Illinois State University Constitution
Any person admitted to the University who is currently enrolled for University academic credit shall be defined as a student.
Section 1. Student Rights and Responsibilities
A. Student Rights
Among the goals of the University are the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of its members, and improvement of the general well-being of society. Academic freedom in the form of freedom of inquiry and freedom of expression is indispensable to the attainment of these goals. As members of the academic community, students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and to engage in a sustained and independent search for truth. The standards of academic freedom of students detailed in this article are essential to any community of scholars. Student freedom to learn and faculty freedom to teach are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The freedom to learn depends upon appropriate opportunities and conditions in the classroom, on the campus, and in the larger community. University students are expected to exercise their freedom with responsibility, but the responsibility to secure and respect students' freedom to learn is shared by all members of the University community.
B. Student Responsibilities
The academic community requires a system of order to support the educational process which is the purpose of the University.
Preservation of the system of order depends on the individuals who make up the group. Implicit in the community's recognition of the rights of students is their obligation to accept their responsibilities toward the community.
1. The primary responsibility of students is to advance their own education.
2. The obligation of students to fellow students requires conduct which shows respect for the opinions and rights of all. In seeking to effect change, students rely on reasoned argument and utilize procedures which do not interfere with the opportunity of other students to pursue their education.
3. Students' responsibilities toward their instructors include the obligation to fulfill assignments, to participate in discussion and other activities, to increase their scholarly competence in the discipline being studied, and to work creatively and independently. Through fairness and courtesy, they invite respect for themselves and the entire student community.
4. The obligation of students to the University is to be effective participants in the teaching-learning process. They observe the rules of the University, yet guard their right to criticize. They speak or act on their own behalf, not as a representative of the University. They accept their share of responsibility for the University governance.
5. The responsibility of students to the community beyond the University is to be good citizens. While recognizing that complying with laws and rules cannot of itself make one good, students should obey national, state, and local laws. If the processes of the law have been exhausted without achieving substantial justice, then those who have violated the law in the name of justice must be prepared to accept the consequence of their violation.