Quick Index

Guidelines for Community Behavior

Each student at Sterling College deserves to have a positive learning experience. We consider two guidelines to be critical to our functioning as an educational community. Students who do not abide by these guidelines may be dismissed from the College.

1. Behavior which threatens the physical or mental health, security, privacy, property, 
or learning experience of other members of the community will not be tolerated.
2. Students must abide by the drug and alcohol policy.

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Drug and Alcohol Policy

Possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs (including alcohol for those under 21 years of age) is prohibited on the Sterling College campus. This policy includes being under the influence of such substances while on campus or participating in College-sponsored activities. Substance abuse (including alcohol for those 21 years and older) which may also result in destructive behaviors will be addressed by the Dean of Students as a violation of the first major guideline listed above. Supplying underage drinkers with alcohol is also considered a serious offense by the State of Vermont and by Sterling College. By enrolling in Sterling College or by accepting employment, individuals agree to abide by college substance abuse standards and certify awareness of this policy. Further details can be found in the Sterling College Student Handbook.

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Judicial Committee

Infractions of community guidelines in which the facts are disputed are referred to a joint student/faculty Judicial Committee. This committee consists of two faculty members assigned for the year and three students chosen at random on a rotating basis. The Dean of Students will gather information about each case and will call meetings of the Judicial Committee. Consequences for a violation range from Social Probation to expulsion.

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Probation

We at Sterling College are committed to helping people develop responsible habits. We realize that some of us follow long-established patterns of procrastination and avoidance that are hard to change. For this reason, a safety net has been designed to catch students before they fall. If a student is an accomplished acrobat who stays on the tight-rope, who always gets work done and meets responsibilities faithfully, he/she probably won’t even realize the net is there. Probation is one part of that net.

A student who fails to meet responsibilities at Sterling College may be placed on Probation. If a student is placed on Probation, he/she must see his/her advisor immediately to work out a strategy for improvement. Records of Probation are maintained in the student’s permanent file.

There are three reasons a student might be placed on Probation.

1. If a student violates the above stated community guidelines, the student may be placed on Social Probation by the Dean of Students. The terms of Social Probation are worked out between the student and the Dean of Students, and can include reparations, drug and alcohol assessment, service, and other measures considered necessary for the rebuilding of positive relations. The student will be removed from Social Probation after a stated period if the terms have been met and the problem behavior has ceased.
2. If a student is making inadequate effort and/or unsatisfactory academic progress, she/he may be placed on Academic Probation by the Dean of Academics, often at the request of the Academic Progress Committee*. Evidence of inadequate effort/progress might include repeated absences from class, chronic late or incomplete assignments, or failure to meet with advisor and/or course faculty about poor work. When the student's performance improves, the Dean of Academics will remove the student from Academic Probation.
3. Missing chores or other work assignments means loss of monetary and/or program credit. Failure to meet work obligations will result in Work Probation with a grade of U (Unsatisfactory) recorded on the permanent transcript. Successful completion of the next semester of the Work Program removes a student from Work Probation.

Important Note:
Failure to demonstrate improved performance by not meeting the conditions in a probation contract may result in dismissal from the College. Students who remain on Academic Probation at the end of an academic year at Sterling College must be invited to return by the Academic Progress Committee.

* The Academic Progress Committee consists of the Registrar, Learning Support Coordinator, Dean of Work, Dean of Students, and Dean of Academics. It meets twice a semester, once at midterm and once after final grades are reported, to review academic progress of all students.

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