SCHOOL MOTTO: CHOOSE THE RIGHT
Principles of Personal Honor
“Choose & Do The Right At All Times”
- Personal honor is integrity in fulfilling commitments, responsibilities, and promises.
- Personal honor begins with willing obedience and is fully developed when we consistently govern ourselves by true principles.
- Personal honor is central to every aspect of our lives, including the Golden Sunbeam experience.
- Personal honor brings us joy and happiness; deepens our desire to love, serve, and lift others; and ultimately helps us to become better people.
HONOR CODE STATEMENT
As a matter of personal commitment, faculty, staff, and students of Golden Sunbeam we seek to demonstrate in daily living on- and off- campus these wholesome virtues and we commit ourselves to:
- Be honest
- Live a chaste and virtuous life
- Obey the law and all campus policies
- Use clean language
- Respect others
- Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, harmful drugs
- Observe appropriate dress and grooming standards
- Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code
The Honor Code includes specific policies on each of the following: (1) academic honesty, (2) dress and grooming, (3) housing, (4) church attendance, and (5) other standards.
Good Honor Code Standing
To be in good honor code standing, a student’s conduct is consistent with the Principles of Personal Honor. Students not in good honor code standing may be dismissed from Golden Sunbeam. All students and all employees are required to remain in good honor code standing at all times once admitted to Golden Sunbeam, whether they are on or off campus. The Student Honor and Admission offices may place a hold on a student’s admission, registration or student record when they receive reports of misconduct on or off campus. While administration will typically notify the student before placing holds, they reserve the right to place a hold after attempts to notify the student have failed. Letter of compliance from the student to management and student government is required to avert disciplinary action.
Academic Honesty
Golden Sunbeam students should seek to be completely honest in all their dealings. They should complete their own work and be evaluated for that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and cheating.
Plagiarism
Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one’s own without providing proper attribution to the original author through quotation, reference, or footnote.
Inadvertent plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another’s words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Although not a violation of the Honor Code, it is a form of academic misconduct for which an instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance.
Plagiarism may occur with respect to unpublished as well as published material. Examples include:
- Direct Plagiarism: the verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source
- Paraphrased Plagiarism: the paraphrasing of ideas from another without attribution, causing a reader to mistake these ideas for the writer’s own
- Plagiarism Mosaic: the borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this original material with one’s own writing, without acknowledging the source
- Insufficient Acknowledgment: the partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source
Fabrication or Falsification
Fabrication or falsification occurs when a student invents or distorts the origin or content of information used as authority. Examples include:
- Citing a source that does not exist
- Citing information from a source that is not included in the source for which credit is given
- Citing a source for a secondary proposition that it does not support
- Citing a bibliography source when it was neither consulted nor cited in the body of the paper
- Intentionally distorting the meaning or applicability of data
- Inventing data or statistical results to support conclusions
Cheating
- A student cheats when he or she attempts to give the appearance of a level of knowledge or skill that has not been obtained. Examples include:
- Copying from another person’s work during an examination or while completing an assignment
- Allowing someone to copy work that is not his or her own during an examination or while completing an assignment
- Using unauthorized materials during an examination or while completing an assignment
- Collaborating on an examination or assignment without authorization
- Taking an examination or completing an assignment for another, or permitting another to take an examination or to complete an assignment that is not his or her own
Other Academic Misconduct
Other academic misconduct includes other academically dishonest, deceitful, or inappropriate acts which are intentionally committed. Examples include:
- Inappropriately providing or receiving information or academic work so as to gain unfair advantage over others
- Planning with another to commit any act of academic dishonesty
- Attempting to gain an unfair academic advantage for oneself or another by bribery or by any act of offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting anything of value to another for such purpose
- Changing or altering grades or other official educational records
- Obtaining or providing to another a test or answers to a test that has not been administered
- Breaking and entering into a building or office for the purpose of obtaining unauthorized materials
- Continuing work on an examination or assignment after the allocated time has elapsed
- Submitting the same work for more than one class without disclosure and approval
- Getting equal credit on group assignments when equal work was not done
Procedures for Handling Academic Dishonesty
Instructors are responsible to establish and communicate to students their expectations of behavior with respect to academic honesty and conduct in the course. The instructor will be responsible to investigate any incident of academic dishonesty or misconduct, determine the circumstances, and take appropriate action. Examples of appropriate action include but are not limited to the following:
- Reprimanding the student orally or in writing
- Requiring work affected by the academic dishonesty to be redone
- Administering a lower or failing grade on the affected assignment, test, or course
- Working with the Student Honor Office to remove the student from the course
- Recommending to the Student Honor Office that the student be put on probation or dismissed
If the incident involves violation of a public law, e.g., breaking and entering into an office or stealing an examination, the act should be reported to School Security.
Both suspected and proven violations of the Academic Honesty Policy should be reported to the Student Honor Office, detailing the name, incident, and action taken. If the occurrence is sufficiently egregious, or if a pattern of dishonesty or misconduct is discovered, the Student Honor Office may take additional action, based upon the nature of the infraction.
If an affected student disagrees with the determination or action and is unable to resolve the matter to the mutual satisfaction of the student and the instructor, he or she may have it reviewed through the school’s grievance process.
Dress & Grooming
The following supplemental information provides general guidelines for students, staff, faculty, and administrators in determining appropriate attire and grooming. Because of the constant change in dress and grooming styles, some trends, fads, or fashions common in the world may be determined inappropriate. The President’s Council reserves the right to determine whether a specific style or fad is inappropriate and thereby unacceptable at Golden Sunbeam.
Clothing is to be modest in fabric, fit, length, and style. It should also be appropriate for the occasion. Men and women’s dress should be reflective of their gender, and excessive or extreme styles should be avoided. For women, wardrobe selection should reflect modesty and femininity. For men, clothing should reflect good taste and masculinity appropriate for a professional.
Women/Girls on Campus Living (Boarding)
- A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained at all times.
- Clothing is inappropriate when it is sleeveless, strapless, backless, or revealing.
- It should not have slits above the knee or be formfitting.
- Dresses and skirts must be knee-length or longer (even with leggings worn).
Unprescribed boarding attire (trousers, slacks, jeans, blouse, T-shirts or skirts) should not be worn on campus at any time. Prescribed campus attire should not be patched, faded, frayed or torn. Students are required to wear prescribed boarding attire after school hours. Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extreme styles and unnatural colors. Caps or hats should not be worn in buildings. Excessive ear piercings (more than one pair) and all other body piercings are inappropriate. Shoes should be worn in all public campus areas. Flip-flops and other casual footwear are inappropriate on campus.
Men/Boys on Campus Living (Boarding)
- A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained.
- Trousers, slacks, and jeans should not be patched, faded, frayed or torn and must be ankle length.
- Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extreme styles or colors, and trimmed above the collar leaving the ear uncovered (Professional Look).
- Caps or hats should not be worn in buildings.
- Sideburns should not extend below the earlobe or onto the cheek and mustaches are unacceptable for students (Boys should maintain a clean cut professional look always).
- Men and boys are expected to be clean shaven; beards are not acceptable. Earrings and other body piercings are unacceptable. Shoes should be worn in all public campus areas. Flip-flops and other casual footwear are inappropriate on campus.
Dress Standards for Students at Campus Events
Activity and Recreational Attire
- Dress standards for each event will be specified prior to the event. If no standard is indicated, the minimum standard will be campus attire.
- Modest casual attire may be worn at certain activities and events.
- Shorts and other pants ending above the ankle are inappropriate for campus. Shorts are only allowed at playing fields and must be modest in length.
- Traveling across campus to activities in shorts is not appropriate.
Event Attire
- The minimum standard for men will be shirt and tie. Jeans are not acceptable.
- The minimum standard for women will be a dress (or a skirt and blouse or sweater).
- Casual and immodest (Form Fitting, Shorts, skirts above the knee cap, bare backs, sleeveless e.t.c ) dress or clothing will not be permitted.
Semiformal Dance Attire
Men: A tuxedo is optional, while church attire such as a sports coat or dressy sweater is recommended. A dress shirt and tie, formal half-collar shirt without tie, or turtleneck with a sport coat and dress slacks are acceptable. Dress shoes are required. Athletic shoes, t-shirts, kilts, jeans, and grubby attire are not acceptable.
Women: A formal dress is optional; Sunday dress is recommended (a modest dress with the hemline or slit at or below the knee). Dress shoes are required. Athletic shoes, sleeveless dresses, spaghetti straps, low-cut necklines, unlined see-through materials, and open-back dresses below the shoulder blades are not acceptable.
Special-Theme Dances
Dress should be consistent with school dress standards at all events. Appropriate dress will be specified in the publicity prior to the dance.
Housing
Separation of Single Male and Female Students
All approved housing units provide appropriate separation of single male and female students. Golden Sunbeam reserves the exclusive right to determine how its policy of separating the sexes should be implemented in each boarding complex.
Apartment Living Standards
Drugs and Alcohol
Drug paraphernalia is illegal and should be referred to the police. Alcohol containers are not appropriate and should be removed from the room. Residents using alcohol or drugs must also be referred to the Student Honor Office. Golden Sunbeam has zero tolerance for the use of Drugs and Alcohol and students found to violate this rule experience immediate dismissal and police action when found to posses drugs.
Firearms
Firearms, knives, ammunition, explosives, or any devices capable of inflicting injury or damaging property are prohibited in on- and off- campus apartments. These devices include but are not limited to martial arts weapons, BB guns, slingshots, pellet guns, paint-ball guns, wrist rockets, swords, hunting knives & bows. Replicas of firearms or dangerous and destructive weapons are also prohibited. It is recommended that they be left home. Any questions regarding this policy may be directed to the Housing and Student Living director (Heard of Student Life).
Guests
Because overnight guests often cause interruption and inconvenience to others, all such guests should be cleared with the apartment manager and agreed upon by the roommates. No overnight guests of the opposite sex are permitted at any time. Each tenant shall be responsible for any damage, beyond reasonable wear and tear, to the property of the apartment complex caused by the tenant, members of the tenant’s family, or guests of the tenant. Approved visiting hours for all students on campus (Boarding) is Saturday and Sunday from 2pm - 4pm. Guest are encouraged to strictly adhere to these rules to avoid the embarrassment of being turned away at the security post.
Hours
All Golden Sunbeam students are to be in their own apartments by 8:30pm every night of the week except Friday, when curfew is 9:30pm. When attending school functions that end later than established curfew hours, such as plays and concerts, students should be in within 30 minutes after the event is over.
Literature, Books, Magazines, Posters, and Pictures
All such material must be within the standards of good taste and decency as suggested in the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet, and in keeping with a high standard of personal righteousness.
Pets
No pets of any kind are allowed in approved housing.
Golden Sunbeam Apartment Living Standards Prohibitions
Dart boards, Ouija boards, fireworks of any kind, illicit drugs, alcohol, gambling, open flames (the use of matches, candles, incense, etc.), electrical appliances(heaters, kettles, stoves, rice cookers, TV's, Radio, hair dryers, blowers, mobile phones or laptops), pets or animals, vulgarity, or any rude and unusual disturbance are not consistent with Golden Sunbeam standards.
Quiet Hours
Quiet Hours are from 10 p.m. until 8:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and all day on Sunday. Quiet hours are designed to help students have adequate time for proper study and sleep. Each resident is expected to refrain from disturbing activities such as loud conversation and laughter or loud playing of music. Residents do not have the right at any time to be so excessively loud that it is an unfair disturbance to other residents.
Reporting of Standards and Safety Violations
For the well-being, safety, and security of everyone, each student and manager has assumed the obligation to “...encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code.” This list includes referral to the Student Honor Office for unchaste conduct, Word of Wisdom violations, disobeying the law, disruptive behavior, etc.
Television, Video Tapes, Music, Posters, Computer, Internet & Other Media
In keeping with the ideals of Golden Sunbeam and the spirit of the Honor Code, “R-,” “NC-17-” and “X-” rated viewing is not allowed. In addition, Internet access, music, television, or any form of entertainment, including inappropriate or suggestive concerts, movies, and videocassettes, which are vulgar, immoral, inappropriate, suggestive, or pornographic in any way—no matter what the rating—violate the spirit of the Honor Code and are not acceptable.
Off-campus apartment units that provide Internet access and/or cable or satellite television service to their tenants are expected as a condition of their Golden Sunbeam approval to exercise their option as subscribers to provide a filtered Internet service and not provide any channels or services which bring “R-” “NC- 17-”, or “X-” rated viewing into the homes of Golden Sunbeam students. Special events, such as major sporting contests that do not violate the Honor Code, may be procured after the cable or satellite distributor clears that event with the Student Honor Office. The expectation for students who subscribe to cable or Internet service on their own is the same. Students are expected to use filtered Internet service and to refrain from subscribing to or viewing any media that compromise their commitment to the Golden Sunbeam Honor Code.
Visitation Guidelines (by the Opposite Sex)
Men and women may not visit the apartments of the opposite sex. Visitors (Parents, Guardians, Siblings of students) of the opposite sex must comply with the following:
- There should always be at least three people in an apartment being visited by a member of the opposite sex.
- Drapes must be left open during the visit.
- Visitors of the opposite sex are not allowed in bedrooms at any time.
- Visitors must have the approval of the roommates before being allowed in the apartment.
Other Golden Sunbeam Standards
Golden Sunbeam uses its discretion to determine violations that fall within the expectations of conduct defined in the Honor Code. The below standards are not inclusive of all possible violations of the Honor Code.
Computer Crime
Any person who knowingly and without permission accesses or attempts to access any campus computer, computer system, computer program, or network without prior authorization is committing computer fraud. This offense may result in a misdemeanor and punishable by law. Students found guilty of computer fraud may lose their campus computer access and e-mail privileges, and/or be subject to disciplinary action, including expulsion from the school.
Copyright
The use of school-owned computers, databases, servers, or the Golden Sunbeam Web site or intranet for the storage, distribution, sharing, viewing, or transmission of copyrighted materials without permission is prohibited. Committing the previously stated offense may result in a student’s loss of campus computer access and e-mail privileges. He or she may be subject to disciplinary action, including separation from the school.
Disruptive Behavior
Students involved in behavioral misconduct, abuse of administrative processes, violation of school policy or procedures, inappropriate classroom behavior, intimidation, threats, violence, or other inappropriate actions whether on campus, in Golden Sunbeam approved housing, in community housing, in public, or in any Golden Sunbeam program or activity, may be required to leave the institution or its properties when their misconduct significantly and adversely impacts the school's ability to perform its mission or disrupts the general environment Golden Sunbeam is striving to achieve.
In cases involving an individual with a disability, including mental disabilities, this policy will operate to make a determination based upon an individual’s behavior rather than upon the individual’s status of having a disability.
When it is determined that an individual is involved in significant disruptive behavior, the student will receive an appropriate sanction, including but not limited to, counsel and education, warning, probation, suspension or expulsion from the school, and banning from access to school properties. Referral for criminal prosecution will be made when warranted.
Students agree to not share their password, not send chain mail or any inappropriate material (including messages of a harassing or salacious nature), not to use their account for commercial purposes, and to keep all e-mail within the Honor Code. Students also agree not to enter the e-mail accounts of others nor send e-mail messages posing as someone they are not. Students must not harvest and provide lists of Golden Sunbeam e-mail accounts to anyone.
Firearms
Golden Sunbeam prohibits the possession or use of firearms and weapons on property owned or controlled by the school, including residence halls and at programs sponsored by Golden Sunbeam, which occur off campus property (i.e. Discovery, travel related to academic studies, student activities, etc.). For the purpose of this policy, firearms or weapons include any device that can expel a projectile, and/or other dangerous weapons, including knives, explosives, or other items that, in their intended use, are capable of inflicting serious injury. Because these items pose a clear risk to the persons and property on Golden Sunbeam’s campus, violation of this policy will result in appropriate disciplinary sanctions.
No one (personnel, students, or visitors) except law enforcement officers shall be permitted to possess or carry firearms or other weapons, concealed or not concealed, with or without a concealed weapon permit, while upon the properties owned or controlled by the school.
Members of the campus Cadet units may possess and/or carry firearms or weapons as part of official Cadet functions when authorized by the Cadet administrator.
Gambling
Students need to be aware of the addictive nature of gambling and the questionable morality of risking personal assets to obtain an unearned gain. In some cases, participation in gambling may lead to sorrow and suffering. Any student involved in gambling is subject to school disciplinary action.
Games
Video games, computer games, board games, and other similar forms of entertainment which depict violence or sex are not in harmony with the principles of the honor code and are inappropriate. Individuals should not make use of or participate in these types of activities as they are degrading, and generally do not serve an educational or uplifting purpose.
Harassment, Hazing, Intimidation or Aggressive Behavior
All forms of harassment (verbal, physical, mental or sexual), hazing, intimidation, exploitation, or aggressive behavior that threaten or endanger the physical or emotional health and safety of others is in violation of the Honor Code. Any such behavior, including poking, hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, profanity, or abusive language will not be tolerated. Participants in such behaviors are subject to school disciplinary action including separation from the school, as well as possible criminal court action. Students who encounter these types of behavior should contact the Student Honor Office (Head of Student Life and Directors).
Overnight Activities
Overnight co-ed activities that are not school sponsored such as spending the night together at camping, staying in motels or cabins, and similar activities are prohibited. No overnight guests of the opposite sex are permitted at any time in single-student housing. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, including separation from the school.
Pornography
Individuals who use the Internet to share, transmit, access, view, or read pornography may lose their campus computer access and e-mail privileges and/or be subject to disciplinary action, including separation from the school.
Right of Access
Golden Sunbeam is a private institution. Therefore all grounds, walkways, roads, parking areas, and buildings owned by the school are private property. The school retains the right and legal authority to limit or otherwise restrict access to the campus for any reason it may deem appropriate. As an educational institution, Golden Sunbeam affirms its right to guard or protect employees, students, and guests from interferences that would disrupt any class, program, activity, event, or permitted function. This includes stalking or other conduct that is threatening or disruptive to students, employees, or guests on campus properties. Individuals who refuse to follow this policy will be banned from campus and be subject to arrest and prosecution for criminal trespass.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment refers to unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment may include:
- Unwelcome sexual advances.
- Requests for sexual favors.
- Other verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Sexual harassment may also include denying or limiting, on the basis of sex, the student’s ability to participate in or receive benefits, services, or opportunities in school programs. Golden Sunbeam’s policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employment situations but to academic situations as well. If a student feels he or she has encountered sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, or needs assistance or information related to allegations of sexual harassment, he or she should contact the Student Honor Office.
Compliance with the Honor Code creates a suitable and uplifting environment for learning, where individual characters are formed, where leadership principles can be attained and where personal growth and development can occur.We invite you to be the GUARDIANS and KEEPERS of these standards everywhere you go whether on or off-campus so together we can make Golden Sunbeam a safe and secure environment for everyone.