Okefenokee Technical College

Okefenokee Technical College 2012-2013 Catalog

Workplace Violence

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Okefenokee Technical College 2012-2013 Catalog

The Technical College System of Georgia and Okefenokee Technical College are committed to providing all employees, students, volunteers, visitors, vendors, and contractors a safe and secure workplace and/or academic setting free of intimidating, threatening, or violent behavior. To this end, it is the policy of the System that any violent act or threatening or disruptive behavior, language, or communication in any form (including telephone, facsimile, electronic mail or written communication) shall not be tolerated.

No employee, student, volunteer, visitor, vendor, or contractor shall engage in prohibited behavior or conduct against another individual at Okefenokee Technical College (including a satellite campus/location) or at any sanctioned off-site function.

A student, volunteer, visitor, vendor, or contractor who believes that he/she has been subject to workplace violence should report the matter immediately to an OTC administrator via an electronic version of the Workplace Violence Incident Reporting Form located at www.okefenokeetech.edu.

Any employee who violates the provisions of this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from employment. Any Okefenokee Technical College student who engages in prohibited behavior shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion consistent with the provisions/guidelines of Okefenokee Technical College’s Student Code of Conduct. Any visitor or volunteer who engages in prohibited behavior shall be subject to exclusion from all System or Technical College worksites. Any vendor or contractor who engages in prohibited behavior shall be subject to exclusion from all System or Technical College worksites and the termination of his/her business relationship.

Examples of prohibited behavior include, but are not limited to:

  • Physically menacing/threatening behavior or gestures which convey a threat
  • Unlawful harassment, including ethnic, racial, or sexual epithets
  • Physical attack/assault with or without a weapon
  • Stalking
  • Direct or implied verbal threats or abusive, intimidating, or obscene language
  • Intentional damage to personal or System or Technical College property
  • Intentional damage to the personal property of an employee, student, volunteer, visitor, vendor, or contractor
  • Possession of a weapon on technical college property or at any sanctioned event when such possession is contrary to the provisions of O.C.G.A. 16-11-127.1 and State Board Policy II. C. 10
  • Fighting and/or physical altercations among employees or students is strictly prohibited. Included is any "fighting" that may be characterized as "horseplay."

Students should remain alert to and be familiar with their surroundings to better recognize potentially serious situations. Many acts of targeted workplace violence are preceded by direct or indirect threats; therefore, all threats must be taken seriously and should be reported as soon as possible.

All technical college employees and students are to be advised of the First Response Plan and notified of the procedures to be followed should violent incident(s) or other emergencies occur in the workplace.

Any complaint registered against an Okefenokee Technical College student regarding a potential violation of this policy will be investigated consistent with the provisions of Okefenokee Technical College’s Student Disciplinary Procedure. (Summary of III.X.Procedure: Workplace Violence. Complete Procedure may be accessed at https://tcsg.edu/tcsgpolicy/docs/workplace_violence.htm )