Core Values: Social Justice

Core Value:  Social Justice

Rockford University students recognize that respecting the dignity of every person is essential for creating and sustaining a flourishing university community. They understand and appreciate how their decisions and actions impact others and are just and equitable in their treatment of all members of the community. They act to discourage and challenge those whose actions may be harmful to and/or diminish the worth of others. Conduct that violates this value includes, but is not limited to:

24) Discrimination

Any act or failure to act that is based upon an individual or group’s actual or perceived status sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy status, religion, or sexual orientation, predisposing genetic characteristics, or other protected status that is sufficiently severe that it limits or denies the ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s educational program or activities.

25) Harassment

Any unwelcome conduct based on actual or perceived status including: sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy status, religion, sexual orientation, predisposing genetic characteristics, or other protected status. Any unwelcome conduct should be reported to campus officials, who will act to remedy and resolve reported incidents on behalf of the victim and community.

  1. Hostile Environment. Sanctions can and will be imposed for the creation of a hostile environment only when harassment is sufficiently severe, pervasive (or persistent) and objectively offensive that it unreasonably interferes with, limits or denies the ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s educational or employment program or activities.

26) Retaliatory Discrimination or Harassment

Any intentional, adverse action taken by an responding individual or allied third party, absent legitimate nondiscriminatory purposes, against a participant or supporter of a participant in a civil rights grievance proceeding or other protected activity under this Code.

27) Bystanding

  1. Complicity with or failure of any student to appropriately address known or obvious violations of the Code of Student Conduct or law;
  2. Complicity with or failure of any organized group to appropriately address known or obvious violations of the Code of Student Conduct or law by its members.

28) Abuse of Conduct Process

Abuse or interference with, or failure to comply in, University processes including conduct and academic integrity hearings including, but not limited to:

  1. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information;
  2. Failure to provide, destroying or concealing information during an investigation of an alleged policy violation;
  3. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or use of, the campus conduct system;
  4. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of a campus conduct body prior to, during, and/or following a campus conduct proceeding.
  5. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed by the campus conduct system; Influencing, or attempting to influence, another person to commit an abuse of the campus conduct system.