2240: Respectful Campus 1

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1. General 3

NORTHERN New Mexico College promotes a working, learning, and social 4

environment where all members of the Northern community, including but not 5

limited to the Board of Regents, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and 6

volunteers work together in a mutually respectful, psychologically-healthy 7

environment. Northern strives to foster an environment that reflects courtesy, 8

civility, and respectful communication because such an environment promotes 9

learning, research, and productivity through relationships. Because a respectful 10

campus environment is a necessary condition for success in teaching and learning, 11

in research and scholarship, in public service, and in all other aspects of the 12

Colleges mission and values, Northern is committed to providing a respectful 13

campus, free of bullying in all of its forms. This Policy describes the values, 14

cornerstones, and behaviors that delineate a respectful campus and applies to all 15

members of Northerns community, including, but not limited to students, faculty, 16

and staff. 17

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2. Values 19

A respectful campus exhibits and promotes the following values: 20

displaying personal integrity and professionalism; 21

practicing fairness and understanding; 22

exhibiting respect for individual rights and differences; 23

demonstrating harmony in the working and educational environment; 24

respecting diversity and difference; 25

being accountable for ones actions; 26

emphasizing communication and collaborative resolution of problems and 27

conflicts; 28

developing and maintaining confidentiality and trust; and 29

achieving accountability at all levels. 30

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3. Cornerstones of a Respectful Campus 32

The commitment to a respectful campus calls for promotion of an environment 33

where the following are upheld: 34

All individuals have important contributions to make toward the overall 35

success of the colleges mission. 36

Northerns mission is best carried out in an atmosphere where individuals at 37

all levels and in all units value each other and treat each other with respect. 38

Individuals in positions of authority serve as role models in the promotion of 39

a respectful campus. Promoting courtesy, civility, and respectful 40

communication is consistent with the responsibility of leadership. 1

Individuals at all levels are allowed to discuss issues of concern in an open 2

and honest manner, without fear of reprisal or retaliation from individuals 3

above or below them in the colleges hierarchy. At the same time, the right to 4

address issues of concern does not grant individuals license to make untrue 5

allegations, unduly inflammatory statements or unduly personal attacks, or 6

to harass others, to violate confidentiality requirements, or engage in other 7

conduct that violates the law or College policy. 8

Bullying is unacceptable in all working, learning, and service interactions. 9

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4. Destructive Actions 11

Actions that are destructive to a respectful campus will not be tolerated. These 12

actions include, but are not limited to: 13

Sexual harassment refer to Northerns Title IX Policy Statement, 1320. 14

Retaliationrefer to Northerns Grievance Policy & Procedures 15

Conduct which can affect adversely the Colleges educational function, 16

disrupt community living on campus, or interfere with the right of others to 17

the pursuit of their education or to conduct their duties and responsibilities 18

refer to Northerns Faculty Handbook and Staff Handbook, 19

Unethical conduct refer Northerns Faculty Handbook and Staff Handbook. 20

Bullying behavior which is defined in Section 5. herein. 21

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5. Definition of Bullying 23

Bullying can occur when one individual or a group of individuals exhibits bullying 24

behavior toward one or more individuals. Bullying is defined by the College as 25

repeated mistreatment of an individual(s) by verbal abuse, threatening, 26

intimidating, humiliating conduct or sabotage that creates or promotes an adverse 27

and counterproductive environment, so as to interfere with or undermine legitimate 28

college learning, teaching, and/or operations. Bullying is not about occasional 29

differences of opinion, conflicts and problems in workplace relationships as these 30

may be part of working life. Bullying can adversely affect dignity, health, and 31

productivity and may be grounds for corrective disciplinary action, up to and 32

including dismissal. Northerns Human Resources Department and Workplace 33

Harassment policy, page 58 in the Staff Handbook can provide guidance for 34

determining whether behavior meets the definition of bullying. Examples of 35

behaviors that meet the definition of bullying above include, but are not limited to: 36

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5.1. Physical Bullying 38

Physical bullying is pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, and/or tripping; assault or 39

threat of physical assault; damage to a persons work area or property; damage to or 40

destruction of a persons work product. 1

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5.2. Verbal Bullying 3

Verbal bullying is repeated slandering, ridiculing, or maligning of a person or 4

persons, addressing abusive and offensive remarks to a person or persons in a 5

sustained or repeated manner; or shouting at others in public and/or in private 6

where such conduct is so severe or pervasive as to cause or create a hostile or 7

offensive educational or working environment or unreasonably interfere with the 8

persons work or school performance or participation. 9

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5.3. Nonverbal Bullying 11

Nonverbal bullying can consist of directing threatening gestures toward a person or 12

persons or invading personal space after being asked to move or step away. 13

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5.4. Anonymous Bullying 15

Anonymous bullying can consist of withholding or disguising identity while treating 16

a person in a malicious manner, sending insulting or threatening anonymous 17

messages, placing objectionable objects among a persons belongings, leaving 18

degrading written or pictorial material about a person where others can see. 19

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5.5. Threatening Behavior Toward a Person's Job or Well-Being 21

Making threats, either explicit or implicit to the security of a persons job, position, 22

or personal well-being can be bullying. It is not bullying behavior for a supervisor to 23

note an employees poor job performance and potential consequences within the 24

framework of College policies and procedures, or for a professor or academic 25

program director to advise a student of unsatisfactory academic work and the 26

potential for course failure or dismissal from the program if uncorrected. 27

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6. Reporting Destructive Actions 29

The destructive actions described in Section 4. herein should be reported in 30

accordance with the applicable policies and procedures listed herein; however, 31

extreme incidents may be reported directly to Northerns Safety & Security 32

Department. Bullying behavior should be reported as follows: 33

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6.1. Students 35

An individual who believes a student has engaged in bullying behavior should 36

report the behavior to the Dean of Students Office. All students who believe that a 37

staff or faculty member has engaged in bullying behavior towards them may follow 38

the procedures listed in Sections 6.2. and 6.3. below. 39

Students may also report bullying behavior by: 40

contacting the Dean of Students Office, 1

If the bullying of students is based on race, color, religion, national origin, physical 2

or mental disability, age, sex, sexual preference, gender identity, ancestry, medical 3

condition, or spousal affiliation, it should be reported to Northerns Human 4

Resources Department. 5

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6.2. Staff 7

An individual who believes a staff member has engaged in bullying behavior may 8

report the behavior to Human Resources. Suspected bullying behavior will be 9

reported and investigated in the same manner as misconduct. 10

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6.3. Faculty 12

An individual who believes a faculty member has engaged in bullying behavior 13

should follow the procedures listed in Northerns Grievance Policy & Procedures 14

and Northerns Title IX Policy Statement, 1320. 15

2220 - FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND DISSENT 16

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1. General 18

As an institution that exists for the express purposes of education, research, and 19

public service, Northern New Mexico College is dependent upon the unfettered flow 20

of ideas, not only in the classroom and the laboratory, but also in all college 21

activities. As such, protecting freedom of expression is of central importance to the 22

College. The exchange of diverse viewpoints may expose people to ideas some find 23

offensive, even abhorrent. The way that ideas are expressed may cause discomfort 24

to those who disagree with them. The appropriate response to such speech is 25

speech expressing opposing ideas and continued dialogue, not curtailment of 26

speech. 27

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The College also recognizes that the exercise of free expression must be balanced 29

with the rights of others to learn, work, and conduct business. Speech activity that 30

unduly interferes with the rights of others or the ability of the College to carry out 31

its mission is not protected by the First Amendment and violates this policy. 32

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2. Core Principle 34

Northern is committed to tolerate all peaceful speech activities carried out upon the 35

campus unless those activities destroy or materially damage property, materially 36

disrupt other legitimate College activities, or create a substantial health or safety 37

hazard. This policy applies to all buildings, grounds, and property owned or 38

controlled by the College. 39

3. Activities 1

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3.1. Speech Activities 3

Speech activities protected by this policy include speechmaking, praying, the 4

distribution of written materials, picketing, assembling in groups, demonstrating, 5

sidewalk chalking, erecting symbolic structures, and any other actual or symbolic 6

speech or conduct intended to communicate an idea. 7

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3.2. Legitimate College Activities 9

Legitimate College activities include teaching, research, and public service; all of the 10

administrative operations supporting those activities; and the performance of all 11

College approved educational, commercial, research, professional or other activities 12

by public or private contractors, tenants, or permittees. An activity scheduled under 13

Section 4. herein is a legitimate College activity. 14

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3.3. Materially Disrupting Activities 16

A speech activity materially disrupts other legitimate College activities when a 17

reasonable person is unable to effectively perform a legitimate College activity 18

because of the speech activity taking place. Examples of when a speech activity may 19

materially disrupt other legitimate College activities include, but are not limited to: 20

Conducting the speech activity at a volume that substantially disrupts the 21

normal use of classrooms, offices, laboratories, and other College facilities or 22

grounds; 23

Physically preventing persons from entering or leaving a building or 24

premises; 25

Conducting a speech activity inside a building and not ending it at or before 26

the close of the building's regular hours; 27

Destroying or materially damaging any property; or 28

Creating a substantial health or safety hazard. 29

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4. Scheduling 31

Subject to the exceptions described in Section 4.1. below, scheduling to use College 32

facilities for speech activities is not required. Users, however, should be aware that 33

many facilities, both indoor (e.g. classrooms) and outdoor, are used for regularly 34

scheduled activities that have priority over other uses. In order to reserve the 35

desired space and avoid conflicts with other users, groups or individuals wanting to 36

use a regularly scheduled College facility for a speech activity are encouraged to 37

schedule it at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance with the Registrars Office, or 38

the office that schedules the desired venue, as advised by the Office of Institutional 39

Advancement. Users who fail to schedule a speech activity that occurs and unduly 1

interferes with a prior scheduled activity are in violation of this policy. 2

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4.1. Scheduling Required 4

Because of size, safety, logistics, and other considerations, the following types of 5

speech activities must be scheduled in advance: 6

Assemblies or large events in Northerns Fine Arts theater or Eagle Memorial 7

Gym. Users must schedule such events following the procedures of the 8

appropriate College office that oversees the facility. 9

Planned demonstrations on campus. A planned demonstration is a public 10

manifestation of protest, condemnation, or approval; taking the form of a 11

mass meeting, procession, picket, or similar activity which is organized and 12

promoted more than a day before the event. Users must schedule such events 13

with the Office of Institutional Advancement at least twenty-four (24) hours 14

in advance. This does not apply to spontaneous demonstrations for which 15

there is no prior promotion or organization or where events do not allow at 16

least twenty-four (24) hours notice in advance. In such situations, as much 17

prior notice as possible must be provided to the Office of Institutional 18

Advancement. 19

Building a symbolic structure on campus, which must be scheduled with the 20

Office of Institutional Advancement at least twenty-four hours in advance. 21

Scheduling does not operate as a process for prior approval of speech activities 22

based upon content. Speech activities will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served 23

basis for the requested location. Events will not be scheduled only if there is a 24

scheduling conflict with an earlier planned event or if the requested event will 25

clearly result in a violation of this policy. The viewpoint to be expressed through the 26

speech activity is not a factor in scheduling. A decision not to schedule an event may 27

immediately be appealed to the College President or Office of Institutional 28

Advancement. 29

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5. Enforcement 31

Any person violating this policy may be subject to: 32

Institutional disciplinary proceedings under the Student Code of Conduct [in 33

Student Handbook] if a student. Violations by faculty or staff will be referred 34

to the appropriate department or academic unit; 35

An order to leave the premises or property owned or controlled by the 36

College by the police or a person in charge of the property; and/or 37

Arrest for violation of state law(s). 38

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