NACC Code of Conduct 

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The Northeast Alabama Community College (“the College”/NACC) Code of Conduct is intended to ensure that NACC students conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the educational objectives of NACC. The Code of Conduct applies to all students and student organizations. By enrollment and affiliation with NACC, a student or organization neither relinquishes the right nor escapes responsibilities of local, state, or federal laws and regulations. NACC is committed to maintaining an environment that contributes to its educational mission, as well as the safety, health, and well-being of all students and other persons on campus. Therefore, students and organizations are obligated to abide by the rules and policies established by NACC. It is assumed that students enrolling in NACC are mature and have a desire for constructive learning. Common courtesy and cooperation are expected of all students. Interference, injury, or the intentional attempt to injure or interfere with the personal or property rights of any person - whether a student, visitor, faculty or staff member or NACC itself is strictly prohibited. NACC does not permit in any way the consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages, narcotics, and/or other hallucinogenic drugs on campus or at college-sponsored functions. Possession of firearms is prohibited. Littering is also prohibited. Students who are observed littering on campus will be fined $10.00 per incident. Students on probation due to a violation of the Code of Conduct may not represent the school in interscholastic contests.

Other specific forms of prohibited conduct include but are not limited to:

  1. Dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, or furnishing incomplete or false information to the College. Any student found guilty of cheating may be dropped from the course with a grade of “F.”
  2. Destruction or theft of property;
  3. Failure to comply with directions of College officials acting in the performance of their duties;
  4. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of College documents, exams, records, or identification;
  5. Disorderly or disruptive conduct, including classroom disruptions, reckless endangerment, harassment, assault, bullying, cyberbullying, and discrimination;
  6. Obstruction or disruption of the College’s academic program or operations;
  7. Unauthorized entry to College facilities;
  8. Unauthorized possession of a key to College facilities;
  9. Violation of traffic regulations;
  10. Violation of library regulations;
  11. Violations of the Stop Campus Hazing Act; and/or
  12. Violation of any federal, state, or local law or ordinance.

Any practice or behavior that constitutes harassment, physical assault, or discrimination shall not be tolerated on campus, at any off-campus site, or in any division or department by any employee, student, agent, or non-employee on the institution’s property and while engaged in any institutionally-sponsored activities. Examples of sexually harassing verbal or physical conduct prohibited by NACC’s Conduct policies, include, but are not limited to, the following:

Direct propositions of a sexual nature;

  1. Subtle pressure for sexual activity;
  2. Repeated conduct intended to cause discomfort or humiliation, or both, that includes one or more of the following:
  3. comments of a sexual nature; or
  4. sexually explicit statements, questions, jokes, or anecdotes;
  5. Repeated conduct that would cause discomfort and/or humiliate a reasonable person toward whom the conduct was directed that includes one or more of the following:
  6. Touching, patting, pinching, hugging, or brushing against another’s body;
  7. Commentary of a sexual nature about an individual’s body or clothing;
  8. Remarks about sexual activity or speculations about previous sexual experience(s);
  9. Intimidating or demeaning comments to persons of a particular sex, whether sexual or not;
  10. Displaying objects or pictures which are sexual in nature that would create a hostile or offensive employment or educational environment, and serve no educational purpose related to the subject matter being addressed; and/or
  11. Gender stereotyping.

Additionally, Northeast Alabama Community College (“The College”) is committed to providing an environment for students, employees, and campus visitors that is free from all forms of hazing. Hazing violates College policy, federal and state law, and may lead to removal from school or termination of employment as well as personal liability—civil and criminal.

Hazing is defined as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate, that—

  1. is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and
  2. causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including—
  3. whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;
  4. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
  5. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
  6. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
  7. any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
  8. any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal or Federal law; and
  9. any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law.

The term ‘student organization’ means an organization at an institution of higher education (such as a club, society, association, varsity or junior varsity athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, or student government) in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at the institution of higher education, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the institution.

All members of the campus community have a duty to promptly report good faith concerns about potential hazing impacting another member of the campus community.  Specifically, if any such individual holds firsthand knowledge about hazing, whether that hazing has already occurred or is set to occur in the future, they have a duty to make a reasonable effort to immediately report the hazing-related information as noted herein.

If the situation is an emergency and you or someone else needs immediate assistance, please contact 9-1-1 or the Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) Police Department (256.609.1060).

To report hazing that does not involve an emergency situation, please provide specific information about the hazing incident to either of the following:

  • NACC Police Department: 256.609.1060
  • NACC Dean of Student Services: Jeff Hawes – 256.638.4418/256.228.6001, ext. 2278; hawesj@nacc.edu

All reports of hazing incidents will be investigated and adjudicated in accordance with the College’s policies and procedures outlined in the Student Catalog complaint processes section (https://catalog.nacc.edu/complaint-process) and/or the Employee Handbook (https://employeehandbook.nacc.edu/complaints-and-grievances) in the employee complaints policy.

If any person or persons is found to be responsible for hazing, disciplinary action shall be imposed. A list of possible disciplinary actions for students can be found in the College’s student Code of Conduct (https://catalog.nacc.edu/complaint-process). Possible disciplinary actions for employees may include but are not limited to restitution, suspension, or termination.

It is a violation of College policies for a member of the campus community to retaliate against another individual who has made a good faith report of hazing, has been accused of a hazing incident, and/or participates in a hazing investigation.

All records relating to incidents of hazing will be retained in accordance with the College’s Student Code of Conduct and/or Employee Conduct polices and the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act.

All hazing incidents will be reported in accordance with the Stop Campus Hazing Act, amendment to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. The term “student organization” for the purposes of reporting hazing incidents in the Annual Security Report crime statistics and reporting in the Campus Hazing Transparency Report only, is defined as an organization at an institution of higher education (such as a club, society, association, varsity or junior varsity athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, or student government) in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at the institution of higher education, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the institution.

Policy statements relating to the College’s prevention and awareness programs relating to hazing and primary prevention strategies intended to stop hazing before it occurs can be found in the Campus Save Act, Clery Act, and Stop Campus Hazing Act section of the Student Handbook and will be outlined annually in the Annual Security Report, published on the Campus Police website at https://www.nacc.edu/about-nacc/college-offices/campus-police.

Alabama Law regarding hazing is as follows:

Section 16-1-23

Hazing prohibited; penalty.

(a) Hazing is defined as follows:

(1) Any willful action taken or situation created, whether on or off any school, college, university, or other educational premises, which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of any student, or

(2) Any willful act on or off any school, college, university, or other educational premises by any person alone or acting with others in striking, beating, bruising, or maiming; or seriously offering, threatening, or attempting to strike, beat, bruise, or maim, or to do or seriously offer, threaten, or attempt to do physical violence to any student of any such educational institution or any assault upon any such students made for the purpose of committing any of the acts, or producing any of the results to such student as defined in this section.

(3) The term hazing as defined in this section does not include customary athletic events or similar contests or competitions and is limited to those actions taken and situations created in connection with initiation into or affiliation with any organization. The term hazing does not include corporal punishment administered by officials or employees of public schools when in accordance with policies adopted by local boards of education.

(b) No person shall engage in what is commonly known and recognized as hazing, or encourage, aid, or assist any other person thus offending.

(c) No person shall knowingly permit, encourage, aid, or assist any person in committing the offense of hazing, or willfully acquiesce in the commission of such offense, or fail to report promptly his knowledge or any reasonable information within his knowledge of the presence and practice of hazing in this state to the chief executive officer of the appropriate school, college, university, or other educational institution in this state. Any act of omission or commission shall be deemed hazing under the provisions of this section.

(d) Any person who shall commit the offense of hazing shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor as defined by Title 13A.

(e) Any person who participates in the hazing of another, or any organization associated with a school, college, university, or other educational institution in this state which knowingly permits hazing to be conducted by its members or by others subject to its direction or control, shall forfeit any entitlement to public funds, scholarships, or awards which are enjoyed by him or by it and shall be deprived of any sanction or approval granted by the school, college, university, or other educational institution.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed as in any manner affecting or repealing any law of this state respecting homicide, or murder, manslaughter, assault with intent to murder, or aggravated assault.

(Acts 1981, No. 81-824, p. 1466, §§ 1-6.)

Finally, violation of the College’s Code of Conduct may lead to disciplinary action up to and including suspension, expulsion, and arrest for any criminal acts.

Any student or employee who feels that he or she has been the victim of a violation of the Code of Conduct can make a report to the Dean of Student Services (reports of non-sexual harassment or physical assault) or the Title IX Coordinator (reports of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, or sexual assault), who will attempt to find a prompt and equitable resolution.