The code of student rights and responsibilities recognizes two types of prohibited conduct: Conduct related to community, and conduct related to persons. The subsections below outline the basic structures of community that the code seeks to uphold, and the basic rights and expectations of students that the code seeks to support.

(1) Conduct related to community.

The Evergreen State College community is a vibrant and engaged collective of individuals who have committed to the mission of the college. The college's mission statement reads as follows: "As an innovative public liberal arts college, Evergreen emphasizes collaborative, interdisciplinary learning across significant differences. Our academic community engages students in defining and thinking critically about their learning. Evergreen supports and benefits from local and global commitments to social justice, diversity, environmental stewardship and service in the public interest." Students are encouraged to continue to grow individualistically while contributing to and shaping the Evergreen community as each person brings new ideas, new perspectives, and renewed focus that is invaluable at a liberal arts college.

Students in the college community are expected to practice academic integrity: To author their own ideas and critique and evaluate others' ideas in their own voices. The greater learning community of the college can thrive only if each person works with a genuine commitment to make their own authentic intellectual discoveries. To that end it is a community expectation that students and recognized organizations will not engage in the following prohibited conduct, which constitute violations of this code:

(a) Academic dishonesty which includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(i) Cheating includes any attempt to give or obtain unauthorized assistance relating to the completion of an academic assignment;

(ii) Plagiarism includes taking and using as one's own without proper attribution the ideas, writings, or work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Plagiarism may also include the unauthorized submission of academic work for credit that has been submitted for credit in another course;

(iii) Fabrication includes falsifying data, information, or citations in completing an academic assignment and also includes providing false or deceptive information to an instructor concerning the completion of an assignment;

(iv) Using assistance or materials that are expressly forbidden to complete an academic product or assignment;

(v) The unauthorized collaboration with any other person during the completion of independent academic work;

(vi) Knowingly falsifying or assisting in falsifying in whole, or in part, the contents of one's academic work;

(vii) Permitting any other person to substitute oneself to complete academic work; or

(viii) Engaging in any academic behavior specifically prohibited by a faculty member in the course covenant, syllabus, or individual or class discussion.

(b) Damaging, defacing, destroying, or tampering with college property or other personal or public property. This includes, but is not limited to, graffiti and vandalism.

(c) Disorderly conduct which includes any individual or group behavior which is abusive, obscene, violent, excessively noisy, or which unreasonably disturbs institutional functions, operations, classrooms, other groups or individuals. These behaviors include, but are not limited to, those which obstruct or interfere with institutional activities, programs, events, or facilities, such as:

(i) Any unauthorized occupancy of facilities owned or controlled by the college, or blockage of access to or from such facilities, or the occupation of college property after being given notice to depart;

(ii) Interference with the ability of any authorized person to gain access to any activity, program, event, or facility sponsored or controlled by the college;

(iii) Any obstruction or delay of a public safety officer, police officer, firefighter, EMT, or any official of the college;

(iv) The use of force or violence (actual or threatened) to deny, impede, obstruct, impair, or interfere with the freedom of movement of any person, or the performance of duties of any college employee;

(v) Participation in a disruptive or coercive demonstration. A demonstration is considered disruptive or coercive if it substantially impedes college operations, interferes with the rights of others, or takes place on premises or at times where students are not authorized to be;

(vi) Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on college property or at college sponsored/supervised functions; or

(vii) Public urination or defecation.

(d) Disruptive behavior in the classroom may be defined as, but not limited to, behavior that unreasonably obstructs or disrupts the learning environment (e.g., outbursts which disrupt the flow of instruction or prevent concentration on the subject taught, failure to cooperate in maintaining the learning community as defined in the course syllabus or covenant, and the continued use, after being given notice to stop, of any electronic or other noise or light emitting device which disturbs others, unless use of such technologies are an authorized accommodation for a documented disability for that program).

The faculty member has responsibility for maintaining a productive classroom and can order the temporary removal or exclusion from the classroom of any student engaged in disruptive behavior or behavior that violates the general rules and regulations of the college for each class session during which the behavior occurs. Extended or permanent exclusion from the classroom, beyond the session in which the conduct occurred, or further conduct action can be effected only through appropriate procedures of the college. The faculty member may also report incidents of classroom misconduct to the student conduct office.

(e) Forgery, alteration, or the misuse of college documents, records or identification cards.

(f) Failure to comply with the direction of or failure to identify yourself to a college official or other public official acting in the performance of their duties.

(g) Unauthorized entry into or onto, or the unauthorized remaining in, or upon, any college premises; or the unauthorized possession, duplication, or use of a college key or other access device.

(h) Sounding of a false alarm which includes, but is not limited to, initiating or causing to be initiated any false report, warning or threat, such as that of fire, explosion or emergency that intentionally causes a false emergency response; and the improper use or disabling of safety equipment and signs.

(2) Conduct related to persons.

Students of The Evergreen State College are to practice good citizenship in the campus community and beyond. Our collective efforts include implementation of the education, experiential learning, and skills gained through engagement with the faculty, staff, and students of the college. Engagement can be through civil discussions, a free exchange of ideas, participation in events and programs, or through other interactions where the desire to create spaces for learning are present. Students are encouraged to pursue new opportunities to engage and expand their intellectual curiosities and develop an understanding of the global society in which we live.

Students in the college community participate with fellow community members (faculty, staff, students, and members of the community beyond The Evergreen State College) in dialogue, educational activities, social events, and more with a focus on civil engagement and being one's best self. To that end it is a community expectation that students or recognized organizations will not engage in the following prohibited conduct, which constitute violations of this code:

(a) Alcohol, drug, and tobacco violations.

(i) Alcohol. The use, possession, delivery, sale, manufacture, or being observably under the influence of any alcoholic beverage, except as permitted by law and applicable college policies.

(ii) Cannabis. The use, possession, delivery, or sale of cannabis or the psychoactive compounds found in cannabis, regardless of form, or being observably under the influence of cannabis or the psychoactive compounds found in cannabis. Cannabis use and possession is illegal under federal law and the college is required to prohibit the possession, use and distribution of illicit drugs, including cannabis, as a condition of receiving federal funding.

(iii) Drugs. The use, possession, delivery, sale, manufacture, or being observably under the influence of any mood altering drug, or any other controlled substance under chapter 69.50 RCW, except as prescribed for a student's use by a licensed practitioner.

(iv) Tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and related products. The use of tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and related products is prohibited except as allowed by college policy in designated smoking areas. Related products include, but are not limited to, cigarettes, pipes, bidi, clove cigarettes, water pipes, hookahs, chewing tobacco, vaporizers, and snuff.

(b) Assault. Unwanted touching, physical harm or abuse, or threats of physical harm or abuse which threaten the health or safety of another person.

(c) Cyber misconduct. The term "cyber misconduct" includes, but is not limited to, behavior involving the use of a computer, computer network, the internet, or use of electronic communications including, but not limited to, electronic mail, instant messaging, list serves, electronic bulletin boards/discussion boards, ad forums and social media sites or platforms, to disrupt college function, adversely affect the pursuit of the college's objectives, or to stalk, harm or harass, or engage in other conduct which threatens or is reasonably perceived as threatening the physical or mental safety of another person, or which is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it interferes with or diminishes the ability of an individual to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the college, or an employee to engage in work duties.

(d) Failure to be truthful to the college or a college official. This includes, but is not limited to, knowingly making false charges against another member of the college community; and providing false or misleading information in an application for admission or to gain employment.

(e) Failure to follow fire safety regulations. Failure to evacuate during a fire alarm; the improper use or damaging of fire prevention or safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, alarm pull stations, or emergency exits; or the unauthorized setting of fires.

(f) Harm. Behavior directed at an individual that based on a reasonable person's standard is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent such that it diminishes or interferes with the ability of an individual to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the college or an employee to engage in their work duties. This includes, but is not limited to, intimidation, verbal abuse, threat(s), bullying, or other conduct which threatens or is reasonably perceived as threatening the physical or mental safety of another person. Bullying is repeated or aggressive unwanted behavior, not otherwise protected by law that intentionally humiliates, harms, or intimidates another person.

(g) Harassment. Conduct against a person on the basis of protected status that is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent as to interfere with or diminishes the ability of a person to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the college, or an employee to engage in work duties.

(h) Hazing. Conduct that includes any activity or method of initiation into a recognized organization or student social, living, learning, or athletic group that causes, or is likely to cause, bodily danger or physical or mental harm to any member of the college community.

(i) Knowingly assisting another person to violate the code or failing to report to a college official conduct that constitutes significant damage to property or a serious danger to the health or physical safety of an individual.

(j) Lewd conduct. Behavior which is sexualized or obscene that is not otherwise protected under the law including, but not limited to, exposing genitalia, and engaging in sexual intercourse or sexual activity in public.

(k) Obstructive behavior in conduct conferences or hearings. Any conduct at any stage of a process or investigation that is threatening or disorderly, including:

(i) Failure to abide by the directives of a student conduct official or college official(s) in the performance of their duties;

(ii) Knowing falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before a student conduct official or hearing panel;

(iii) Deliberate disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a conduct conference or hearing proceeding;

(iv) Making false statements to any student conduct officials or hearing panel;

(v) Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a hearing panel or a student conduct official prior to, or during the course of, a proceeding; or

(vi) Harassment or intimidation of any participant in the college conduct process.

(l) Recording. The recording of any private conversation, by any device, without the voluntary permission of all persons engaged in the conversation except as permitted by state law, chapter 9.73 RCW. For purposes of this section, the term "permission" will be considered obtained only when one party has announced to all other parties engaged in the communication or conversation that such communication or conversation will be recorded or transmitted; and the announcement itself is recorded as part of the conversation or communication.

(m) Retaliation. Harming, threatening, intimidating, coercing, or taking adverse action of any kind against a person because such person reported an alleged violation of the code or college policy, provided information about an alleged violation, or participated as a witness or in any other capacity in a college investigation or conduct proceeding.

(n) Theft (attempted or actual) of property, services, or identity. This includes, but is not limited to, using, taking, attempting to take, possessing, or aiding another to take college property or services, or property belonging to any person, without express permission. Identity theft is the use of another person's name and personal information including, but not limited to, private identifying information, without their permission in order to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit or other benefits in the other person's name.

(o) Viewing, distributing, photographing, or filming another person without that person's knowledge and voluntary permission, while the person being photographed, viewed, or filmed is in a place where they would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The term "permission" will be considered obtained if there are signed waivers, written permission, or verbal agreement recorded with specificity to the content.

(p) Violation of any college policy including, but not limited to, residential and dining services policies, appropriate use of information technology resources policies, and WAC 174-136-043 regarding weapons.

(q) Violation of federal, state, or local law including being charged by law enforcement, or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, under circumstances where it is reasonable to conclude that the presence of the person on college premises would constitute a danger to the physical or mental safety of a member(s) of the college community.

(r) Stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person or group that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear for their physical or mental safety, or the physical or mental safety of another. A course of conduct includes two or more acts including, but not limited to, those in which a person directly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about the complainant, or interferes with the complainant's property.

(s) Sexual misconduct. The term "sexual misconduct" includes sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual violence, relationship violence, domestic violence, and stalking.

(3) Sexual misconduct and consent.

In order to understand the definitions of prohibited conduct in this section, and to adjudicate complaints of sexual misconduct, it is necessary to provide a further definition of consent. This section provides information about consent related to sexual misconduct.

Consent is permission expressed by words or actions that is clear, knowing, and voluntary, regarding willingness to engage in sexual activity. Consent is active, not passive. Each party has the responsibility to make certain that the other has consented before engaging in the activity. Consent to any one form of sexual activity does not automatically imply consent to any other forms of sexual activity. Previous relationship or prior consent does not imply consent to future sexual acts; this includes "blanket" consent (i.e., permission in advance for any/all actions at a later time or place). Consent can be withdrawn once given, as long as that withdrawal is communicated. There is no requirement for a party to resist the sexual advance or request, and resistance is a clear demonstration of nonconsent.

A person cannot consent if they are incapacitated. Incapacitation is a state where someone cannot make reasoned decisions because they lack the capacity to give consent (e.g., to understand the "who, what, when, where, why or how" of their sexual interaction). A person cannot consent if they are unable to understand what is happening or is disoriented, helpless, asleep, or unconscious for any reason, including due to alcohol or other drugs. An individual who engages in sexual activity when the individual knows, or should know, that the complainant is physically or mentally incapacitated has engaged in nonconsensual conduct. The question of what a person should have known is objectively based on what a reasonable person in the place of the participant(s), sober and exercising good judgment, would have known about the condition of the complainant.

Consent cannot be obtained by force or coercion. Force is the use of physical violence and/or imposing on someone physically to gain sexual access. Force also includes threats or intimidation (implied threats) that overcomes free will or resistance. Coercion is unreasonable pressure for sexual activity. When someone makes clear to another person that they do not want sex, that they want to stop, or that they do not want to go past a certain point of sexual interaction, continued pressure beyond that point is coercive.

Intoxication is not a defense against allegations that an individual has engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity.

This code is applicable regardless of the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of individuals engaging in sexual activity. Conduct is determined a violation as per the reasonable person standard.

(a) Sexual harassment. The term "sexual harassment" means unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, including unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other conduct of a sexual nature that is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent as to deny or limit based on sex, the ability of a person to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the college or an employee to engage in their work duties, that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment for other community members.

(b) Sexual exploitation. The term "sexual exploitation" means conduct that takes nonconsensual or abusive sexual advantage of another for their own or another's benefit. Sexual exploitation includes, but is not limited to, nonconsensual recording of sexual activity or the nonconsensual distribution of a consensual or nonconsensual recording or image; going beyond the boundaries of consent; forcing another person to engage in sexual activity for payment; or knowingly exposing someone to or transmitting a sexually transmitted infection.

(c) Sexual violence. The term "sexual violence" means an act or acts of a sexual nature against a person without their consent. Nonconsensual sexual intercourse is any sexual intercourse (anal, oral, or vaginal), however slight, with any object or body part, by a person upon another person, that is without consent and/or by force. Sexual intercourse includes anal or vaginal penetration by a penis, tongue, finger or another body part or object, or oral copulation by mouth to genital contact. Nonconsensual sexual intercourse also includes forcing a person to engage in vaginal or anal penetration by a penis, object, tongue or finger, or oral copulation by mouth to genital contact.

Nonconsensual sexual contact is any intentional sexual touching, however slight, with any object or body part, by a person upon another person that is without consent and/or by force. Sexual contact includes intentional contact with the lips, breasts, buttock, groin, or genitals, or clothing covering any of those areas, or touching another with any of these body parts, or making another touch you or themselves with or on any of these body parts, or any other intentional bodily contact in a sexual manner.

(d) Domestic violence. The term "domestic violence" means the infliction of physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault committed against a current or former spouse or intimate partner, current or former cohabitant, a person with whom the person shares a child in common, or a person with whom one resides.

(e) Relationship violence. The term "relationship violence," also known as dating violence, means the infliction of physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault committed against a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the complainant. The existence of such a relationship will be presumed based on the reporting party's statement and with consideration of the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

(f) Stalking. The term "stalking" means a course of conduct directed at a specific person or group that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear for their physical or mental safety, or the physical or mental safety of another. A course of conduct includes two or more acts including, but not limited to, those in which a person directly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about the complainant, or interferes with the complainant's property.