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2 Mission Statement 2013-2014 College CatalogMission StatementThe mission of South Suburban College isto Serve our Students and the Communitythrough lifelong learning.SSC is dedicated to: High quality education, training, and services forall individuals who have the ability to benefit fromour programs. Programs that are accessible and affordableprovided to a diverse community of learners. Training delivered in collaboration with localbusinesses. A community of staff, faculty, and students thatcreate an environment and resources for learning. Up-to-date facilities and technology that helpprepare students for transfer to baccalaureateprograms or the job market.Goals Provide credit courses and Associate degreeprograms for academically prepared studentsto assist them in preparing for transfer to a fouryear college or university. The College will beaccountable for the quality of academic programsand the assessment of learning. Provide high quality, accessible, and affordablecredit courses and associate degree andcertificate programs for academically preparedstudents to assist them in preparing foroccupations that require career education beyondthe high school level. Provide developmental instruction in reading,writing and mathematics skills to studentsrequiring these skills in order to succeed in othercollege programs or to complete a high schoolEquivalency or GED program, and to expand adulteducation. Increase the number and diversity of students whocomplete training and educational programs byproviding academic advising, learning resourcesand supportive services, such as specializedlearning assistance, for students with a widerange of academic needs. Partner with local businesses and industry tosustain strong economic growth and to maintaina competitive workforce. The College will provideuniversal technical skills training to qualifycommunity residents for employment, and willassist businesses in workforce development. Complement classroom instruction with studentopportunities through workplace internships,cooperative education and other work-basedlearning approaches. Offer activities, services, and programs thatenhance student life and enrich the educationalexperience of the student to increase knowledgeof societal and civic responsibilities in a complexsociety. Design and implement programs thatdevelop student leadership, ethical decisionmaking, and international cultural understanding. Collaborate with area elementary and secondaryschool districts to develop and provide educationalservices to their students and staff. Provide high quality educational programs byutilizing quality measures such as input fromadvisory committees, assessment of studentlearning outcomes, and recommendations fromour accrediting agencies. Maintain fiscal responsibility by continuallyimproving productivity, cost effectiveness, andaccountability.History of the CollegeSouth Suburban College was founded in 1927 asThornton Junior College. At that time, the Collegewas an extension of Thornton Township High Schoolin Harvey, Illinois. The Illinois Community CollegeAct of 1965 created Community College District 510and enlarged the area served to include high schooldistricts 205, 215 and 228 (Thornton, ThorntonFractional, and Bremen).In 1969 the name was changed to Thornton CommunityCollege to emphasize the comprehensive mission ofthe College. The College moved into its existing maincampus facilities in 1972. In June of 1988, the Boardof Trustees voted to change the name of the institutionto South Suburban College to more accurately reflectthe geographic location of the College.In an effort to serve the western portion of the districtand to provide opportunities for district residents tocomplete a four-year degree, the University & CollegeCenter was opened in Oak Forest in 1992.

2013-2014 College Catalog Student Codes Of Conduct 3Student Codes OfConductIt is the responsibility of every student to becomefamiliar with the College’s Student Code of Conduct.Academic ConductThe Academic Code of Conduct is intended to maintainan atmosphere conducive to developing optimumclassroom educational experiences for all membersof the College community, faculty and students. Aviolation of the Academic Code of Conduct includes,but is not limited to, any act of cheating, plagiarismor electronic data fraud related to the instructionalprocesses of South Suburban College. Cheating isbreaking the rules or creating an unfair advantageover someone else. Cheating includes, but is notlimited to, taking credit for someone else’s answersor unauthorized use of any materials, resources orelectronic devices while completing an exam, quizor assignment at South Suburban College. Cheatingalso includes submitting someone else’s work asone’s own or helping another student cheat.PlagiarismPlagiarism includes, but is not limited to, directquotation or paraphrasing of the work of someoneelse without proper citation of the original source.For help avoiding plagiarism seek assistance froman instructor, the Academic Assistance Center or theWriting Center before submitting an assignment.1.When an incident of plagiarism, as describedin the syllabus, is identified, the faculty membershall meet with the student to discuss thesituation and complete an incident report. If aface to face meeting is not possible, telephoneor electronic discussion is acceptable, but mustbe documented. If the matter is found to be amisunderstanding, the process stops; the facultymember gives the student a copy of the reportand keeps a copy for his or her records. If thestudent accepts responsibility for plagiarizing,the grading policy as stated in the course syllabuswill be applied. The student is given a copy ofthe report, and the faculty member retains acopy with any supporting documentation andforwards a copy of the report and materials to theVice President for Academic Services office forvalidation by the Academic Conduct committee.2. If the matter is not resolved at Step 1, the facultymember will submit the incident report promptlyto the administrator to whom the faculty memberreports (e.g., the Dean, Associate Dean orDirector for the instructional area). The AcademicAdministrator will forward a copy of the reportto the VP for Academic Services. When aninstructor is requesting a course grade of “F”, theAdministrator will forward a copy of the reportto the Director of Enrollment Services so that aRegistrar’s Hold can be placed on the student’srecord for the course involved. This hold willremain until the incident is resolved.The student shall utilize the Academic ConductAppeal Form to initialize a formal appeal andsubmit the information to the appropriateacademic administrator. This written appealmust be filed with the appropriate academicadministrator within five business days of thedate of discussion with the instructor. Theacademic administrator may discuss the concernwith the student and instructor. The academicadministrator will compile all information andforward the complete appeal packet to theappropriate Vice President for step 3 of theprocess. The student will continue to attend classthroughout the process.3. Upon receipt of the completed packet from theacademic administrator, the Vice President willschedule a meeting with the Academic ConductCommittee, student, and instructor to reviewthe incident and the grade issued. In the eventthat a student has already withdrawn from thecourse in which the incident occurred, a finalgrade of “F” may still be issued if so outlinedin the course syllabus. The Vice President willcommunicate the decision of the AcademicConduct Committee in writing to the student. Thedecision of this committee is final and will bereflected in the student’s grade. Every attemptwill be made to have the process concludedwithin a reasonable time frame. The hold placedon the student’s record will be removed once thecommittee reaches a decision.4. Multiple Incidents: For a second validatedoffense of plagiarism, a student will receivea one-semester suspension. Following threeor more validated offenses of plagiarism, thestudent will be expelled from the college for noless than two academic years. A student has theright to appeal any academic sanctions throughthe office of the Vice President of AcademicServices and the Academic Conduct Committee.Academic sanctions for cheating and plagiarismmay include failure of an assignment, failure of aquiz/exam, failure of a course or exclusion from aprogram of study. The sanctions are determinedby the individual instructor and are clearly statedin each course syllabus. If a particular coursepolicy is unclear, consult the individual instructor.Academic success is described not only by the

4 Student Codes Of Conduct 2013-2014 College Cataloggrade received but also by how the grade is earned.Students may appeal academic sanctions throughthe appropriate appeal process.Dress Code of ConductDress codes are flexible, but students may berequested to leave the campus if a mode or style ofdress interferes with academic processes.Student Code of ConductThe Student Code of Conduct has been developedto maintain an atmosphere conducive to developingoptimum educational experiences for all members ofthe College community. Conduct in violation of thisCode includes, but is not necessarily limited to, thefollowing:A. Any acts of classroom disruption that go beyondthe normal rights of students to question anddiscuss with instructors the instructional processrelative to subject content.If a student is unresponsive to a faculty member’sintervention and remains disruptive in theclassroom, the faculty member may ask thestudent to leave the class session. The studentmay not return to class until a meeting is heldbetween the student and the instructor or theDean Of Student Development. The instructorshall determine whether to meet with the student.Appropriate classroom behavior will be reinforced.Continued or excessive acts of classroomdisruption will prohibit the student fromreturning to class until meeting with the DeanOf Student Development and establishing abehavior contract. The behavior contract mustbe agreeable to the faculty member, Dean OfStudent Development and the student. Violationof a behavior contract will result in additionalsanctions. The Dean Of Student Developmentmay also impose other sanctions.B. Using pagers, cell phones, and other electroniccommunication and entertainment devices (e.g.cd players, tape players, etc.) in classes, labs,and the library. Pagers and cell phones shouldbe turned off or set on vibrating alarm. Electronicentertainment devices should be turned off andput away prior to entering classes, labs, or thelibrary;C. Using or occupying any space or facilities ownedor leased by the College at any time withoutauthorization of the Board of Trustees or theappropriate College administrators;D. Attempting to prevent or obstruct faculty and/orstudents going to and from classes or Collegesponsored activities;E. Preventing or attempting to prevent any individualon the College campus from carrying outassigned duties or lawful business;F. Willfully destroying or damaging College property;G. Blocking pedestrians or vehicular traffic on ornear College facilities;H. Participating in any activity that endangers thephysical being of any person;I. Violating any municipal, county, state or federallaw, statute or ordinance while on Collegefacilities;J. Refusing to comply with College officialsperforming of their duties;K. Any act of dishonesty toward the College,including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism,misuse of College documents or records, forgery,or knowingly furnishing false information to theCollege, or to others in the name of the College;L. Any conduct considered disorderly, lewd,indecent, or obscene, including profane orabusive language toward members of the Collegecommunity;M. Possessing, selling, using, consuming, ordistributing alcoholic beverages or controlledsubstances or being under the influence of suchitems at any College facility or at an officiallysponsored College event on or off campus exceptan off campus activity where all in attendancemeet the minimum age requirement establishedby law, and the location of the activity does notprohibit such beverages;N. Possessing or using of firearms, explosives,harmful or dangerous chemicals or otherweapons capable of inflicting injury to personsor damage to property, except as permitted byCollege regulations;O. Gambling while on College facilities, unless theactivity has been approved by the College and ispermitted by law;P. Any acts of unprofessional conduct.Non-violent violations of the Student Code ofConduct will result in remediation. Remediation willteach the student responsible behavior, the need toaccept the consequences of behavior, and effectivecommunication and conflict resolution skills.Violation of this Code of Conduct is consideredgrounds for sanction against the student and, ifthe situation should warrant, binding over to civilauthorities for appropriate action.

2013-2014 College Catalog Student Codes Of Conduct 5Due Process For TheStudent Code Of ConductA student accused of violating the Code of Conductwill be referred to the Dean of Student Developmentor the College Disciplinary Standards Committee.Any alleged infraction requiring the intervention ofthe College Police Department, which may include,but is not limited to, acts of violence or threats ofviolence, drug or narcotic violations, or any otheraction considered a Severe Sanction, will be referredto the Dean of Student Development to schedule ahearing on the infraction with the College DisciplinaryStandards Committee. The role of the Dean of StudentDevelopment or the College Disciplinary StandardsCommittee, as appropriate, is to determine whetherthe student is guilty of the violation. The student willreceive notice of the alleged violation, including thespecific code violations and appropriate reference tothe Student Code of Conduct.The Dean or the College Disciplinary StandardsCommittee may impose any of the following sanctionsupon any student found to have violated the StudentCode Of Conduct. Classifications of sanctions fromminor to intermediate or severe will be imposed basedupon the severity of the offense. More than one of thesanctions may be imposed for a single violation.1.Minor Sanctionsa. Warning: Student receives a warning and/orreprimand that the College has taken note ofthe student’s action and further violations ofthe Student Code of Conduct may result inprobation, suspension or dismissal dependingupon severity of the incident.b. Probation: Student is reprimanded for violatingspecified regulations. Probation is for adesignated period of time and may result inmore severe disciplinary sanctions if furtherviolations occur during the probationaryperiod. The student will receive writtennotification of his/her probation.c. Behavioral contract: Student enters into awritten agreement to modify behavior. Thestudent’s failure to fulfill terms of the contractmay result in additional disciplinary sanctions.2. Intermediate Sanctionsa. Restitution: Student is required to reimbursefor damage to or misappropriation of propertyin addition to other types of disciplinary action.b. Discretionary sanctions: Student is requiredto complete work assignments, communityservice, or other assignments.c. Alcohol/drug sanctions: Student may receivean assessment and be required to participatein counseling or educational programs in lieuof, or in addition to, the imposition of otherdisciplinary actions. Parents of students underthe age 21 will be notified in the event ofdiscipline related to alcohol and drug use.d. Withdrawal: Student will administrativelybe withdrawn from any and all classes withconsequent loss of associated tuition and fees.3. Severe Sanctionsa. Suspension: Student is prohibited fromattending all enrolled College courses for adetermined period of time and must meetall specific requirements for readmissionto College courses as determined by theDean of Student Development or theCollege Disciplinary Standards Committee. Asuspension will not exceed ten [10] schooldays per offense.b. Dismissal: Student is prohibited from attendingall enrolled College courses for more than ten(10) days. A Dismissal shall not exceed theremainder of the current semester throughthe following full semester (Fall or Spring).Following the dismissal period, the studentmust appeal in writing to the Dean of StudentDevelopment for reinstatement.c. Expulsion: Student is prohibited from attendingall enrolled College courses for a period not toexceed the remainder of the current semesterthrough the following two (2) full semesters(Fall or Spring). Following the expulsionperiod, the student must appeal in writing tothe Dean of Student Development. The Deanwill review the appeal with the Vice Presidentof Student Development and determinewhether the appeal should be referred to theCollege Disciplinary Standards Committee. Alldecisions made by the College DisciplinaryStandards Committee are final.Severe sanctions are mandatory for the followingoffenses: Physical harm, or threat of physical or mentalharm, to College employees and/or students andany other members of South Suburban College orits visitors; Any conduct, or threat of conduct, consideredlewd, indecent or obscene; Sale or distribution of any narcotic, drug,marijuana, depressant or other addictive orhallucinogenic substance not expressly permittedby law on College property, either owned,contracted, rented or leased;

6 Student Codes Of Conduct 2013-2014 College Catalog Possession or use of firearms, explosives, harmfulor dangerous chemicals or other weapons capableof inflicting injury to persons or damage to property,not otherwise permitted by College regulations.If the Dean of Student Development or the CollegeDisciplinary Standards Committee believes dismissalor expulsion is warranted, the College DisciplinaryStandards Committee shall convene within five(5) school days. The student shall receive noticeof the hearing. At the hearing, the student may berepresented and may cross-examine any witnesswho testifies. The Committee shall consider the facts,determine if a violation has occurred, and recommendan appropriate sanction. The Committee will provide awritten decision to the Dean of Student Developmentor a designee. The Dean shall notify the student, inwriting, of the Committee’s decision.There will be a single verbatim record, such as atape recording, of all College Disciplinary StandardsCommittee hearings. The verbatim record may onlybe reviewed on the College premises and shall remainCollege property.Discrimination andHarassment Policy for StudentsSouth Suburban College is committed to equal rightsand will take the necessary steps to ensure thatstudents may work, learn, and study in an environmentfree from illegal harassment and discrimination.Harassment and discrimination infringe upon mutualrespect in all relationships and have the potential toresult in serious harm to student success.In accordance with the statutory provisions includedin Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the 1972Education Amendments, and all other applicablefederal and state laws, South Suburban Collegeshall not discriminate on the basis of a person’s race,color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status,sexual orientation, disability or any other factor asprohibited by law, rule or regulation.College policies and procedures have been institutedto prevent harassment and discrimination. Thesepolicies and procedures provide for the investigationand resolution of complaints. Findings of harassmentor discrimination may result in discipline, includingsuspension or dismissal from South Suburban College.Prohibited BehaviorThe College prohibits harassment and discriminationon the basis of age, disability, national origin, ancestry,race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, ormarital status, or in retaliation for having made a priordiscrimination or harassment complaint. Harassmentis unwanted behavior directed toward an individualbased on one or more of the foregoing designatedcharacteristics.Discrimination and HarassmentProcedureAny student who believes that he or she has beensubjected to discrimination or harassment may followeither an informal or formal procedure without fear ofretaliation. The College will complete a prompt andconfidential investigation as set forth below, followingnotice of a complaint.Step 1 – Any student believing he or she has beena victim of discrimination or harassmentshall notify the office of the Vice Presidentof Student Development. The VicePresident, or his/her designee, shall makean effort to resolve the matter informally.Step 2 – If the matter cannot be satisfactorilyresolved at step 1, the student shall filea formal written complaint with the VicePresident of Student Development. Themailing address for such complaints is:Vice President of Student Development,15800 South State Street, South Holland,Illinois 60473. If a written complaint isnot filed, South Suburban College willconsider the matter resolved.The written complaint shall be filed within sixty (60)days of the alleged incident of discrimination orharassment. Written complaints shall be signed bythe complaining student and shall state in detail thetime, place, pertinent facts, and circumstances of thealleged discrimination or harassment along with anywitnesses. The Vice President of Student Development,or his/her designee, will notify the accused of thecomplaint and will conduct a thorough investigationof the complaint within thirty (30) days of its receipt.The time period may be extended for justifiablereasons or by

Nursing, Dean's Office Room 4120, Ext. 2260 Office Administration & Technology Room 3440, Ext 2664 Physical Education Room 4469, Ext. 2364 Social & Behavioral Science Room 3493, Ext. 2272 Administration Administration, Vice President Room 1233, Ext. 2212, 5721 Bookstore Room 1248, Ext. 2281, 2282 Business & Accounting Office Room 2230, Ext .