Student Code of Prohibited Conduct and Discipline Process for Non-Academic Offences

Our identity, tradition, and aspirations as a community are set forth in Salalah International School’s mission, vision and core values. In addition, Salalah International School holds to basic standards in keeping with other institutions of higher education mandating respect. Failure to adhere to these basic standards will result in disciplinary action. The Student Code of Prohibited Conduct and Discipline Process for Non-Academic Offences is set forth below:

1. Prohibited Conduct

   1. Any conduct on the part of a student that has, or might reasonably be seen to have, an adverse effect on the integrity or the proper functioning of the school, or the health, safety, rights, or property of the school, or persons associated with the school and its visitors, is subject to discipline under this Code.

      The following list sets out specific examples of prohibited conduct. It is intended to help students understand the type of conduct that will be subject to discipline. It is not an exhaustive list and students should be aware that their conduct may still be considered prohibited conduct under this Code even if it does not explicitly appear in the list below.

   2. Prohibited conduct that is subject to disciplinary measures includes, but is not limited to, engaging in, attempting to engage in, or assisting others to engage in any of the actions described below:
      1. Misconduct against persons, which includes:
         • Physically aggressive behaviour, assault, harassment, intimidation, threats, or coercion;
         • Conduct that threatens or endangers the health, safety, or property of any person;
         • Conduct that creates conditions that endanger the health, safety, or property of any person;
         • Engaging in conduct which constitutes bullying;
         • Engaging in conduct which constitutes personal or sexual harassment;
         • Engaging in conduct which is discriminatory and that is based on any of the protected grounds under the Human Rights Code; and
         • Engaging in unwelcome or persistent conduct that the student knows, or ought to reasonably know, would cause another person to feel demeaned, intimidated, or harassed.
      2. Misconduct against property, which includes:
         • Taking without authorization, or misusing, destroying, defacing, or damaging school property or property that is not their own, or information or intellectual property owned by the school or by any of its students or employees;
         • Possessing school property or property that is not their own, if the student knows, or ought to reasonably know, that property to have been taken without authorization; or
         • Creating a condition that unnecessarily endangers or threatens destruction of school property or property that is not their own.
      3. Disruption

         No student shall, by action, threat, or otherwise, disrupt any activity organized by the school or the right of other persons to carry out their legitimate activities, to speak, or to associate with others. This includes but is not limited to the use of profanity, pornography, inappropriate public displays of affection, the use, possession or distribution of a controlled or restricted substance, and any infringement of local liquor laws or the policies of the school governing the possession, distribution, and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages.

      4. Unauthorized use of school facilities, equipment, or services:
         • No student shall use any facility, equipment, or service of the school, or enter or remain on any premises, to which they do not have legitimate access, or contrary to the expressed instruction of authorized school personnel.
         • No student shall use any school computing equipment, facility, network, or system for any disruptive or unauthorized purpose, or in a manner that violates any law, school regulation, policy, or procedure.
         • No student shall destroy, misplace, misfile, or render inoperable any stored information such as books, film, data files, or programs from a library, computer, or other information storage, processing, or retrieval system.
      5. False charges

         No student shall bring a false charge against any student of the school under this Code.

      6. False information and identification

         No student shall knowingly furnish false information to any person or office acting on behalf of the school, or forge, alter, or misuse any school document, record, or instrument of identification, or knowingly furnish false information to any person regarding their standing, status, or academic record at the school.

      7. Aiding the commission of prohibited conduct

         No student shall encourage, aid, or conspire with another student in the commission of prohibited conduct, or encourage or aid behaviour by a non-student which, if committed by a student, would be prohibited conduct under this Code.

      8. Refusal to comply with a direction of a school representative

         No student shall refuse to comply with a reasonable direction to do, or not to do, something that is made by a school representative authorized to make such a direction.

      9. Refusal to comply with disciplinary measures or the terms of agreement made under Section 2.

         No student found to have committed prohibited conduct under this Code shall fail to comply with a disciplinary measure or disciplinary measures imposed under the procedures of this Code. No student who has agreed to take steps to correct or resolve a matter under Section 2 of this Code shall fail to comply with the terms of that agreement.

      10. Unauthorized possession or use of dangerous objects

          No student shall store, possess, or use real or replica firearms or other weapons, explosives (including fireworks), ammunition, or toxic or otherwise dangerous materials on school premises.

      11. Hazing

          No student shall engage in hazing, which is defined as an act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purposes of initiation or admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, a group or organization.

      12. Contravention of school regulations

          When a rule, regulation, or policy of the school prohibits or proscribes certain conduct but does not provide any penalty for breaches of the rule, regulation, or policy, breaches shall be dealt with under this Code.

      13. Contravention of other laws

          No student shall contravene any provision of the criminal code or any other federal, provincial, or municipal statute or regulation.

2. Review and Discipline Process for non-academic offences

   Salalah International School reserves the right to discipline a student who is found to be in breach of the Student Code of Prohibited Conduct while on the school campus or in the context of a school-sanctioned activity. Examples of a school-sanctioned activity could include an event held off campus. The purpose of the Review and Discipline Process is to determine if a student has engaged in misconduct and, if they have, to determine the appropriate disciplinary actions.

   1. Any person associated with the school may bring a complaint forwardto the Principal or Vice-Principal against a student for investigation.
   2. The Principal or Vice-Principal will meet with the parties involved and attempt to bring resolution to the situation.
   3. If no resolution can be reached, the Principal or Vice-Principal will ask the complainant to complete the Complaint Form and this will be forwarded to the Student Discipline Review Team. In some instances, there may not be a specific complainant (e.g. vandalism). In these instances, the Principal or Vice-Principal will fill out the attached form (once they have been made aware of the situation) and forward it to the Student Discipline Review Team.
   4. Suspension Pending Investigation: Upon receipt of a complaint, the Principal has the right to immediately suspend a student if he or she believes that the student poses an imminent threat to self, others, or school property. This suspension will remain in place pending an investigation and decision by the Student Discipline Review Team.
   5. The Student Discipline Review Team will be made up of the Vice-Principal, Cambridge Coordinator, class teacher and supervisor. The supervisor will act in the role of Student Discipline Review Team investigator (the “Investigator”).
   6. Once in receipt of the complaint, the Investigator can take any steps viewed as appropriate to further investigate the complaint. This could include but is not limited to:
      1. Confidential interviews with the Complainant(s) and the Respondent(s);
      2. Confidential interviews with any witnesses considered relevant by the Investigator; and
      3. Review of any documents considered relevant by the Investigator.

         During the investigation process the Investigator will strive to maintain the highest level of confidentiality possible. Names of the parties involved, and details of the complaint will only be disclosed in order to properly conduct the investigation.

   7. Once the investigation is complete, the Investigator will share the information gathered in the investigation process with the Student Discipline Review Team.
   8. The Student Discipline Review Team will then convene a formal meeting with the student that the complaint has been made against. This meeting will be held within 7 days of receipt of the complaint. The student will be allowed to bring a support person with them to this meeting. Proceedings of this meeting will be documented by one member of the Student Discipline Review Team.

      At this meeting the student will be given the opportunity to:

      1. Make an admission or denial of all or part of the allegations against him or her;
      2. Provide new information about the alleged incident(s); and
      3. Propose a resolution.

         If the student chooses to not participate in the scheduled meeting, the Review and Discipline Process will continue, and the Student Discipline Review Team will still issue its decision in writing within 3 days of the scheduled meeting.

   9. Within 3 days of the formal meeting, the Student Discipline Review Team will issue a decision in writing. This team has the authority to impose any disciplinary action(s) it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to:
      1. Verbal warning
      2. Written warning
      3. Disciplinary probation
      4. Fines/restitution
      5. Remedial education (i.e. workshops, formal apologies, etc.)
      6. Loss of privileges and access
      7. Suspension or expulsion
   10. Documentation: All documentation gathered for the purpose of investigation will be confidentially maintained by the Student Discipline Review Team Investigator. A copy of the written decision will also be kept by the Student Discipline Review Team Investigator. The Student Discipline Review Team Investigator will also notify the complainant, the Principal, and the appropriate/necessary school personnel (i.e. Registration staff, Facilities, Reception) of any disciplinary actions imposed. If a student is expelled, a notation of the expulsion will be documented on the student’s academic transcript.

3. Appeal process

   A student may only appeal a decision of the Student Discipline Review Team resulting in a suspension or expulsion.

   1. To commence the appeal process, a student must file an appeal in writing within 5 days of receiving the written decision from the Student Discipline Review Team.
   2. The Appeal Committee is made up of:
      1. i. The Vice-Principal or, in the event of his/her unavoidable absence, the Cambridge Coordinator
      2. ii. The class teacher
      3. iii. The grade supervisor.
   3. The Appeal Committee must convene a formal appeal meeting with the student within 10 days of receipt of the appeal. Prior to the appeal meeting, the Appeal Committee will review all materials relevant to the decision under review. The student will be permitted to bring a support person with them to this meeting. Proceedings of this meeting will be documented by one member of the Appeal Committee. At any time before the appeal meeting the Appeal Committee may request information from the Student Discipline Review Team. The Appeal Committee will not hear from witnesses.
   4. After consideration of all information relevant to the appeal, the Appeal Committee will issue a final decision in writing to the student. This decision will be issued within 5 days of the appeal meeting. All decisions of the Appeal Committee are final.

DISRUPTION OF CLASSES BY SEVERE WEATHER

Certain extreme weather conditions may necessitate the cancellation of classes. The school’s policy on cancellation of classes due to heavy rain, impassable roads, or power outages is to follow the decision of the Sultanate of Oman’s Ministry of Education.

In other words, if the Ministry of Education cancels classes at public schools due to severe weather, then classes at Salalah International School will also be cancelled.

In the event of overnight severe weather conditions, students are encouraged to listen to local radio and television stations for news of class cancellations.

Salalah International School will also post a cancellation notice on the home page of our website in the event that classes are cancelled. Students, staff and faculty are asked to check there and the Ministry of Education’s website for the latest updates and information regarding severe weather closures.