Southern Adventist University is a community committed to following Christ. We seek to create biblically-centered learning environments that promote the holistic development of all students. Our hope is that as you engage with this community, the experiences you have will enable the empowerment and transformation Christ has in store for you while here at Southern and after you graduate.
We consider Jesus’s command to "Love your neighbor as yourself" as foundational to community. We believe that community is born of other-centered practices and strengthened when members choose to
We acknowledge that character development is a work of a lifetime; therefore, we urge everyone who voluntarily becomes a member of this community to be a person who pursues growth in their personal, relational and spiritual lives. Our desire is to support your growth and development by coming alongside you and offering care, resources, and, when necessary, accountability, in order to help you grow.
SOUTHERN’S COMMUNITY STANDARDS
As you read through this handbook, you’ll notice that parts of our community standards and university policies are connected to specific biblical instruction, while other parts ask that you abide by a code of conduct that appears to compromise your personal choices for the good of the greater community. By choosing to enroll as a Southern student, you have chosen, freely and willingly, to abide by these standards and policies in order to promote the flourishing of all in our community.
Please note that as a student, you are responsible to know and abide by all Southern policies, rules, or regulations and will be held responsible if a violation occurs. Published university policies, rules and regulations include:
TO WHOM THE STANDARDS APPLY
Southern Community Standards apply to all students, both full-time and part-time:
That these standards apply only to students while they are enrolled or in residence in no way indicates that Southern believes that contrary behavior is acceptable during non-enrolled periods. Southern recognizes that it is inherently the responsibility of the individual to make such behavior decisions. The essential role of individual judgment, discernment, and recognition of personal accountability to God throughout the Southern community cannot be overemphasized. However, behaviors while not enrolled may affect a student’s ability to re-enroll or continue at Southern.
Southern reserves the right to refuse or revoke admittance and/or suspend or dismiss any person who does not conform either to the stated guidelines and regulations governing student conduct or to the expressed principles, policies, and expectations of this university community. Southern also reserves the right to take action against an individual for violating the standards regardless of how much time has passed since the violation. Finally, Southern reserves the right to sanction graduates awaiting degrees and students who withdraw from school while a disciplinary matter is pending.
DO THE STANDARDS APPLY OFF CAMPUS?
Off-campus rights and freedoms of students involve the responsibility to display conduct and behavior that reflect favorably on them, Southern, and the community. Accordingly, Southern reserves the right to take action in response to behavior off campus that violates University standards and policies or adversely affects the University community and/or the pursuit of its objectives. Southern also reserves the right to sanction for violation of University standards by graduates awaiting degrees and students who withdraw from school while a student-conduct matter is pending.
VIOLATION OF LAW AND UNIVERSITY SANCTIONS
Southern reserves the right to review actions taken by civil authorities regarding any student or student organization. Accordingly, Southern’s Student Conduct Board may sanction a student who has been charged with violation of a city, state, or federal law, and may, at the sole discretion of the University, impose the sanction prior to, concurrently, or following civil or criminal proceedings. Additionally, Southern reserves the right to sanction a student whose charges have been dropped by a city, state, or federal entity as the "dropping of charges" cannot always be interpreted as an individual not actually committing the misdemeanor or felony.
Violations that occur when a student is not enrolled may impact a student’s eligibility to continue his/her standing as a member of Southern’s community.