Reach University (“Reach”) is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for candidates, faculty, and staff. Each member of the Reach community is expected to demonstrate behaviors that are consistent with Reach policies and procedures. Candidate behavior that is inconsistent with the Code of Conduct is addressed through processes that are designed to promote safety and good citizenship and, when necessary, the University will administer appropriate consequences.

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Candidates are expected to act with professionalism and high regard for ethical conduct in all matters. At times, conduct might fall outside of specific policy statements but may still be in violation of the Code of Conduct. This occurs when conduct is dishonest, unprofessional, or grossly disrespectful of the mission and values of Reach.   

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Examples of such misconduct include, but are not limited to:

• Plagiarism or other violations of the academic honesty and integrity policy (listed below);

• Conduct that threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person within or related to the Reach community, including verbal and physical abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, or sexual misconduct;

• Disruptions in seminars and other learning settings which render the faculty member unable to teach, and/or candidates unable to learn, including the use of alcohol or other substances during class time;

• Forging signatures or otherwise unethically altering or manipulating any document for any reason;

• Inappropriate or otherwise disrespectful communication or behavior toward Reach faculty, staff, administration, or peers;

• Making false accusations against any other person, whether written, oral, or in electronic communication; 

• Fraudulent use of checks, credit card, or bank account numbers, or other attempts to engage in illegal or deceptive financial transactions;

• Unauthorized recording, dissemination, or publication of academic presentations (including handwritten notes) for a commercial purpose;

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By enrolling at Reach, the candidate inherently accepts the policies, best practices, and rules of the institution, as well as the guidance of the faculty and administrative staff. This includes abiding by Reach policies and procedures with regard to course schedules, registration, enrollment, following course sequences, prerequisites, and all related matters pertaining to being a candidate at Reach.  The Director of Academic Operations, in conjunction with the Dean of each college, has broad final authority to resolve breach of conduct issues. 

 

Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy 

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The principles of truth and integrity are recognized as fundamental to any community of teachers, administrators, and scholars. Reach expects that both faculty and candidates will honor these principles and in so doing will protect the integrity of all academic work and participating faculty. While collaboration, feedback, and learning from the work of others are essential to professional collegiality, Reach candidates are expected to complete assigned work using their original ideas and contributions, and without misrepresenting the degree to which they received or provided assistance. Similarly, faculty, coaches, and advisors have the responsibility of exercising care in the planning and supervision of required work so that expectations are clear and that honest effort will be encouraged and positively reinforced.

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There are certain forms of conduct that violate Reach’s policy of academic integrity. Academic dishonesty (cheating) is a broad category of actions that involve fraud and deception to improve an evaluation or obtain course credit. Academic dishonesty (cheating) is not limited to performance assessment situations alone, but arises whenever candidates attempt to gain an unearned advantage. Plagiarism is a specific form of academic dishonesty (cheating), which consists of the misuse of published or unpublished works of another by claiming them as one’s own. Plagiarism may consist of handing in someone else’s work as one’s own, copying or purchasing a pre-written composition and claiming it as one’s own, using paragraphs, sentences, phrases, words or ideas written by another without giving appropriate citation, or using data and/or statistics compiled by another without giving appropriate citation. Candidates are prohibited from utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in any manner that compromises academic integrity, undermines the ethical principles of learning, or infringes upon Reach policies. The responsible and ethical use of AI technology is a fundamental expectation, and any misuse may result in disciplinary actions in accordance with the Reach's code of conduct.

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When a staff member discovers a violation of Reach’s policy of academic honesty and integrity, they are required to notify the Director of Academic Operations, the Dean of the college where the infraction took place, the candidate(s) involved, and the designated school site administrator/employer. A course evaluation of “Did Not Meet Expectations” or a grade of D or below may be assigned, or another penalty may be applied at the discretion of the Director of Academic Operations or the presiding Dean of the college. Additional sanctions may be determined by the Provost. Sanctions may include disciplinary probation, suspension, permanent expulsion from Reach, administrative hold on the release of records, a notation on the candidate’s official transcript, withholding a degree or recommendation for a credential, and/or recommending the revocation of a credential. Any disciplinary action shall be noted on the candidate’s formal academic record either permanently or for the duration of the probationary period. Disciplinary expulsion is a part of the candidate’s permanent record.

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The candidate may pursue a formal hearing or make a settlement agreement with the consent of the university deans and the Provost. The Provost or a designee will conduct an investigation, confer with the reporting party, faculty member, candidates, or any witnesses identified, and review all evidence. The candidate is entitled to a formal hearing, scheduled by the Provost/designee, in which the evidence of the alleged violation shall be presented before a committee consisting of university deans (The Committee of Deans), and the candidate shall be present to provide an explanation or defense. The Committee of Deans shall submit a written report to the Provost containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Alternatively, a settlement agreement may be made with the Provost. The settlement agreement will specify the disciplinary sanctions, the length and terms of disciplinary probation or suspension, and the conditions the candidate is expected to meet in order to remain in good standing. The candidate is expected to meet all recommendations in order to remain in good standing (e.g., training or regular meetings with the presiding Dean or other designated Reach personnel). All findings and associated sanctions are relayed to the candidate, the reporting party, and the candidate’s site administrator/employer. Any repeated violation of academic honesty and integrity policy shall result in more serious sanctions including suspension or expulsion from Reach with a note on the candidate’s permanent record.

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Social Media

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Candidates are expected to adhere to respectful and nondiscriminatory language and conduct when engaging with the university’s online platform, social media channels, and community. Some of the agreed upon norms of online behavior include:

• Respectful language and conduct at all times; no discriminatory language 

• On-topic posts (avoid sales/promotions, political, conspiracy, religious posts, divisive topics, or spam, etc.)

• Encouragement and pushes – not shaming or belittling

• Clean language (no profanity, illegal, or obscene content)

• Do not block moderators of the social media page; keep the lines of communication open to discuss concerning posts with the moderator

• Candidates are not obligated to accept or respond to friend requests or private messages

• Conduct must conform to the guidelines on professionalism as outlined in the Reach University Handbook

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Repeated nonadherence to these guidelines may result in disciplinary action, including but not limited to being restricted from all Reach social media channels.

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