Ohio University has long celebrated its commitment to being an academic community. This legacy includes care, cooperation, and an adherence to standards of behavior for all invited to be part of the community. In order for this community to flourish, the following expectations of behavior have been established:
- A residential university brings educational activity and living arrangements together as a coherent whole on a campus. Given this close and constant interaction, the life of Ohio University requires acceptance of responsible conduct by individuals in the community as a necessary condition for continued membership in the community.
- Students are expected to be responsible members of a diverse community, and to honor and respect differences of culture, lifestyles, and religions.
- Academic integrity and honesty are basic values of the University. Students are expected to follow standards of academic integrity and honesty.
- The University community is an open forum involving the free exchange of ideas and opinions. For exchange to occur, there must be a continuous acceptance of freedom of expression and civility in disagreement.
- The campus, its grounds, facilities, and equipment are provisions largely from the people of Ohio for students at Ohio University. Students are expected to protect and guard these resources of the library, residence halls, classroom buildings, laboratories, and the campus as a whole.
The Student Code of Conduct Policy and Procedure as described in the Ohio University Student Handbook, provides the mechanism by which failure to meet these expectations will be addressed. Questions regarding the Code of Conduct can be referred to University Judiciaries.
The following acts are defined by The Ohio University Board of Trustees to be unacceptable. A student who commits several offenses at one time will have one hearing. Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct for a thorough explanation of offenses and sanctions.
Code A Offenses. A student found to have violated any of the following regulations will be subject to a maximum sanction of expulsion, or any sanction not less than a reprimand. Being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol does not diminish or excuse a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
Code B Offenses. A student found to have violated any of the following regulations will be subject to a maximum sanction of disciplinary probation, or any sanction not less than a reprimand. Being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol does not diminish or excuse a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
Sanctions. A student admitted to Ohio University accepts the responsibility to conform to all Ohio University rules and regulations. Proven failure to meet this obligation will justify appropriate disciplinary sanctions, including expulsion, suspension, disciplinary probation, or reprimand. Although the University will make every reasonable effort to make the rules and regulations available, students are responsible for becoming familiar with them.
Note: In any case, a hearing authority may impose a sanction less than that specified for a given code category.
Interpersonal Relationships
Per Ohio University policy, graduate students must avoid placing themselves in a romantic, sexual, or social relationship with individuals who supervise them or whom they supervise (or provide care for), including faculty, administrators, coaches, athletes, and undergraduate students. Also refer to the Ohio University Board policies on sexual harassment and inappropriate relationships.
Intercollegiate, Club Sports, and Professional Team
Relationships, including inappropriate or excessive socialization, between exercise physiology graduate strength and conditioning assistants and student-athletes for whom they provide care is strongly discouraged. At no time shall a graduate student be involved in a consensual relationship with an athlete .
If a graduate assistant anticipates becoming involved in a relationship with an Ohio University student-athlete, the graduate student must immediately inform the Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance (ICA) and the Graduate Coordinator of the Human Performance Program (EXPH). If a determination is made that this relationship may compromise the health care of the student athlete, the graduate student may be reassigned to safeguard the student-athlete. This decision is made at the discretion of the Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance.
Relationships with Undergraduate Exercise Physiology or Related Students
Relationships, including inappropriate or excessive socialization, between graduate students and undergraduate exercise physiology or related students who he or she supervises and/or evaluates are prohibited. If a graduate student becomes involved in a relationship with an undergraduate exercise physiology or related student, the graduate student must immediately inform the Program Director, regardless of if there is currently a supervisory relationship or not. This will prevent the exercise physiology or related student from being assigned to the undergraduate student.
If sufficient evidence is established that a graduate assistant has violated this policy, he or she will be removed from the site and dismissed from the university.
Ohio University Policy on Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct Offenses
Sexual harassment of students, faculty, or staff is prohibited at Ohio University as defined in the Ohio University Policy 03.004 . All Ohio University employees and students are responsible for compliance with this policy. All university supervisory personnel have an affirmative responsibility to discourage and eliminate conduct inconsistent with this policy. Reporting an incident or requesting accommodations can be done online via the Civil Rights Compliance or the University Ombudsman .
Training regarding sexual harassment is available, along with training on discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct can be requested through the Office of Civil Rights Compliance .
Social Media
Ohio University Graduate Students should take safeguards to ensure that social networking does not erode the values of the medical profession or violate the privacy of patients, especially minors. In doing so, students should:
- Ensure that social networking sites have the& appropriate privacy settings.
- Include a disclaimer with postings that clearly state that the expressed opinions belong to the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ohio University.
- Not write about patients in a manner that could convey the patient’s identity. Take extreme caution when referring to patients with rare diagnoses or physical appearances or when referencing jersey numbers or position on the team.
- Avoid making defamatory posts about faculty, staff, students, and health professionals.
- Not post someone else’s work (including from internet sites) without attribution.
- Avoid posting pictures or descriptions that demonstrate participation of students, faculty, or staff engaging in unprofessional behavior.
- Maintain professional boundaries with patients and may not invite patients into social& networking communities or activities that involve their personal lives.