Student Code of Conduct

1. Purpose

The Student Code of Conduct (“policy”) outlines the Institution’s expectations of students, standards of behaviour and its own responsibilities in turn. All students have a shared responsibility for promoting and maintaining a respectful, safe and harmonious community.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all enrolled students and their activities and actions (on and off-campus) relating to or affecting the Institution, its students or employees.

3. Definitions

See Glossary of Terms.

4. Policy statements

4.1 Students are entitled to engage in a fulfilling and rewarding educational experience free from disruptive or inappropriate behaviours. Accordingly, the Institution has established clearly defined standards of behaviour and conduct for all enrolled students. By adhering to the Student Code of Conduct, students will ensure that both they and their peers will be afforded a safe and productive environment in which to study.

4.2 Breaches of the Student Code of Conduct, and any other actions or behaviour deemed unacceptable by the Institution, will constitute misconduct and will be dealt with in accordance with the General Misconduct Policy and General Misconduct Procedures and/or the Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Integrity Procedures.

4.3 All students are expected to:

a. comply with the terms and conditions of their enrolment and adhere to the Institution’s policies, procedures and processes at all times;

b. act with integrity in all aspects of student life paying particular heed to academic integrity requirements outlined in the Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Integrity Procedures;

c. adopt shared responsibility for the Institution’s equity, diversity and inclusion expectations outlined in the Diversity and Equity Policy;

d. act safely, and not engage in behaviour that is perceived to be threatening or intimidating or causes any person to fear for their personal safety or well-being;

e. act lawfully and not engage in or encourage others to participate in any illegal, fraudulent or corrupt activity or behaviours (including illicit drug use or possession);

f. treat all members of the Institution’s community with respect, dignity and courtesy and not engage in any activity that may disrupt the productivity and enjoyment of others;

g. respect the rights of others to be treated equitably and be free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment and bullying;

h. express views respectfully and responsibly and respect the rights of others to do the same noting that such expressions should also not infringe upon freedom of expression rights and the pursuit of free intellectual inquiry in accordance with the Academic Freedom and Scholarly-led Inquiry Policy;

i. use and care for the Institution’s property and/or resources in a respectful, ethical and lawful manner;

j. report any discriminatory, unethical or illegal behaviour, or incidences of harassment or bullying;

k. comply with reasonable and lawful directions from staff;

l. act in an appropriate manner that upholds the Institution’s reputation and brand.

m. comply with the dress code as outlined in the Professional Attire Policy and/or Work Integrated Learning placements;

n. be respectful in all communications with others (including online and social media platforms);

o. comply with all campus health and safety requirements (e.g. smoking, drinking and eating in designated areas, etc) and report any hazards;

p. respect privacy of others;

q. not commit crimes of sexual assault or sexual harassment;

r. note that this list is not exhaustive and may be amended from time to time at the discretion of the Institution.

4.4 Students can expect the Institution to:

a. establish and implement policies, procedures and processes that ensure the wellbeing and safety of students, and that foster a safe and secure campus and online environment;

b. ensure that students are treated equitably, respectfully and with dignity by all members of the Institution’s community;

c. provide reasonable access to student support services;

d. make students aware of government legislation affecting their student experience;

e. ensures that the freedom of lawful speech of staff, students and visitors is treated as a paramount value and therefore there are no restrictions or burdens other than those imposed by law;

f. respect privacy and keep personal information confidential in accordance with the Privacy Policy;

g. provide and encourage opportunities to participate in the Institution’s decision-making processes on student-related matters through student representatives;

h. not tolerate sexual assault or sexual harassment in any form and impose strict penalties for proven allegations of incidents;

i. ensure that appropriate penalties are applied for proven breaches of the Student Code of Conduct and other any allegations of misconduct;

j. provide transparent and fair complaints and appeals processes as outlined in the Complaints and Appeals Policy and Complaints and Appeals Procedures; and

k. ensure that student login details (including but limited to emails, the learning management system, etc.) are kept confidential by the student and are not shared with another individual or third party.

5. Roles and responsibilities

5.1 The Chief Operations Officer is the Responsible Officer of this policy.

5.2 The DVC (Learning and Teaching) has oversight of academic integrity matters.

5.3 Students are responsible for:

• Complying with the Student Code of Conduct; and
• reporting allegations of misconduct to the Institution.

5.4 Staff are responsible for:

• educating students on expected levels of behaviour and promoting a safe and productive study environment for students; and
• dealing with any breaches of the Student Code of Conduct in accordance with the General Misconduct Policy, General Misconduct Procedures, Academic Integrity Policy and/or Academic Integrity Procedures.

6. Related documents

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity Procedures

Complaints and Appeals Policy

Complaints and Appeals Procedures

General Misconduct Policy

General Misconduct Procedures

Terms and Conditions Enrolment

Approved by Board of Directors on 14 September 2020 (minor update 5 December 2023)