Student Conduct Policy

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the professional, ethical, and safety standards of massage therapy, applicable Illinois laws and regulations, and the policies contained in this catalog.

General Conduct Expectations

Students are expected to:

•     Participate safely and effectively in the learning environment, with reasonable accommodations when applicable.

•     Cooperate respectfully with students, instructors, staff, clients, and visitors.

•     Give and receive respectful, constructive feedback.

•     Follow reasonable instructions concerning education, clinic operations, safety, sanitation, and professional conduct.

•     Respect the personal property and supplies of the school, its therapists, instructors, staff, students, and clients. Students may not remove or use property or supplies without permission.

•     Remain after class, when instructed, until massage tables and equipment are properly stored and the classroom is restored to order.

•     Follow the School’s food and beverage rules. Food is not permitted in classrooms or clinical areas. Covered water containers may be permitted in designated areas.

•     Silence and store cellphones, smartwatches, and other electronic devices during class and clinic activities unless their use is authorized by an instructor.

•     Use respectful and professional language. Abusive, threatening, discriminatory, sexually inappropriate, or persistently disruptive language is prohibited.

•     Comply with the School’s substance-use, smoking, and vaping policies.

•     Maintain appropriate professional attire, personal hygiene, sanitation, and infection-control practices.

Smoking and vaping are prohibited on School property, including the parking lot.

Substance Use and Impairment

Students may not possess, distribute, sell, or use alcohol, illegal drugs, cannabis, or other intoxicating substances on School property or during School-sponsored activities.

Students may not participate in class, clinic, hands-on practice, or other School activities while impaired by alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, misused medications, or any other substance that affects their ability to participate safely.

A student who appears impaired may be removed from class, clinic, or another School activity. Violations may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the program.

The appropriate use of a legally prescribed or over-the-counter medication is not, by itself, a violation of this policy. However, students remain responsible for ensuring that they can participate safely in classroom, clinical, and hands-on activities.

Photographs and Recordings

Students may not photograph, video-record, or audio-record another student, instructor, staff member, client, visitor, classroom activity, or clinical activity without prior authorization from the School and the informed consent of everyone being recorded.

Unauthorized sharing or posting of photographs, recordings, client information, classroom materials, or information concerning another member of the School community is prohibited.

Student Conduct Outside of Class

The Body Therapy Center and School of Massage is committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and supportive learning community. Students are free to develop friendships and interact outside of scheduled classes; however, conduct outside of class may fall within this policy when it has a substantial connection to the School or its educational environment.

Serious or repeated unwanted contact, harassment, intimidation, coercion, manipulation, threats, stalking, or other conduct that would cause a reasonable person to feel unsafe or seriously distressed may violate this policy. This includes conduct occurring in person, by telephone, text message, email, social media, or another form of communication.

The School reserves the right to review complaints involving conduct outside of class when the conduct:

•     Materially interferes with a student’s educational experience;

•     Creates an intimidating, threatening, or hostile learning environment;

•     Disrupts School classes, clinical activities, events, or operations;

•     Involves retaliation against a member of the School community; or

•     Raises a credible concern regarding safety, professional boundaries, or professional conduct.

Students have the right to establish reasonable personal boundaries regarding communication and social interaction. If a student asks another student to stop personal contact, that request must be honored. Any communication required for class, clinic, or School business should then occur through an instructor, administrator, or another method approved by the School.

Unsatisfactory Conduct

Conduct that may result in disciplinary action includes, but is not limited to:

•     Misrepresenting the benefits or curative capabilities of massage therapy.

•     Misrepresenting one’s status, qualifications, training, certification, licensure, or authority to practice massage therapy.

•     Violating the School’s substance-use, smoking, or vaping policies.

•     Participating in class, clinic, or hands-on activities while impaired.

•     Engaging in verbal abuse, physical abuse, harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, intimidation, stalking, coercion, or threats of violence.

•     Violating the professional or personal boundaries of a student, instructor, staff member, client, or visitor.

•     Engaging in conduct that exploits, threatens, humiliates, or endangers another person.

•     Taking, damaging, removing, or using property belonging to the School or another person without permission.

•     Violating privacy or confidentiality, including the unauthorized disclosure of client, student, health, personnel, or School information.

•     Photographing, recording, sharing, or posting information or images without required authorization and consent.

•     Failing to comply with published attire, hygiene, sanitation, or infection-control requirements.

•     Failing to work with clinic clients or practice partners in a safe, ethical, professional, and responsible manner.

•     Failing to follow reasonable instructions involving education, clinic operations, sanitation, safety, or professional conduct.

•     Substantially disrupting classes, clinical activities, School events, or School operations.

•     Retaliating against a person who reports a concern, requests assistance, provides information, or participates in an investigation.

•     Violating applicable law, professional ethical standards, published School policies, or reasonable written safety directives.

Respectful Communication and Professional Integrity

Students are expected to communicate honestly, respectfully, and professionally with fellow students, instructors, staff, clients, visitors, and members of the public.

Knowingly making a materially false statement about another student, instructor, staff member, client, or the School with the intent to harm, intimidate, retaliate, or substantially disrupt the educational environment may constitute a violation of this policy.

A statement will not violate this policy merely because it:

•     Expresses criticism or disagreement;

•     Describes a personal experience;

•     Raises a safety, ethical, educational, or professional concern;

•     Is made as part of a good-faith complaint; or

•     Cannot ultimately be substantiated through an investigation.

Students are encouraged to report concerns involving safety, ethics, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, professional boundaries, client care, or other misconduct directly to the School administration so that the concerns may be reviewed promptly and fairly.

Reports made in good faith will not result in disciplinary action, even when an investigation does not establish that a policy violation occurred.

Reporting Concerns

Students should report conduct concerns as promptly as reasonably possible to the School Director or another designated administrator. Reports may be submitted verbally or in writing, although written reports are encouraged when possible.

A report should include, to the extent known:

•     The individuals involved;

•     A description of what occurred;

•     The approximate date, time, and location;

•     The names of any witnesses; and

•     Relevant messages, photographs, documents, or other information.

The School will treat reports and investigations as privately as reasonably possible. However, complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed because information may need to be shared with individuals involved in reviewing the concern, implementing safety measures, or responding as required by law.

Knowingly submitting false information is prohibited. However, a student will not be disciplined merely because a good-faith report cannot be substantiated.

Prohibition Against Retaliation

Retaliation against a person for reporting a concern, requesting assistance, establishing a personal boundary, providing information, or participating in an investigation is strictly prohibited.

Retaliation may include threats, intimidation, harassment, exclusion intended to punish or discourage reporting, interference with a person’s education, or other adverse treatment connected to the person’s participation in the reporting or investigation process.

Concerns about retaliation should be reported immediately to the School Director.

Interim Administrative Action

When the School receives information indicating that a student may pose a credible risk to safety or well-being, may interfere with an investigation, or may substantially disrupt School operations, the Director may impose temporary administrative measures while the matter is reviewed.

Temporary measures may include:

•     A no-contact directive;

•     Increased supervision;

•     A classroom or clinic schedule modification;

•     Restriction from particular activities;

•     Temporary restriction from School property; or

•     Administrative suspension.

Administrative action is not a finding that the student violated School policy. It is a temporary measure intended to protect members of the School community and preserve the integrity of the review process.

Unless an immediate safety concern prevents it, the student will receive written notice of the temporary action and the general reason for it. The student will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the reported concern.

During an administrative suspension, the School will inform the student how attendance, assignments, examinations, clinic requirements, and missed instructional hours will be addressed.

Review and Investigation Process

When a conduct concern is reported, the School will review the available information promptly, impartially, and as privately as reasonably possible.

The review may include:

•     Speaking with the person who reported the concern;

•     Notifying the student accused of violating the policy;

•     Providing that student with a reasonable opportunity to respond;

•     Interviewing witnesses;

•     Reviewing messages, photographs, recordings, documents, or other relevant information; and

•     Taking reasonable steps to protect safety and prevent retaliation.

Students are expected to cooperate honestly with School investigations. Students may not intimidate witnesses, destroy or alter relevant information, knowingly provide false information, or attempt to interfere with the review process.

The School will determine whether a policy violation occurred based on the information reasonably available. The inability to substantiate a report does not necessarily mean that the report was knowingly false.

Disciplinary Action

Depending on the nature, severity, and circumstances of the conduct, the School may take one or more of the following actions:

•     Verbal counseling or warning;

•     Written warning;

•     Behavioral or professional-conduct agreement;

•     Required education, remediation, or additional supervision;

•     No-contact directive;

•     Probation;

•     Restriction from particular activities;

•     Suspension; or

•     Dismissal from the program.

The School may consider the seriousness of the behavior, safety concerns, the effect on others, whether the conduct was intentional or repeated, the student’s response to corrective action, and any relevant history of previous conduct violations.

Progressive discipline may be used when appropriate. However, serious misconduct may result in immediate suspension or dismissal. Serious misconduct may include violence, credible threats, sexual misconduct, serious boundary violations, theft, retaliation, substantial breaches of confidentiality, impairment during hands-on or clinical activities, or conduct that creates a significant safety risk.

A student placed on probation, suspended, or dismissed will receive written notice describing the decision, the general basis for the decision, and any conditions that must be satisfied.

Appeal of Disciplinary Action

A student who is placed on probation, suspended, or dismissed may submit a written appeal within five business days after receiving the disciplinary decision.

The appeal must explain the reason reconsideration is requested and should include any relevant information that the student believes was not previously considered.

When the original disciplinary decision was made by the School Director, the appeal will be reviewed by another designated administrator whenever reasonably possible.

The reviewer may uphold, modify, or reverse the disciplinary decision. The student will receive the appeal decision in writing. The decision made through the appeal process will be final.

Unless otherwise determined by the School, disciplinary action and temporary safety measures will remain in effect while an appeal is under review.