Code of Student Conduct
The Code of Student Conduct is a statement of the San Francisco Community College District's expectations regarding student standards of conduct, both academic and non-academic. Students are expected to follow all laws and District policies and regulations. Students shall be subject to discipline for violation of these laws, policies, and regulations. Student misconduct may also be subject to other regulations of the District, including but not limited to regulations regarding complaints of harassment and discrimination.
Student Conduct & Discipline has the responsibility to uphold the Student Code of Conduct to impose disciplinary action as appropriate and to assure the implementation of the CCSF Student Discipline and Student Due Process Procedures.
CCSF Code of Student Conduct
The following violations of College Policy subject students to disciplinary action and/or criminal prosecution:
- Disruptive behavior, willful non-compliance, willful & persistent profanity or vulgarity, or the open and/or persistent defiance of the authority of, or persistent abuse of District personnel or officials acting in the performance of their duties, or violating the rights of other students.
- Failure to comply with directions of District officials, faculty, staff or campus police officers who are acting in the performance of their duties, including failure to identify oneself when on District property or at a District-sponsored or supervised event, or upon the request of a District official acting in the performance of his/her duties.
- Persistent or continued serious misconduct where other means of correction have failed to bring about proper conduct.
- Willful misconduct which results in injury or death to a student or District personnel or which results in cutting or defacing, or other injury or damage to any real or personal property owned by the District; or injury or damage to property belonging to a member of the District community or to an authorized District visitor while on District property.
- Assault or battery, abuse, extortion or any threat of force, violence, or death, or any terrorist threats as defined in Education Code section 48900.7(b), directed toward any member of the District community (including but not limited to students and employees), or District visitor engaged in authorized activities, or to any District property, or aiding and abetting, as defined in Penal Code section 31, the infliction or attempted infliction of physical injury to another person.
- Disorderly, lewd, indecent, obscene, slanderous, libelous or offensive conduct, or expression (including clothing) that interferes with the District's primary educational responsibility or that breaches the peace on District property or at any District sponsored or supervised function, or such conduct or expression that so incites students as to create a clear and present danger of the commission of unlawful acts, or substantial disruption of the orderly operations of the District on any District property or at any District sponsored or supervised function.
- Instructors in special areas (i.e., gymnasium and laboratories) and in specialized fields or disciplines (e.g., Construction, Nursing, Physical Education) may require students to wear particular clothing for suitability or to meet health and/or safety regulations.
- Academic or intellectual dishonesty such as cheating, plagiarism, or the use of generative tools (including but not limited to GPT-4, ChatGPT, Claude, Cohere), without the permission of the instructor to produce responses to school tasks or activities. Cheating is defined as taking an examination or performing an assigned, evaluated task in a dishonest way. Plagiarism is defined as the unauthorized use of the written language and thought of another author/tool without proper quoting or citing and representing the author's/tool’s work as the student's own. A student may not use generative tools to produce content that the student submits as the student’s own thoughts and/or language.
- Dishonesty, such as theft or the unlawful taking of property from the rightful owner, or knowingly receiving stolen property belonging to the District or any other rightful owner, knowingly furnishing false information to the District including misrepresentation of oneself or of an organization as an agent of the District, or forgery, alteration, or misuse of District documents, records or identification.
- Failure to satisfy District financial obligations, including but not limited to damages to District property and equipment.
- Participation in gambling, which includes betting, wagering or selling pools, playing card games for money, or using District resources (including but not limited to telephones and computers) to facilitate gambling.
- Unauthorized entry to or use of District facilities, supplies or equipment (including but not limited to computing, networking and information resources).
- Defacement and/or destruction (without approval) of District property, equipment, and records are prohibited.
- Violation of District rules and regulations, including those concerning student organizations, the use of District facilities, or the time, place and manner of public expression or distribution of materials, as defined in Education Code section 66301.
- Violation of other applicable federal, state and municipal laws and District rules and regulations in connection with attendance at programs or services offered by the District or while on District property or at District-sponsored activities.
- Violation of parking rules and regulations as well as traffic regulations on District property, including but not limited to speeding, driving in the wrong direction, or other reckless driving behavior.
- Entry of visitors (including infants and children) in a classroom without the prior consent of the instructor. If a child or infant interferes with the instructor’s ability to teach, students whose children or infants require the use of childcare services should register with CCSF’s childcare resources.
- Entry of animals in classrooms or labs except as necessary to provide reasonable accommodations and assistance to disabled students. Students who require the use of a service or comfort animal should register with and provide documentation to Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS).
- Obstruction or physical or verbal disruption of classes, computer laboratories or study facilities (including but not limited to Library and Learning Assistance Center), student activities, administration, disciplinary procedures, governance processes, or other authorized District activities, services, operations or functions, or prevention of authorized guests from carrying out the purpose for which they are on District property.
- Violation of the District's Computer Usage Policy (see appropriate sections of the CCSF College Catalog for a complete version of the Policy).
- Use by any person, including a student, of any electronic listening or recording device in any classroom without the prior consent of the instructor (as defined in Education Code 78907), except as necessary to provide reasonable auxiliary aids and academic adjustments to disabled students. Any person, other than a student, who willfully violates this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
- Persistent and willful use of a cell phone or other communication device by a student in a classroom or laboratory (e.g., talking, text-messaging, recording) without the prior consent of the instructor or laboratory monitor.
- Possession while on District property or at any District sponsored function, of any of the following weapons (except for persons given permission by the Chancellor or designee as members of law enforcement operations): any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as black-jack, fire bomb, billy club, sand club, metal knuckles; any dirk, dagger, or knife having a blade longer than two inches; any switchblade longer than two inches; any razor with an unguarded blade; any firearm (loaded or unloaded) such as a pistol, revolver, rifle, automatic or semi-automatic weapon; any metal pipe or bar used or intended to be used as a club; or any other item, such as a chain that can be used as a threat to do bodily harm.
- Unlawful use, sale, distribution or possession of, or the presence on campus while under the influence of any controlled substance as listed in the California Health & Safety Code (except as expressly permitted by law and evidenced by medical authorization), or the use, sale, or distribution of any poison classified by laws defining controlled substances, while on District property or at District functions, or the unlawful use, possession of or offering, arranging or negotiating the sale of any drug paraphernalia.
- Willful or persistent smoking including vaping and expectorating chewing tobacco in any area where smoking has been prohibited.
- Violation of the District's Sexual Harassment Policy as defined by Board Policy 2.31.
- Violation of the District's Sexual and Other Assaults on Campus Policy as defined by Board Policy and Administrative Procedure 2.32.
- Harassing, provoking, intimidating or threatening anyone who is a witness in a school disciplinary proceeding, administrative proceeding or law enforcement investigation for the purpose of preventing the individual from being a witness or retaliation for being a witness.
- Engaging in intimidating conduct or bullying against another student or employee of the District through words or actions, including direct physical contact, verbal assaults such as teasing, name-calling, social isolation, manipulation, and cyberbullying (e.g., baiting and sexting) or engaging in intimidating conduct or bullying through other electronic means (e.g., social media, cellular phones, and email).
- Causing, threatening or attempting to cause or participating in an act of hate violence, as defined in Education Code Section 233(e).
- Stalking, defined as a pattern of conduct by a student with intent to follow, alarm or harass another person and which causes that person to reasonably fear for his or her safety, and where the student has persisted in the pattern of conduct after the student has been told to cease the pattern of conduct. Violation of a restraining order shall also constitute stalking under these Rules of Student Conduct.
- Participation in hazing (e.g., verbal abuse, threats or implied threats, beating, paddling, branding, other forms of assault, and forced or coerced behavior of any kind).
Incident Reporting: Maxient
Maxient is an online student conduct reporting and tracking system for District Employees to document and report violations of the Student Code of Conduct to Student Conduct & Discipline. Anonymous reports are not accepted. Student Conduct & Discipline will not process any of these reports. Violations of the Student Code of Conduct may be reported through Maxient, including academic dishonesty Issues and general behavioral Issues.
How to Submit a Report
Submit a Student Code of Conduct incident report via Maxient.
Notes about submitting a report:
- Anonymous reports are not accepted. Only CCSF Employees may submit a report.
- Use Firefox or Google Chrome for best results.
Maxient 101 Report Frequently Asked Questions
As the current process, violations of the Student Code of Conduct may be reported through Maxient, including Academic Dishonesty Issues and General Behavioral Issues.
No, you are not required to confer with your department chair, however, you are strongly encouraged to do so.
No, you are not required to confer with your supervisor/lead administrator, however, you are strongly encouraged to do so.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
FERPA affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An "eligible student" under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.) For more information about FERPA and students' rights concerning FERPA, please visit Admissions & Records Annual Notification to City College of San Francisco Students: FERPA and Privacy Rights of Students.
You may be asked or required to complete Student Conduct & Discipline: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Form in order for us to speak with individuals who are assisting you in student conduct related matters.