Penalties for Disruptive Behavior
The following information has been taken from the Student Conduct Code.
The classroom is not an unstructured political forum. It is a center for study and understanding of the described subject matter for which the instructor has professional responsibility and institutional accountability. Control of the order and direction of a class, as well as control of the scope and treatment of the subject matter, rests with the individual instructors free from distraction or disruption by students or others who may be in disagreement with how he or she discharges his or her responsibilities. Thus, disruption of the classroom insubordinate of the instructor's immediate authority is forbidden to reflect properly the obligation of each student to respect the rights of others in the maintenance of classroom order and in the observance of that standard of elementary courtesy, common to every intellectual discipline. A student may be removed from the course or receive a reduced grade resulting from disruptive classroom behavior.
The instructor has the right to impose sanctions in cases of disruptive classroom behavior. In taking such action the instructor should follow these procedural steps:
| 1 |
Inform the student that the behavior in question is disrupting the class and request that the student discontinue the behavior. Please note that the syllabus is their first warning and this is their second warning. In the case of aggressive disruptive behavior, the instructor should ask the student to leave the classroom immediately or initiate action to have the student removed by seeking assistance from the department chair. After lab, send the student an email that describes the disruption in detail and state that this is their second warning and direct the student to review the section "Conduct in the Classroom" of the Student Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook as well as the lab syllabus. CC the lab coordinator and the biology department chair. |
| 2 |
If the disruptive behavior continues (whether in the same or a subsequent class period), the instructor should again direct the student to stop the behavior and ask to meet with the student outside of class (e.g. in the instructor's office, LS 208, the conference room in the main office) to inform the student that the behavior is disruptive. After lab, forward the earlier email but describe the second disruption (but third warning) in detail and state that this is their third warning and direct the student to review the section "Conduct in the Classroom" of the Student Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook as well as the lab syllabus. CC the lab coordinator, the biology department chair, and the CoSE college dean. |
| 3 | If the student continues their behavior, the faculty may refer the situation to the Dean of Students Office. |
| Updated: 08/21/2026 |