Creating Community

The Community of Learners at Central Oregon Community College is made up of students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Together we are dedicated to personal, professional and academic excellence. The success of our students is our highest priority, one that is best achieved by each of us working together as members of this community to foster a climate of mutual respect and caring. Choosing to join our Community of Learners affords us both individual rights as well as responsibilities. As such, we embrace the following Principles:

1. Practice Personal and Academic Integrity
This principle requires honesty and fairness in and out of the classroom. It seeks to eliminate cheating, plagiarism, lying, deceiving, and making excuses for dishonesty in academic and professional relationships.

2. Respect the Dignity of all Persons
This principle encourages understanding. Understanding involves empathy and respect, rejecting behaviors that compromise or demean the dignity of individuals or groups, including discrimination, intimidation and hazing, taunting, baiting, ridiculing, threatening, insulting and/or harassing other individuals.

3. Respect the Rights and Property of Others
This principle is inconsistent with all forms of theft, vandalism, misappropriation, and malicious damage to or desecration and destruction of property. Respect for others personal rights supports an individuals right to express themselves appropriately and to enjoy privacy.

4. Promote Empathy and Learn from Differences in People, Ideas, and Opinions
This principle supports equal rights and opportunities for all members of the community regardless of age, sex, race, religion, disability, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, marital status, social status, socioeconomic status, veteran status, political status or other affiliations.

5. Promote a Healthy and Safe Learning Environment
A commitment to this principle is a pledge to be compassionate and considerate, to avoid behaviors that are insensitive, inhospitable or inciting, or that unjustly or arbitrarily inhibit ones ability to feel safe and welcomed in their pursuit of personal, professional and academic excellence.

6. Living These Principles
Community of Learner members embrace these Principles and act accordingly. We also take responsibility to confront, challenge and respond to and/or report uncivil, hurtful, stigmatizing behaviors whenever and wherever they are encountered.

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Community Matters

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* Actively engaging in discussions with others about what it means to be respectful in our community.
* Taking classes and attending workshops to learn more about those whose values, perspectives and lifestyles differ from our own.
* Modeling the type of respectful behavior that is expected of all persons on campus.
* Promptly and clearly speaking out against offensive speech and behavior.
* Actively working to promote a welcoming campus climate by greeting and assisting those who need help.
* Resolving disputes in an open and mature manner through discourse, mediation and education.
* Reporting acts of physical intimidation to the appropriate personnel.
* Visiting the Multicultural Center and asking how you can become involved.