Student Conduct Policy

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Part I - Preamble
Part II - Academic Dishonesty
Part III - Academic Interference
Part IV - Unprofessional Conduct
Part V - Procedures

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Part I - Preamble

A. Introduction

1. The application of Canadian Police College Student Conduct Policy should be treated as administrative and not as adversarial or prosecutorial. Every effort should be made to resolve breaches of this policy quickly, fairly and informally.
   
   
2. The Student Conduct Policy recognizes that Canadian Police College students play three roles. They come as students with academic obligations. They are also classmates with obligations to other students. Finally, students are police employees with obligations to behave in a way that is consistent with this public role. The Canadian Police College Student Conduct Policy therefore has three parts: (1) academic dishonesty, (2) academic interference and (3) unprofessional conduct, which correspond to the students’ three roles.

B. Scope

1. Should higher levels of law, regulation or policy, such as the Criminal Code, RCMP Code of Conduct Regulations and the Treasury Board of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police or Canadian Police College harassment policy be invoked in response to misconduct, the application of the Student Conduct Policy will be at the discretion of the Director General of the Canadian Police College.

C. Responsibility for the Policy

1. The Executive Director, Academic Services is responsible for the maintenance and application of the Canadian Police College Student Conduct Policy.
   

Part II - Academic Dishonesty

A. Policy Statement:

1. The College will provide employers with academic evaluations of their employees that have not been distorted by the dishonest actions of their employees. A student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will be subject to sanctions.
   
   
2. The Canadian Police College will not grant a certificate to a student alleged to have committed an act of academic dishonesty until all issues relating to that act have been resolved. This includes resolutions based on higher levels of law, regulation or policy.

B. Academic Dishonesty: Definition

1. Academic dishonesty is any action, undertaken by a student, that could cause the Canadian Police College to mis-evaluate the student’s academic achievement. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following.
   1. Receiving unauthorized assistance;
   2. Using unauthorized notes or other aids while being tested;
   3. Plagiarism;
   4. Submitting, as a piece of original work, an assignment based on work completed by another student for an earlier session of the course;
   5. Including, in work submitted for evaluation, fabricated information such as fictitious references or data; and
   6. Submitting for evaluation, without prior authorization of the Canadian Police College, work done for another purpose such as a university course or a work assignment

C. Academic Dishonesty: Sanctions

1. Academic sanctions may include one or more of the following. The assignment of sanctions should be based on the potential of the misconduct to alter the overall evaluation made by the College of the student’s academic achievements.
   1. The student may be required to submit a written apology and a promise of good conduct;
   2. The student may be required to correct the errors that gave rise to the allegations of academic dishonesty;
   3. The student may be required to complete an alternative assignment or test;
   4. The student may be assigned a grade of zero on the assignment or test; or
   5. The student may be assigned a failure on the course and may be returned to his or her employer.
   6. If a student is dismissed and/or returned to his/her employer, the full tuition, accommodation and meal costs will be charged and paid by the student’s employer.

Part III - Academic Interference

A. Policy Statement

1. It is the Canadian Police College’s policy to provide students with an environment in which their learning is not hindered by the actions of other students. A student who commits an act of academic interference will be subject to sanctions.

B. Academic Interference: Definition

1. Academic interference is any action, undertaken by a student, that unreasonably interferes with his or her own learning or the learning or evaluation of another student. Academic interference includes, but is not limited to, the following.
   1. Chronic lateness;
   2. Truancy;
   3. Consumption of alcohol to the extent that it harms the student’s ability to contribute academically;
   4. Creating a disturbance that harms another student’s ability to study or rest;
   5. Damaging or preventing access to Canadian Police College resources needed by other students to complete their academic work;
   6. Chronically disrupting instruction;
   7. Failure to complete work required as part of a group assignment;
   8. Failure to attend class or other academic group activities; or
   9. Providing another student with unauthorized assistance

C. Academic Interference: Sanctions

1. Sanctions for academic interference may include one or more of the following. The assignment of sanctions should be based on the potential of the misconduct to interfere with the learning of the student committing the misconduct, other students or with the Canadian Police College’s evaluations of other students.
   1. The student may be required to submit a written apology and a promise of good conduct;
   2. The student may be instructed, in writing, to stop interfering with the learning or evaluation of another students;
   3. The student may be denied use of Canadian Police College’s non-academic services such as student accommodations, food services and recreational facilities;
   4. The student may be required to pay restitution for any damage or loss; or
   5. The student may be returned to his or her employer.
   6. If a student is dismissed and/or returned to his/her employer, the full tuition, accommodation and meal costs will be charged and paid by the student’s employer.

Part IV - Unprofessional Conduct

A. Policy Statement

1. It is the policy of the Canadian Police College to require students to conduct themselves in a manner that does not undermine the public trust in policing. A student whose conduct is unprofessional will be subject to sanctions.

B. Unprofessional Conduct: Definition

1. Unprofessional conduct is any disgraceful or disorderly action that could bring discredit to policing. Unprofessional conduct may include, but is not limited to the following.
   1. Poor dress or deportment;
   2. Damage to Canadian Police College property;
   3. Breaches of security;
   4. Abusive or disrespectful behaviour towards others;
      Inappropriate language;
   5. Refusal to comply with sanctions administered by the Canadian Police College under the Student Conduct Policy; or
   6. Violations of the law or regulations
   7. Refusal to adhere to CPC rules and policies as described in the Facility and Student Guide, the CPC Student Conduct Policy, may result in the imposition of unprofessional conduct sanctions.

C. Unprofessional Conduct: Sanctions

1. Sanctions for unprofessional conduct may include one or more of the following. The assignment of sanctions should be based on the seriousness of the misconduct.
   1. The student may be required to submit a written apology and a promise of good behaviour;
   2. A student may be instructed in writing to stop his or her acts of unprofessional conduct;
   3. The student may be required to pay restitution for any damage or loss;
   4. The student may be denied the use of Canadian Police College’s non-academic services such as student accommodations, food services and recreational facilities; or
   5. The student may be returned to his/her employer
   6. If a student is dismissed and/or returned to his/her employer, the full tuition, accommodation and meal costs will be charged and paid by the student’s employer.

Part V - Procedures

A. Application

1. The same procedures will be applied to cases of academic dishonesty, academic interference and unprofessional conduct.

B. Responsibilities

1. Canadian Police College Registrar

The Registrar will refer all students to the Facility and Student Guide, as well as the Canadian Police College Student Conduct Policy on the Canadian Police College website prior to their arrival at the Canadian Police College.

2. All Canadian Police College Staff

Should a Canadian Police College staff member become aware of a breach of the Canadian Police College Student Conduct Policy involving a student attending a course being given by staff from the Canadian Police College Ottawa campus, that staff member is required to report the incident to the Officer in Charge of the Investigative Training Team.

Should a Canadian Police College staff member become aware of a breach of the Canadian Police College Student Conduct Policy involving a student attending a course being given by staff from the Canadian Police College West Campus, that staff member is required to report the incident to the Director, Canadian Police College West Campus.

3. Officer in Charge Investigative Training Team and Director, Canadian Police College West Campus

Upon receiving the report of an incident, the Officer in Charge Investigative Training Team or the Director, Canadian Police College West Campus will attempt to identify the student alleged to be responsible and make an initial evaluation. If, after an initial investigation, he or she determines that the incident is trivial, or that the incident was not reported in good faith, the Officer in Charge Investigative Training Team or the Director, Canadian Police College West Campus will take no further action.

If the Officer in Charge Investigative Training Team or the Director Canadian Police College West Campus identifies the student alleged to have misbehaved and determines that the incident was neither trivial nor submitted in bad faith, he or she will evaluate the seriousness of the incident. If the incident is deemed to be sufficiently serious as to require a formal response from the Canadian Police College, he or she will refer it to the Executive Director, Academic Services. If the Officer in Charge Investigative Training Team or the Director Canadian Police College West Campus determines that the incident does not require a formal response, he or she will refer it for informal resolution to the Course Facilitator or the Team Leader responsible for the student.

4. Course Facilitator and Team Leader

For incidents involving a student attending a course being given by staff from the Canadian Police College Ottawa campus, whenever a student is referred to them for possibly having breached the Student Conduct Policy, the Course Facilitator responsible for the student and his or her Team Leader will attempt to resolve the incident informally.

For incidents involving a student attending a course being given by staff from the Canadian Police College West Campus, whenever a student is referred to the responsible Course Facilitator for possibly having breached the Student Conduct Policy, the Course Facilitator will attempt to resolve the incident informally.

Informally negotiated sanctions may not include returning the student to his or her employer.

For incidents involving a student attending a course being given by staff from the Canadian Police College Ottawa campus, the Team Leader responsible for the student is responsible for accepting, on behalf of the Canadian Police College, the negotiated resolution of the issue.

For incidents involving a student attending a course being given by staff from the Canadian Police College West Campus, the Course Facilitator responsible for the student is responsible for accepting, on behalf of the Canadian Police College, the negotiated resolution of the issue.

If the informal resolution process is successful, the incident is to be treated as closed. Informal resolutions will not be reported to the student’s employer and no formal record will be kept.

For incidents arising from courses given through the Canadian Police College Ottawa campus, the Course Facilitator or Team Leader will brief the Officer in Charge Investigative Training Team on the outcome of the informal resolution process.

For incidents arising from courses given through the Canadian Police College West Campus, the Course Facilitator will brief the Director Canadian Police College West Campus on the outcome of the informal resolution process.

Should the student refuse to accept a negotiated settlement, the incident will be referred to the Executive Director, Academic Services, for adjudication.

When misconduct is referred to the Executive Director, Academic Service, the Course Facilitator or his or her Team Leader will provide an account of the allegations to the student accused of misconduct and to the Executive Director, Academic Services.

5. Executive Director, Academic Services

The Executive Director will review the allegations of misconduct presented to him or her, provide the student with an opportunity to respond, and then render a decision. The decision should be based on a balance of probabilities. The goal of the Executive Director’s deliberations should be a fair, quick and flexible review of all allegations.

Should the Executive Director feel it important to hear from other students or others not employed by the Canadian Police College, he or she may ask for their assistance but may not compel their cooperation.

If the Executive Director decides that the student has misbehaved, he or she will assign one or more of the sanctions outlined in this policy. The sanction must be proportional to the seriousness of the misconduct.

If the sanction entails returning the student to his or her employer, the Executive Director will inform the employer outlining the nature of the misconduct. For all other sanctions, the Executive Director, after assessing the seriousness of the misconduct, may elect to inform the student’s employer of the misconduct and sanction.

The Executive Director must inform the student in writing of the outcome of the adjudication, including any prescribed sanctions. He or she must also include a written explanation of his or her decision and notification that the student has the right to appeal the decision to the Director General of the Canadian Police College.

If the misconduct is deemed to be exceptionally serious, the Executive Director may direct that the student be returned to his or her employer immediately. Otherwise, no sanctions will be applied until the two-day appeal period has expired or the Director General has rendered a decision on a the student’s appeal.

6. Student

The student may not appeal any action or decision of the Officer in Charge Investigative Training Team or Director, Canadian Police College West Campus.

The student may refuse any negotiated sanction suggested by the Course Facilitator or Team Leader, but once having agreed to an informal, negotiated sanction, may not subsequently appeal the decision.

The student has the right to appeal the decision of the Executive Director, Academic Services to the Director General of the Canadian Police College. Such appeals may be made only on the grounds that the decisions concerning his or her culpability or the sanction being assigned were unreasonable or biased. In his or her appeal, the student must explain the basis for the appeal and provide explanatory documentation. Should a student chose to appeal, he or she must notify the office of the Director General of his or her intention to appeal within two working days of receiving notification that he or she will be sanctioned.

A student may appeal a decision of the Executive Director, Academic Services after leaving the Canadian Police College but is not entitled to any financial support from the Canadian Police College should he or she decide to do so.

7. Director General

The Director General is the final authority in the appeal process. He or she may elect to hear from anyone who can inform his or her decision but may not compel the cooperation of anyone not employed by the Canadian Police College.

The Director General may nullify, vary or endorse decisions made during the initial adjudication by the Executive Director, Academic Services. Varying a sanction may include both reducing or increasing the severity or number of sanctions. His or her deliberations should address the reasonableness of prior decisions and his or her decision should be based on a balance of probabilities.

The Director General must provide a written account of his or her decisions to the student and an explanation of how they were reached.

If the Director General’s deliberations lead to the application of a sanction, he or she will delegate the application of the sanction and, if required, the informing of the student’s employer to the Executive Director, Academic Services.