Standards of Classroom Behavior

Primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the class for the remainder of the class period. Longer suspensions from a class or dismissal on disciplinary grounds must be preceded by a hearing or disciplinary conference, as set forth in the student conduct process.

Commentary:

The term “prohibited acts” would include behavior prohibited by the teacher (e.g., eating in the classroom, persistently speaking without being called upon, refusing to be seated, disrupting the class by leaving and entering the room without authorization, etc.). It must be emphasized that this provision is not designed to be used as a means to punish classroom dissent. The lawful expression of a disagreement with the teacher’s viewpoint is not itself “disruptive” behavior.