Student Code of Conduct
Overall Code: MU CVM students are directed to the MU System Student Conduct Code in CRR Chapter 200, found here: https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/rules/collected_rules/programs/ch200. This is considered a primary source and governing policy, excepting areas where it is clearly not applicable or irrelevant (eg: intercollegiate athletics, etc.).
Interpersonal Interactions: Students are expected to respect one another and to be sensitive in their interpersonal interactions to the individual differences in race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. Aspects of veterinary education and practice require adherence to a team mindset; while cliques and interest groups are inevitable, factions and bullying will not be tolerated. Supported allegations of group on group, person on person, or group on person bullying will be addressed on a case by case basis by the Associate Dean and a group of faculty.
Hygiene and Personal Grooming: Students are expected to come to class wearing clean clothes, to have an odor free body, and to adhere to the VHC dress code when serving their clinic duties.
Classroom or Rotation Tardiness: Tardiness is unprofessional. Students are expected to be on time for class. In the rare case when extenuating circumstances make lateness unavoidable, students are expected to enter quietly and to take the closest available seat.
Classroom or Rotation Conduct: Students are expected to treat all instructors and technicians (or other support staff) with due respect and courtesy and to attend to the classroom or rotational activity. Sign up sheets for extracurricular activities should be passed around between lecture classes or posted in the labs.
Students are expected to be aware that talking and other noisy behavior during class, rounds, or similar events is rude and disruptive to the instructor and to other students and that they should avoid rude and disruptive behavior.
Leaving Class Early: Students are expected to stay in class for the entire period except when unusual extenuating circumstances require them to leave early. In these cases, professional courtesy dictates that advance notice is given to the instructor.
Attending Class or Rotations: Chronic absenteeism is unprofessional. Students are held responsible for all information and material given in class or rotations and will not receive individual instruction for missed classes except in documented cases of illness or other unusual extenuating circumstances.
Use of Tobacco: Per MU system policy 1.160, MU and the College of Veterinary Medicine is a tobacco-free and a smoke-free campus. This policy extends to offsite MU and CVM vehicles including field service units as well as on client farms.
Proper Respect for Teaching Animals: The use of teaching animals in the College of Veterinary Medicine is a privilege. Veterinary Medical students are expected to conduct themselves in a mature, professional and ethical manner when handling teaching animals, cadavers, or portions of cadavers. Handling of live teaching animals should be exercised in ways that are intended to avoid inflicting pain whenever possible, to protect animal health and safety, and to minimize stress. Cadavers or portions of cadavers should be treated as though the animal had previously been your cherished companion. All teaching animals are deserving of respect for the contribution they make to veterinary medical student education.
All photography or videotaping of live or dead animals in the college must be approved and supervised by faculty responsible for the animals or by college administrators to ensure that owners have provided a release for pictures of privately owned animals and that all animals are depicted in a respectful manner.
(Revisions approved 10-16-2023 via Dean Cohn and Dean’s Cabinet.)