Statement of Ethics and Standards of Conduct

It is the policy of the college to apply the highest ethical standards to all members of the college community including the Board, administration, staff, and faculty in achieving its mission and in managing its resources efficiently and effectively to reach its goals and objectives.

The college seeks to treat each person of the college community as a unique individual and provide a positive, encouraging, and success-oriented environment. College policies and practices that protect the rights and development of each individual in the college community shall be enforced. Protection from unlawful discrimination, including conduct that constitutes sexual harassment, and freedom to develop as a student and/or college employee shall be promoted.

The college accepts its responsibilities to its students, to its employees, and to the members of the community. The college is committed to meet these responsibilities with balance, fairness, accountability, and ethical integrity. See Policy Manual, AD (LOCAL) and DH (LOCAL)

The following standards of conduct shall apply to all employees of the District:

  1. No employee shall accept or solicit any gift, favor, or service that might reasonably tend to influence the employee in the discharge of official duties or that the employee knows or should know is being offered with the intent to influence official conduct.
  2. No employee shall accept employment or engage in any business or professional activity that the employee might reasonably expect would require or induce the disclosure of confidential information acquired by reason of official position.
  3. No employee shall accept other employment or compensation that could reasonably be expected to impair the employee’s independence of judgment in the performance of official duties.
  4. No employee shall make personal investments that could reasonably be expected to create a substantial conflict between the employee’s private interest and the public interest.
  5. No employee shall intentionally or knowingly solicit, accept, or agree to accept any benefit for having exercised the employee’s official powers or performed official duties in favor of another.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS: See Appendix E for information concerning alcohol and drugs.

ELECTRONIC MEDIA: Electronic media includes all forms of social media, such as text messaging, instant messaging, electronic mail (e-mail), web logs (blogs), electronic forums (chat rooms), video-sharing websites, editorial comments posted on the Internet, and social network sites. Electronic media also includes all forms of telecommunication, such as landlines, cell phones, and web based applications.

All departments and clubs are to meet face-to-face with the social media coordinator to discuss best practices and answer questions before creating a Facebook page.

Personal Use: Employees shall be held to the same professional standards in their public use of electronic media as they are for any other public conduct. If an employee’s use of electronic media violates state or federal law or Vernon College policy, or interferes with the employee’s ability to effectively perform his/her job duties, the employee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

ARRESTS, INDICTMENTS, CONVICTIONS AND OTHER ADJUDICATIONS: An employee shall notify the Director of Human Resources within three (3) calendar days of any arrest, indictment, conviction, no contest or guilty plea, or other adjudication of the employee for any felony or any offense involving moral turpitude.

Moral Turpitude: Moral turpitude includes but is not limited to:

  1. Dishonesty, fraud, deceit, theft or misrepresentation;
  2. Deliberate violence;
  3. Base, vile, or depraved acts that are intended to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the actor;
  4. Felony possession, transfer, sale, distribution, or conspiracy to possess, transfer, sell, or distribute any controlled substance defined in Chapter 481 of the Health and Safety Code;
  5. Acts constituting public intoxication, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, or disorderly conduct, if any two or more acts are committed within any 12-month period; and
  6. Acts constituting abuse under the Texas Family Code.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS: All employees shall adhere to college safety rules and regulations and shall report unsafe conditions or practices to the appropriate supervisor.

CAMPUS CARRY POLICY: See Appendix U; see Policy Manual, CHF (LOCAL)

ACCIDENT REPORTING: In the event of an accident, which occurs at any VC location, an Accident Report shall be submitted. The Accident Report Form is available online under Human Resource Forms and is to be completed within 24 hours of the accident and turned in to the VC Human Resource office. If medical attention is needed, please contact the Human Resource office immediately. If it is an emergency, the employee may seek treatment at the nearest Emergency Room.

VIOLATIONS: Employees shall comply with the statement of ethics set out in this policy and with any other policies, regulations, and guidelines that impose duties, requirements, or standards attendant to their status as college employees. Violation of any policies, regulations, and guidelines may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment. See Policy Manual, DH (LOCAL)