Nicholls State University has jurisdiction over violations of the Standards of Conduct at all:
- University sponsored events (on or off),
- Where students are enrolled in a Nicholls program offering academic credit or,
- Elsewhere when the University has an identifiable interest.
The Vice President of Student Affairs or designated representative has sole discretion to determine the jurisdiction, parameters, and/or if the behavior affects a substantial University interest. The University also retains jurisdiction over students who choose to take a leave of absence, withdraw or have graduated for any misconduct that occurred prior to the leave, withdrawal, or graduation. If sanctioned, a hold may be placed on the student’s ability to re-enroll and/or obtain official transcripts and all sanctions must be satisfied prior to re-enrollment eligibility. In the event of serious misconduct committed while still enrolled but reported after the accused student has graduated, the University may invoke these procedures should the former student be found responsible.
The Standards of Conduct and its process apply to the conduct of individual students, (undergraduate, graduate, online) and all University affiliated and or sponsored student organizations. For the purposes of student conduct, the University considers an individual to be a student when an offer of admission has been extended and thereafter as long as the student has a continuing educational interest in the University. These Standards may also be applied to resident non-students, campers, and high school bridge/extension/partner/dual-credit and continuing education programs by contractual agreements. Visitors to and guests of the University may seek resolution of violations of the Standards committed against them by students. Matters involving the problematic behavior of a guest may be managed through University police. Students should also understand that online content, including blogs, web posts, chats, and social media interactions, are publicly accessible. Any evidence of policy violations posted online can lead to allegations of misconduct against the student. The University does not regularly search for this information but may take action if and when such information is brought to the attention of University officials. Additionally, most online speech by students not involving University networks or technology will be protected as free expression, with two notable exceptions:
- A true threat, is defined as “a threat a reasonable person would interpret as a serious expression of intent to inflict bodily harm upon specific individuals”;
- Speech posted online about Nicholls State University or its community members that causes a significant disruption.
