Middlebury Handbook

All members of the Middlebury Institute Online student community shall: 

• Adhere to and help maintain a high level of personal and professional behavior that is respectful of the dignity of all persons 
• Respect the rights and property of others 
• Treat equally the ideas, feelings and opinions of all students who work and study with the Middlebury Institute Online and their right to live and study in conditions that support their work and development 
• Refrain from and discourage behaviors that threaten freedom and respect every individual 

Conduct Policies support the overall educational mission of the Middlebury Institute Online and are designed to protect the community from disruption and harm, to encourage appropriate standards of individual and group behavior, and to foster ethical standards. 

The Middlebury Institute Online’s approach to policy and to addressing policy violations is guided by the above principles. Depending on their nature and severity, alleged Middlebury Institute Online policy violations may be adjudicated and discipline may be assigned by several different administrators and the Conduct and Appeals judicial boards. The deans, administrators and judicial boards consider the totality of a student’s history, the impact on community, and the specific circumstances of the event when determining appropriate responses to policy violations. Consistent with the cultivation of an awareness of responsibility and accountability, students found in violation of policies and/or participating in prohibited acts will be held responsible, will be subject to discipline, and/or will be charged for fines and associated costs as appropriate. Students with unpaid charges may be restricted from registering for classes until their accounts are in order. Please see Student Conduct Disciplinary Process for more information. 

Disciplinary outcomes issued in an Middlebury Institute Online program may be shared with to any other program in which the student is or will be enrolled, at Middlebury or elsewhere (see “Scope of Oversight,” below). The student’s ongoing or future enrollment in any other program will be determined in accordance with that program’s policies and processes. Admission to any program may be denied or revoked based on the student’s disciplinary history. 

The policies are intended to be read broadly and are not designed to define misconduct in exhaustive terms. Attempts to commit acts prohibited in these policies may also lead to disciplinary action and sanctions. 

Middlebury Institute Online Initiated Leave of Absence, Emergency Withdrawal, Suspension, or Expulsion 
In addition to fostering the growth of its individual students, the Middlebury Institute Online recognizes its obligation to promote the welfare of the community as a whole and to take appropriate action when that welfare is jeopardized. To that end, the Middlebury Institute Online reserves the right, notwithstanding and apart from the procedures described under Student Conduct Disciplinary Process, on an emergency basis, to suspend, expel, or require a leave of absence or to withdraw any student whose presence is determined by Middlebury Institute Online authorities (the vice president for academic affairs/dean of the Institute (VPAA/DOI); the Dean of the Middlebury Institute Online; the vice president for student affairs (VPSA); the associate dean of student services (ADSS); and the Threat Assessment Management Team (TAM) (as applicable)) to pose a danger to the community or its members or to be unduly disruptive, or who appears to be unwilling or incapable of effectively and/or safely participating in the Middlebury Institute Online’s academic or other programs and/or student life. In cases of emergency suspension or required withdrawal, the conditions and procedures for readmission will be determined and communicated in writing to the student at the time of the student’s departure or shortly thereafter.  For more information on student status, please see “Leaves of Absence, Withdrawal, Suspension, Expulsion and Graduation” in the ​Institute Handbook​. 

Faculty and administrative officials should ensure that positional authority is not used to inhibit the intellectual and personal growth of students. 

Scope of Oversight 
Students will be held accountable for policy violations that take place between the time they begin their Middlebury Institute Online program and their graduation or official program completion, or the Middlebury Institute Online’s confirmation of their resignation or expulsion. Conduct that takes place within Middlebury Institute Online physical and digital spaces; occurs at or in connection with an Middlebury Institute Online-related event; or occurs off-campus but may represent a threat to the safety of the Middlebury Institute Online community or its members, the pursuit of its objectives, and/or the educational environment of others, may be subject to disciplinary process. In cases where a student is found responsible for a policy violation while participating in any Middlebury Institute Online or non-Middlebury Institute Online program, the finding of responsibility may also be referred to the appropriate authority overseeing any additional program in which the student is or will also be enrolled for other action as deemed appropriate. This may include but is not limited to: further investigation; additional adjudication under existing policies (using only information gathered in the first disciplinary process, or using subsequently gathered information, or both, as deemed appropriate by the overseeing authority); disciplinary action; or other remedies or processes deemed appropriate by the authority overseeing the additional Institute program. 

Students should report Middlebury employee conduct issues directly to the Human Resources Manager in the Human Resources Department at hr@middlebury.edu.