discipline Committee, the student is to provide the rationale for their appeal.
The meeting with the Student Discipline Committee will occur as soon as practicably possible. The decision of the Student Discipline Committee is final and will be the last level of the appeal process.
Within five (5) business days after the Student Discipline Committee convenes, the Dean of Student Services will issue in writing the final decision of the appeal to the student via their LSCO email account.
The decision of the committee if final.
The membership of the Student Discipline Committee will be comprised of:
- Four full-time employees;
- Three students, with representatives from both academic and technical divisions;
- Division Directors, Department Chairs, Associate Deans, and Deans may not serve as members of the committee.
The Dean of Student Services will identify an Ad Hoc (non-voting) committee member tasked with taking minutes of the committee meetings.
The members of the committee shall be chosen by the Dean of Student Services. The chair of the committee shall be selected from one of the staff members of the committee.
Hazing
Hazing is prohibited in state educational institutions by the Texas Education Code, Section 4.19. Students of Lamar State College Orange are forbidden to engage in, encourage, aid or assist any person(s) participating in what is commonly known and recognized as hazing. Any student who does so will be subject to college disciplinary action and may also face civil authority. Refer to the LSCO website for more information relative to the legal implications of hazing.
Hazing means any intentional or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members are or include students at an educational institution.
Hazing on the part of students, faculty, or staff is strictly forbidden, whether on or off campus. LSCO reserves the right to take disciplinary action against individual students and/or groups who engage in hazing or voluntarily submit to hazing. Please see complete information related to hazing on our website.
Official Summons
An official summons takes precedence over all other college activities of the student and should be answered promptly on the day and hour designated. Failure to heed an official summons may subject the student to serious disciplinary action.
Debts
The College is not responsible for debts contracted by individual students or student organizations and will not act as a collection agency for organizations, firms or individuals to whom a student may owe bills.
Students and student organizations are expected to honor contractual obligations promptly, but in case of flagrant disregard of such obligations, the Dean of Student Services or his or her designated representative will take appropriate action as described in the “Penalties for Failure to Pay” section of this Catalog.
Students are expected to meet their financial obligations to the college within the designated time allowed. Registration fees or the first payment of the installment fee plan are payable at the time of registration, and students are not entitled to enter any class or laboratory until fees and deposits have been paid. Other charges and financial obligations are due at registration or within ten (10) days after a bill is rendered by the college or according to the special payment instructions that may be printed on the bill.
Penalties for Failure to Pay
Failure to pay in the allotted time the amount owed to the college for tuition, fees, charges or any other financial obligation may result in any or all of the following:
- Dismissal from the college or other disciplinary actions;
- Withholding of future registration privileges;
- Withholding of an official certified transcript;
- Withholding the conferring of a degree;
- Bar against readmission for the student;
- Assessment of late fees and/or reinstatement fees.
The College is authorized to require that non-resident international students secure mandatory accident, sickness, catastrophic illness, evacuation and repatriation insurance as a condition of enrollment.
Parking Regulations
Each student is issued a vehicle permit that allows parking on the campus and other specific areas adjoining the campus. This permit is to be displayed as instructed in official parking and traffic regulations materials. Strict observance of traffic and parking regulations is necessary for the safe, orderly flow of vehicles in the campus area. Parking passes can be obtained in the Student Center.
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