DIS Code of Student Responsibility
DIS offers students a welcoming study abroad environment both in Copenhagen and on study tours, where you can reach full potential within academics, as well as achieving personal and intercultural growth.
The DIS community is an inclusive, multicultural environment, which welcomes and actively supports diversity in the widest sense: race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, gender expression, and social and economic status. Diversity is recognized as enriching for all of us - for students in the class, on study tours and at other DIS events, as well as outside DIS, in the housing situations and in encounters with Danes and other Europeans during the study abroad semester.
You develop your intercultural leadership skills through open minded dialogues, not through rejecting the new and unknown – be it different food, different greeting habits, a different teaching style, or different values in life. Please, enjoy differences in experiences, values and beliefs. Contribute to the DIS environment, where differing perspectives are articulated and discussed.
In order to support such an environment there is a DIS Code of Student Responsibility that describes the kind of behavior we deem appropriate, the responsibility we give to you, as well as the behavior that is not acceptable – with regard to alcohol, drugs and smoking, disturbances or other kinds of inappropriate activities. In the case of complaints, DIS has procedures for response, and recognizes rights you have as a student.
The DIS Code of Student Responsibility serves to promote an environment that fosters a safe and enriching study abroad experience for all of you – academically and non-academically.
DIS Code of Student Responsibility is made up of three parts:
- DIS Student Code of Responsibility (general behavioral goals and norms)
- DIS Academic and Non-Academic policies (specific rules)
- DIS Sanctions and Ways of Appealing (sanctions and procedures)
While enrolled at DIS, including all events, field studies, study tours, housing etc. that take place from arrival to departure, students are expected to abide by
- the laws and customs that govern Denmark and any other country the students visit,
- the DIS Code of Student Responsibility and all DIS policies, as well as to
- the policies of the student's home universities.
Students are expected in an appropriate way to represent DIS as well as their home university and their nation and will be held responsible for failure to do so, which means that DIS holds you responsible for knowing the policies it informs you about and refers to.
Student violating DIS Academic and Non-Academic policies will be subject to reviews and sanctions. DIS reserves the right to require students to withdraw from the program for failure to maintain appropriate standards of study or behavior in Copenhagen, as well as on field studies and study tours. Students dismissed from the program, from study tours, or other events due to inappropriate behavior are not eligible for a refund of tuition or study tour costs, etc. Information regarding violations of DIS Academic and Non-Academic Policies will be provided to the student’s home schools.
Non-Academic and Academic policies
DIS expects all students to adhere to the following guides of conduct:
DIS prohibits alcohol on the premises unless it is during DIS sponsored social events, students may consume alcoholic beverages in a responsible manner in their DIS housing. Students who choose to consume alcohol do so with the knowledge that they remain responsible for their actions at all times. The use of illegal drugs is no more acceptable in foreign cultures than it is in the US and is treated as a serious criminal offense. Marijuana, hash, ecstasy, and all other such drugs are illegal in Denmark. Anyone in possession of drugs or using any type of illegal drugs risks being arrested and will be expelled from Denmark and dismissed from DIS. Smoking in any interior area of the DIS buildings and housing is prohibited.
DIS is committed to treating all members of the community equally. DIS explicitly prohibits any form of illegal discriminatory harassment by any DIS student. This includes physical, verbal, graphic or written harassment. DIS also prohibits any damage to DIS property as well as disruptive behavior which interferes with the ability to study or which creates as disturbance to other DIS students, staff or faculty. Students must respect all copyrights and DIS prohibits downloading of illegal material on all computers at DIS and in DIS housing. Students who violate this may be subject to the full range of sanctions.
Apart from these general rules, DIS also refers to its more specific policies that we ask you to familiarize yourself with. Please see below for more information.
• Academic Policywww.dis.dk/academicpolicy
• Housing Policy & Quality Assurancewww.dis.dk/housingpolicy
• Study tour Policy (please see your study tour booklet)
DIS Procedures & Sanctions
If the Code of Student Responsibility is violated then the following sanctions can be put in effect. The sanctions are usually followed consecutively but not exclusively.
Sanctions:
The student’s home universities may at any given point be notified of the violation/incident.
Oral & Written warning:
The student is called in for a meeting and receives an oral warning that is followed up by an e-mail that states the inappropriate behavior and that an oral warning has been given
Meeting:
The student is called in for a meeting to discuss the violation/incident and is issued a written warning, and acknowledges the written warning by signing.
Disciplinary probation:
The student will receive a letter from Housing & Student Affairs saying that any further violation within a certain amount of time will result in dismissal from the program.
Dismissal:
The student is asked to leave the DIS program without refund.
The students have the right to appeal decisions, and the appeals will be dealt with through the appropriate channels at DIS depending on the case. The DIS appeal procedure for non-academic cases is available to students during their stay in Denmark. The student is required to file, in written form, his/her complaint with the Director of Student Affairs.
