Community Standards

The mission of Community Standards is to provide educational opportunities and facilitate learning for students by promoting responsible citizenship behaviors, ethical decision-making, critical thinking, and personal reflection. We encourage and support students to engage in positive changes that lead to academic and professional success.

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Commitment to Community

The LSUS Commitment to Community provides a guiding ethos to the University community. Students are encouraged to exemplify the Commitment to Community in their daily lives. LSUS is an active community in which students, faculty, and staff together strive to pursue truth, advance learning, and uphold the highest standards of performance in academic, social, and social media environments. The campus community fosters individual development and the creation of bonds that transcend the time spent within its boundaries.

Demonstrating pride as a member of the LSUS community includes an individuals willingness to:

Accept responsibility for their actions;
Hold themselves and others to the highest standards of academic, personal, and social integrity;
Practice justice, equality, and compassion in human relations;
Respect the dignity of all persons and accept individual differences;
Respect the environment and the rights and property of others and the University;
Contribute positively to the life of the campus and surrounding community; and
Use their LSUS experience to be an active citizen in an international and interdependent world

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is defined by the International Center for Academic Integrity as, “a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage,” (ICAI, 2020). At LSUS, students are held to high standards of academic integrity which are crucial in fulfilling their educational mission.

As part of addressing violations to the Code of Student Conduct, the Accountability Process intentionally uses outcomes to encourage positive changes and developmental growth and to protect persona, property and the integrity of the University. Consideration is given to aggravating or mitigating factors with issuing an outcome. A student’s non-compliance of outcomes, an informal resolution or non-response associated with alleged violations may result in delayed registration for classes or withhold the issuance of an official transcript, grade, diploma, or degree.

Code of Student Conduct

Purpose

The purpose of the Code is to engage students on issues of community membership, encourage responsible decision making, safeguard the health and welfare of all members of the University community, protect University property, and promote academic integrity including class attendance.

Rights and Responsibilities

All students are bound by the Code, the Bylaws and regulations of the Board of Supervisors, University Policy Statements, and Permanent Memoranda. Any student found in violation of these mentioned policies may be held accountable and be subject to the accountability process outlined in the Code. The Code can be found online at Code of Student Conduct.

Awareness, Prevention & Education Resources

Drug and Alcohol Prevention

In its commitment to promoting a positive and safe learning environment, the University has also developed policies addressing the possession, use, and distribution of alcohol and illicit drugs, including establishing a drug and alcohol prevention Task Force. The Task Force assists in sharing information regarding drug and alcohol prevention campus-wide along with providing important information related to usage on campus for the University’s Biennial Review. The Task Force is made up of key members of the LSUS community including Athletics, Campus Police, Community Standards, Human Resources, Greek Life, Local Community Resources and Title IX/Equity.

The University also participates in the CORE Survey, which is submitted to all students annually and is used to measure the perception and attitudes of alcohol and other drug usage. Students are notified annually to complete the survey to assist with providing vital information.

The University will address violations of local, state, and federal laws, as well as for violations of regulations contained in the Code of Student Conduct and Employee Handbook. All students and members of the LSUS Community are encouraged to review the Drug Free Schools and Campuses Act Annual Notification as well as other relevant information contained within codes, handbooks, and reports. Students, faculty, and staff may request additional information by contacting Community Standards at 318-797-5116. While the University will hold students and employees accountable for violations of the alcohol and other drug policies, it is also committed to supporting any individual who makes the responsible decision to address their substance use/abuse. This support may include developing guiding policies, referrals to Counseling Services, educational programming, or off-campus agencies to assist an individual in meeting their goals. Additional information can also be found by accessing Decisions: Alcohol Awareness and Education.

Related Policies

Hazing

At LSUS we care deeply about the well-being of our students and our campus community. We also believe that students should be able to accomplish their goals in a healthy and encouraging environment, which fosters personal growth and development. Hazing of any kind is illegal and strictly prohibited at LSUS. Any such incidents will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and pursued to the fullest extent of the LSUS Code of Student Conduct.

If you witness or suspect hazing, please contact the appropriate university officials immediately, or submit a Hazing Report Form. Additional contact information and organization training resources can be found on the Hazing Prevention page.

Additional Student Resources

As part of its support of students, Community Standards is also dedicated to the well-being of the LSUS Community. Additional available resources on campus and in the community can be found by accessing the following links:

Community Resources

Al-Anon General Information, 318-344-0212 (for family/friends of those with addiction)
Alcoholics Anonymous, 318-865-2172
Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, 318-222-8511 (Information and treatment for adults and children)
NW Regional Center for Addictive Disorders 318-632-2040 (Information and treatment for adults and children)
North Louisiana Area Narcotics Anonymous 800-339-3723 (24 hour helpline)
The Louisiana Tobacco Quitline is a 24-hour-a-day, confidential, and free tobacco cessation helpline. The Quitline links individuals who want to quit using tobacco with trained tobacco cessation specialists who help to create an individualized plan to quit. There is no better time than now! Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit quitwithusla.org.

Faculty Information

Community Standards is committed to being a partner and a resource for faculty in maintaining both high academic standards and behavior for all LSUS students. Any student or registered student organization (RSO) found in violation of the Code may be subject to the Accountability Process.

Academic Integrity

High standards of academic integrity are crucial for the University to fulfill its educational mission. Some of the areas in which Community Standards are able to support faculty with academic misconduct matters include:

Collaboration
Copying
Failure to Follow Course Requirements
Falsification of Information
Misrepresentation
Plagiarism
Unauthorized Materials

Behavioral Integrity

The Office of Community Standards is also responsible for and facilitates investigations of Code violation specific to non-Academic Student behavior such as (a comprehensive list of violations can be found in the LSUS Code of Student Conduct):

Alcohol/Drugs
Coercive Behavior
Computer Misuse
Disorderly Conduct
Disruption/Obstruction
Endangerment
Failure to Comply
False Information
Forgery
Harassment

Faculty's Role in Accountabililty

Faculty’s Role in the Accountability Process

Any member of the University faculty, staff, student body, or community may file a written misconduct complaint against a student alleging misconduct under the Code. As a reporting party, you can have a role in the hearing proceedings. The primary role of the reporting faculty member is to prepare documentation and submit the referral to Community Standards. Referrals for Code violations associated with Community Standards may be submitted to the following specific links:

Reporting Alleged Misconduct

To report a possible Academic Violation, faculty must include the following information:

A written summary or explanation of the alleged violation.
A copy of the course syllabus
A copy of the assignment directions
A copy of the assignment in question. If the assignment is a paper, please mark the areas of concern and provide a copy of the suspected source
Assign an “I” grade pending the official outcome from the

Upon receiving that a Student has allegedly violated the Code, a Community Standards official may investigate the alleged misconduct.

Request a Presentation

Should you like to provide your class or department with additional information of the services provided by Community Standards, please email saa@lsus.edu to schedule a presentation or call (318) 795-5116. Specific areas include:

Academic Integrity
Alcohol/Drug Policy
Code of Student Conduct
Commitment to Community
Conflict Resolution