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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Crime Prevention Tip of the Month: Making Courtesy Common


Civility is the cornerstone to providing a safe and nurturing campus environment. The College Civility Committee has been working hard to address campus civility with the new “Making Courtesy Common” campaign. Public Safety would like to join this effort by offering a few basic tips and suggestions on how each of us can become involved in helping to improve civility on our campus. Remember; a critical component of our ultimate success in life is based upon how well we treat one another every day of our lives.

Make Common Courtesy: Always be courteous. Respect others by not using loud, aggressive, inappropriate or disrespectful language. Respect the views of others and exhibit patience and restraint when others are in disagreement with your opinions or beliefs. When waiting in the hallways for classes, be considerate and keep your noise level down and don’t create tripping hazards by lying on the floors. Be kind to others with “Random Acts of Kindness” and “Pay(ing) it Forward”.

Respect Our Campus: Take pride in our campus and respect our buildings, grounds and property. Dispose of your trash properly and maybe even pick-up after others who are not as respectful as you. Do not abuse campus furniture by placing your feet on the upholstery or sitting on tables or counters. Do not congregate in or block hallways. Adhere to the MCC Smoke-Free Policy by only smoking in authorized areas and disposing of your cigarettes properly.

Be Respectful to Others: As a student, be respectful of your instructors and fellow students by following the standards of classroom behavior in each of your classes. This includes the use of respectful language (no profanity), not interrupting others, turning off cell phones, doing your assignments on time, etc. As a faculty member, be respectful of your students and fellow faculty and staff. As a staff member, remember that every student, faculty and staff person contributes to our combined MCC experience, so let’s help make it as positive, productive and respectful as possible.  

Be Respectful when Using Social Networking Websites: Be aware of the potential outcome from negative and/or disrespectful postings on social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. Remember that whatever you post on these websites will most likely be seen or communicated to the person you posted about. Show the same level of respect and courtesy to the subject matter of your posts that you would like shown to you. Apply the same techniques and common courtesy in your e-mail, telephone, and texting communications as well.

Be a Good Campus Neighbor: Remember that MCC is our community. Let’s look out for each other like a good neighbor. Turn in any found or unattended items into the Lost and Found department located in the Public Safety Office 7-341. If you observe a fellow student or faculty member leaving their personal property unattended, remind them not to do so. Respect others on our campus roadways and parking lots. Observe posted speed limits, drive according to road and weather conditions, and show courtesy and patience to fellow drivers. Report all suspicious behavior and conditions to the Public Safety Department. All MCC faculty, staff and students should have an MCC photo ID card. Faculty and staff are encouraged to wear their IDs and all students should have their ID available to show upon request.

By following these tips and suggestions, we can all improve civility at MCC. The college experience is a special time and helps set the standard of behavior for the remainder of our adult lives. Let’s all do our part in Making Courtesy Common at MCC.

Another Crime Prevention Tip from your MCC Crime Prevention Team

Lee Struble
Public Safety
03/12/2010