Student Conduct

1. Purpose

Berean Institutes is a community of serious adult learners who study and debate difficult questions together. Students are free to disagree and to follow the evidence. This policy sets the standards of conduct that keep that debate respectful and the community safe.

2. Who and where this policy applies

This policy applies to every applicant and student. It covers conduct in courses, discussion boards, live online sessions, the Public Forum, email and messages with students and staff, and any other Berean Institutes space, online or in person.

3. Expected conduct

• Treat other students, instructors, and staff with respect, especially when you disagree.
• Respond to arguments and evidence, not to the person making them.
• Be honest in everything you tell the Institute.
• Protect the privacy of other students and what they share in class.

4. Prohibited conduct

The following are violations of this policy:

Harassment and discrimination

Insulting, intimidating, or demeaning anyone, including because of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, or age.

Sexual harassment and sexual misconduct

Unwelcome sexual comments, messages, images, or advances.

Threats and violence

Threatening or encouraging harm to any person.

Disruption

Repeatedly disrupting a course, discussion board, or live session, or posting content unrelated to the course in order to derail it.

Misuse of accounts and technology

Sharing your login, using someone else's account, or trying to access systems or information you are not allowed to see.

Privacy violations

Recording live sessions, or sharing another student's posts, work, or personal information outside the course, without permission.

False information

Giving the Institute false information or documents, including in an application or a request for financial assistance.

Violations of academic honesty are handled under the Academic Integrity policy.

5. Reporting a concern

Report a concern through the Contact page or by email to admissions@bereaninstitutes.org. Describe what happened, when and where it happened, and who was involved. If anyone is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number first.

6. How a concern is handled

1. The Lead Professor and Faculty Chair, or a member of the Academic Board they appoint, reviews the report.
2. If the report may be a violation, you are told in writing what is alleged.
3. You may respond in writing or in a video meeting.
4. The reviewer decides whether a violation occurred, using a standard of “more likely than not,” and tells you the decision and the reason in writing.

7. Your rights in the process

• To be told in writing what is alleged.
• To see the information the decision relies on.
• To respond before a decision is made.
• To bring a support person to any meeting.
• To receive the decision and the reason in writing, and to appeal.

8. Interim measures

While a concern is reviewed, the Institute may limit a student's access to a discussion board or live session, or direct students not to contact each other, to protect the people involved. An interim measure is not a finding that a violation occurred.

9. Sanctions

Sanctions depend on how serious the violation is and whether it is repeated. They include:

• a written warning;
• probation;
• removal from a discussion board, live session, or course;
• suspension; and
• dismissal from the Institute.

10. Appeals

You may appeal a decision in writing to the Academic Board within 7 business days. State one or more grounds:

• the process was not followed;
• there is new information that was not available before; or
• the sanction does not fit the violation.

The Academic Board's decision is final.

11. No retaliation

The Institute prohibits retaliation against anyone who reports a concern or takes part in a review. Retaliation is itself a violation of this policy.