Norms of Institutional Order

The mission, philosophy and objectives of the institution must be safeguarded and protected. The right to dissent and to protest in an orderly fashion in accordance with the rules of conduct and the lifestyle of a university, may not interfere, conflict or damage in any way the normal course of events at the university nor affect institutional order.

Students are under the obligation to know, obey, respect and comply with – in all their parts –the mandates, regulations contained in the Institutional By-laws, informational bulletins, Student Manual, Student Regulations, and other administrative orders published as well as oral orders or instructions transmitted by officials, faculty, or staff of the institutions.

The use of alcoholic beverages, stimulants, narcotics, and all types of unauthorized controlled substances is absolutely prohibited within the university and any activity sponsored by the institution. This prohibition extends to extramural official activities sponsored by the institution or to which a student representing the institution has been invited to participate. It is also prohibited to attend or participate in university activities under the effects of narcotics, stimulants or depressants. (See the Institutional Policy on Drugs and Alcohol)

Students shall not sponsor the entry to university facilities of persons not connected to the university, unless such persons come on official business or as part of a legitimate institutional activity.

The distribution or placement of notices, flyers, posters, promotional articles, informational material, or any other type of written communication, or make use of loudspeakers on the premises of the institution is prohibited without authorization from the Campus Director.

Students are obligated to read daily the official announcements and bulletins posted on the bulletin boards. All announcements, posters or other written material shall be posted only on the bulletin boards and be authorized by the Campus Director. Any publication sponsored by students or recognized student groups shall obtain the seal and signature of the Campus Director. Any information not in compliance with this requirement shall be removed from the bulletin boards without further notice.

The use of the institution’s physical installations for student activities shall be granted through the Campus Director in coordination with the Operations Manager.

All marches, concentrations, pickets, or other demonstrations on the grounds and buildings under the jurisdiction of the institutions are prohibited. No person or group may improvise rallies, make use of loudspeakers or megaphones, distribute printed matter, nor convene meetings for reasons outside institutional activities, without the written authorization of the Campus Director.

In order for the institution to carry out successfully its teaching and administrative work, it is necessary that at all times there be a proper environment for study in the grounds and buildings under its jurisdiction.

For this reason, the following actions are prohibited:

1. Meeting and speaking in a loud tone of voice near classrooms, work offices, hallways, and all those areas close to them.
2. Running along the hallways and forming groups in classrooms not in use.
3. Producing any type of noise with vehicles, car radios, or portable radios, particularly raising the volume on the loudspeakers, running motors, or noise produced by excessive speed.
4. Improvising groups with musical instruments that impair the work being carried out in classrooms and work offices of the administrators.
5. Carrying beepers, cell phones or electrical items in the classrooms that produce noise that interferes with the teaching process. Should these items be in the “On” position, they must be programmed for the silent mode, and be carried with the professor’s authorization.
6. Entering classrooms and libraries accompanied by children or minors who may interfere with the teaching activities, or leaving minors without adult supervision or in institutional premises that may implicate risks to their security.

All students must cooperate to maintain the institutional premises in good repair and clean. To this end, they must avoid throwing papers on the floor or ground, putting their feet up on walls, sitting on student lounge tables, writing on the walls, in the bathrooms, on doors, or other places. Particular attention must be paid to keep bathrooms and all other common-use installations clean.

Any student who, intentionally or through carelessness and/or negligence, destroys or damages institutional property shall be obligated to reimburse the cost of such destroyed or damaged object, or to contribute the amount of the damage caused, independently of any disciplinary action taken.

The following acts or omissions constitute faults and/or noncompliance to the essential norms of good order and institutional coexistence, and shall carry disciplinary sanctions that may lead up to expulsion from the institution:

1. Lack of honesty, including fraud and plagiarism, with relation to academic work or any action leading to it.
2. Fraud, misrepresentation or any action leading to it, in the completion of the request for admission, request for financial aid, and other official documents.
3. Alteration or falsification of identification, grades, records, identification cards, and other official documents.
4. Any conduct that disrupts the peace and tranquility of the classroom or any other place in the university or its installations such as shouts, offensive behavior, fights, provocations, or gross, profane or obscene language.
5. Any conduct that causes or conspires to cause malicious harm to institutional property or any other property within the premises of the institution, or outside them at officially authorized activities.
6. Organizing or participating in collections within the institutions’ premises or adjoining installations, except with the written permission of the Campus Director.
7. Use, possession or distribution of drugs, hallucinogens, narcotics, or alcoholic beverages in the premises, physical installations and other dependencies of the institutions.
8. Disrespect, insults, threats, humiliations, assault or intended assault of officials, faculty, staff or students of the institution.
9. Possession of weapons, as defined by the Florida Law, within the premises of the institution as well as any activity sponsored by the institution.
   
   This prohibition is applicable even to students who may possess permits to carry weapons under the laws of Florida, except in cases where students are security guards or other agents entrusted with public order, duly authorized by the Florida or County laws, in which cases said possession is not exposed. Members of the police force in civilian dress shall carry their weapons concealed so that they are out of sight (in accordance with regulations of the Police Department).
10. Disobedience or refusal to comply with instructions given by institutional personnel acting in their official capacities, including the parking areas.
11. Violation and conviction, while under the status of student, of the Florida/County laws, such as:
    1. Explosives Law
    2. Weapons Law of Florida
    3. Controlled Substances Law
    4. Felonies against a person or property, or any act implying moral deprivation.
    5. Any delinquent act in any building, premise or facility of the institution.
    6. Ant act or omission classified by law as a felony.
    7. Sexual harassment.
12. Participating in propaganda or other activities of a political nature within the institution.
13. Utilizing institutional computer equipment to access internet pages, electronic mail or other media with the purpose of obtaining and distributing pornographic material or other material foreign to academic activity.
14. The computer resources of the institution and their use constitute a privilege that requires the student user to act according to the institution’s regulations. Users must respect the integrity of computer installations, as well as the rights of other users, and comply with all applicable legislation and regulation (state, federal and international), as well as any contractual agreement required for the use of such installations. The institution reserves the right to limit, restrict or deny privileges for the use of computer installations and access to their information data banks to those students who violate applicable institutional regulations. The laws of Florida and the United States as to protection of intellectual property shall apply to the cybernetic and electronic environment and must be complied with by authorized users of the institution’s computer installations.
15. The institution’s computer installations, including hardware and software, may not be utilized for improper activities or those that may constitute a violation of penal law or that infringe on property and authorship rights protected by applicable laws. This prohibition extends to access to hardware or software without proper authorization, inadequate use or intentional corruption of computer installations, illegal appropriation of such computer installations, or their use to commit a crime, obtain or distribute pornographic material, utilization of hardware and software for pornographic purposes, or sexual racial, ethnic or religious harassment or discrimination. Any violation of these provisions shall be handled by the proper institutional authorities and by state and federal authorities and pertinent government agencies.
16. Computer resources or installations may not be utilized to carry out unauthorized or illegal commercial activities. This includes the use for exclusively personal and private purposes by the students, unrelated to their work or academic functions, as well as those meant to generate personal income or gain. The institution’s computer installations are provided to carry out tasks related to the mission and purpose of the university. Some computer installations may have been dedicated to research or specific uses for teaching objectives which limit their use.
17. Intentional access to the institution’s computer system by unauthorized persons, including informing account numbers belonging to other persons, or informing the account number or password of a student or professor to a third party; interrupt or impede access to the computer system, network or folders, be it by collapsing a network or a public system; introducing a virus into the network or computer system and altering or finding out the account number or password of other users without authorization, among others.