1.1 San Jacinto College (the College) is committed to maintaining an excellent teaching and learning community. As its central purpose, this community promotes intellectual investigation through vigorous discussion. Essential values that support this purpose include civility, dignity, diversity, education, equality, freedom, honesty, and safety.
1.2. The establishment and maintenance of a community where there is freedom to teach and to learn is dependent on maintaining an appropriate sense of order that allows for the pursuit of these objectives in an environment that is both safe and free of detractive disruption. When students voluntarily enroll in the College community, they accept the duty and responsibility of abiding by the regulations and accepted practices of the College. Each member of the San Jacinto College community is expected to exercise responsibility and to govern their conduct with standards of good taste and ethical judgment even when others disregard those standards.
1.3 Within the College, entities (such as divisions, departments, and programs, professional and student organizations) have developed guidelines and regulations that outline standards of conduct governing their constituents and sometimes provide procedures for sanctioning violations of those standards. This Code of Student Conduct (the Code) does not replace those standards, nor does it constrain the procedures or sanctions provided by those policies. This Code describes behaviors that are inconsistent with the essential values of the College community; it outlines procedures to respond to such behaviors; and it identifies possible sanctions that are intended to educate, promote academic rigor and success, and safeguard members of the College community.
1.4 The College has an enduring commitment to provide students with a balanced and fair student discipline process. The purpose of this Code is to provide students with the appropriate due process protections to which they are entitled. This Code contains administrative institutional procedures that may differ from procedures used in civil or criminal court.
1.5 It is the policy of San Jacinto College not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, pregnancy, pregnancy-related condition, termination of pregnancy, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, genetic information, parenting or marital status, or veteran status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.