American College of Healthcare Sciences reserves the right to require the withdrawal of any student who fails to accept responsibility as evidenced by conduct, poor scholastic achievement, or failure to meet financial obligations to the College.

It is not possible to list all the forms of behavior that are considered unacceptable. The following are examples of infractions of rules of conduct that may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from ACHS:

• All forms of dishonesty, including misrepresenting qualifications
• The use of language, graphics, or images that are offensive or do not contribute to scholarly discourse.
• Obstruction or disruption of College activities
• Theft or inappropriate removal or possession of property
• Falsification of records
• Possession, distribution, sale, transfer, or use of alcohol or illegal drugs while on campus
• Fighting or threatening violence
• Boisterous or disruptive activity
• Negligence or improper conduct leading to damage of ACHS-owned property
• Disparaging ACHS, its activities, or employees to students, vendors, or the public
• Conviction of sex or violence-related offences
• Insubordination or other disrespectful conduct
• Unwillingness to work with another student
• Violation of safety or health rules
• Smoking in prohibited areas
• Sexual or other unlawful or unwelcome harassment
• Possession of dangerous or unauthorized materials, such as explosives or firearms
• Unauthorized use of online course system or other ACHS-owned equipment or intellectual property
• Unsatisfactory performance or conduct
• Violation of the terms of any disciplinary action imposed by ACHS
• Unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing
• Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials using the institution’s information technology systems

Conduct on ACHS Discussion Boards, Social Media, MyACHS Connect, and Other Public Forums

ACHS discussion forums are designed to foster community, discussion, and discourse as well as provide resources on holistic health and wellness. Our goal is always to foster frank discussion and to respect academic freedom; however, forums may not be used to endorse or sell products, solicit students for other programs, share political views, or the work of other students without their expressed permission, or other unrelated discussions.

Posts that are not directly related to holistic health or that may be inflammatory will be removed at the discretion of ACHS. ACHS recognizes that students may have interests in events and organizations outside the College and are welcome to submit events for posting on the college calendar (students can also post events to ACHS’s Student Center in Canvas). Students may not solicit or distribute literature concerning these activities via email.

Key points for a successful forum experience:

• Use email rather than discussion boards or forums to send personal messages directly to student(s) or instructors.
• Include a descriptive “Subject” heading as the first line.
• Use the Help Desk or contact ACHS for assistance with technical issues.
• Respect each other’s ideas, feelings, and experiences. If students disagree with someone’s point of view, argue ideas rather than attacking individuals or groups. Derogatory statements about minorities, sexual identity, sexual orientation, professions, personal characters, practices, or beliefs, and individually aimed insults or threats that cause any participant to feel discomfort will not be tolerated.
• Explore disagreements and support assertions with data and evidence. Compose carefully reasoned comments. Introducing apparently contradictory information can be very helpful in exploring the topic. Try to always analyze what the student read and discuss why he or she agrees or disagrees with the author of the opposing view.
• Do not advertise. Commercial-type information is not permitted.
• Do not post copyrighted material. Instead, post URLs to Web content or cite reference information (title, publisher, etc.).
• As the appropriate staff or faculty member may not see all discussion or forum posts, please contact [email protected] to voice feedback or ideas for improvement for the course or College. ACHS values student comments and feedback and would love to hear from you.

Corrective Meetings

Correct Meetings are used in the event there is a code of conduct violation or any other disciplinary action. Anyone may request a Corrective Meeting. A request for a Corrective Meeting can be submitted in any manner and should be directed to the Dean of Students when possible. The Director of Academic Services or nominee coordinates the Corrective Meeting. He or she will give notice by phone, email, text, or mail to the student (or to their guardian if the student is a minor) to meet for a Corrective Meeting.

A Corrective Meeting may be held in person, by telephone, or online. If the student does not meet as requested, a decision may be made in the student’s absence. At the Corrective Meeting, the student and the College official will review the situation and discuss possible action. The College official will provide the student with an opportunity to respond and discuss this response. The College official will inform the student of ACHS’s decision with respect to the situation within 30 business days of the meeting and sooner when possible. The results of the Corrective Meeting are binding.

Forms of Discipline

The College official may impose the following forms of discipline following a Corrective Meeting:

• Reprimand: Written or verbal notice that a student’s conduct in a specific instance does not meet ACHS standards and that continued misconduct may result in a more serious disciplinary action.
• Probation: Notice that the student found in violation of ACHS standards may continue to be enrolled under stated conditions, violations of which may be cause for more serious disciplinary action.
• Restitution: Reimbursement for damage to, or misappropriation of property, which may take the form of appropriate service to repair or otherwise compensate for damages. The College official may impose restitution with any other penalty.
• Dismissal: For serious offenses, the College official may dismiss a student from the College. Tuition will be refunded according to ACHS’s refund policy. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the appropriate institution if the student has a student loan or is receiving financial aid.