You were accepted by a professional college to be educated for a future in this highly respected profession. This requires maturity, self-discipline, and seriousness of purpose. It is the responsibility of the student to conduct themselves in a manner that permits the College to maintain an environment of friendship, equality, and educational value. All students are to conform to the rules as set forth by the faculty and the College.

Conduct which may pose a risk to the health and safety of any person, vulgar language, academic dishonesty on any exam or assignment, uncooperative, disruptive, hostile, or abusive behavior, assault and battery, theft of any College property or another student’s personal property, or any violation of any law and general conduct unbecoming a professional student will not be tolerated or permitted on school premises or at any activity related to the College, and may be subject to immediate disciplinary action that could include dismissal from the program, suspension, criminal charges, or any other actions as deemed appropriate by the College.

While each member of the faculty or staff has the obligation and responsibility to enforce the policies and rules as set forth, a student accused of violation of any policies and rules has the right to appeal if they feel wrongly accused. The appeal procedures are as follows:

Academic Integrity is required and expected of all students at Worsham College. It is recognized that there are opportunities to cheat in both traditional and online learning formats, but these acts undermine the college’s educational mission and the students’ personal and intellectual growth. Being a college student takes self-discipline. Skipping course content, doing the bare minimum to complete a course, or engaging in any type of activity to gain an artificial advantage will not set you up for success in completing graduation requirements and passing National Board Exams, and may in fact be cause for dismissal from the College.

Examples of academic cheating include, but are not limited to:

If it is determined that a student has engaged in any form of academic cheating, the following consequences will apply:

Students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work and to uphold the ideal of academic integrity.

A record is made of each student’s attendance during the year. The instructors take roll at the beginning of every scheduled session on campus. Student time and participation is logged for online courses. If a student is absent for two consecutive weeks or does not access Canvas for two consecutive weeks the student is immediately withdrawn from the program.

In addition to the College’s attendance requirements, each faculty member may establish their own attendance policies, including how attendance impacts participation grades and course points. Faculty also have full discretion to determine whether or not late assignments will be accepted, and to set any associated penalties. Students are responsible for knowing and following the attendance and late work policies for each course as outlined in the course syllabus.

The classroom is not an appropriate place for non-student, minor children to be present. Please make sure other arrangements have been made for children prior to coming to campus.

All of our policies and rules of conduct apply to student use of College-owned computing devices found on the Worsham College Campus Computer Lab. All communications (email and Internet access) on College-owned computing devices are subject to the College’s policies on appropriate use. This means, for example, that students may not send harassing messages, access pornographic or gambling websites, or violate any of the College’s other rules on appropriate communications content. The College reserves the right to close or reserve the computers in the computer lab for any reason and at any time.

You may not download, install, or use any software programs on a College-owned computing device unless that program has been approved by the College administration.

Use the same malware precautions when using your own computing devices as when utilizing the College’s computers. Do not open attachments to email or instant messages if you do not know the sender or otherwise aren’t sure that the attachment is legitimate. Do not open, read, or download any undetermined file from the Internet, especially without having had it scanned for viruses first.

On regular class days, the following dress code will be in effect:

There will be times when students will be required to dress in a manner that is suitable to the funeral service profession. This may include professional development days, when special guests are in the building, when participating in a field trip, etc.

Appropriate attire on these days includes:

Additionally, for these events:

Violations of the dress code may result in the student being asked to leave campus or the special event, which will also result in an unexcused absence for the time they are absent from class. The student may also be subject to a reduction of points for any work, assignments, quizzes, or exams missed because of the unexcused absence, as determined by the faculty from the class that was missed. Additionally, students who repeatedly violate the dress code may be subject to additional disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the College administration. This could include suspension, termination from the program, reduction in points from the class where time was missed, or any other disciplinary action as outlined in the Code of Conduct Policy.ss code may be subject to additional disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the College administration. This could include suspension, termination from the program, reduction in points from the class where time was missed, or any other disciplinary action as outlined in the Code of Conduct Policy.

Email correspondence must be through the official Worsham email account, and all emails from the program will be delivered to students’ Worsham email. Email correspondence must be addressed properly, contain a subject, proper greeting and closing, and be professional in tone and content.

Gambling, the use of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances, will not be tolerated or permitted on school premises or at any activity related to the College, and may be subject to immediate disciplinary action that could include dismissal from the program, suspension, criminal charges, or any other actions as deemed appropriate by the College. The possession or use of any contraband or controlled substance before, during, or in between any classes on campus or and/or during any College activity is strictly prohibited, and local law enforcement may be contacted by the administration in the event that said contraband is seen and/or confiscated or student conduct is deemed to be threatening to themself or others (see also College’s Security Policy). Contraband includes any illegal substance, alcohol, drugs, weapons, etc.

Entering Worsham College or any College activity while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or illegal substances is strictly prohibited. Further information regarding the College’s zero- tolerance, substance abuse policy is found in the Just Say No Handbook.

The rules of conduct are also applicable while traveling to or from the College, traveling to or from the Medical Examiner’s Office, at College functions, and during off-campus College activities.

Violations of these rules of conduct or of any College policy may result in disciplinary action that could include immediate termination from the program, suspension, or any other disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the College administration. Immediate termination from the program may also require forfeiture of fees paid for that semester, and additionally, the student will remain responsible to pay the College any fees owed that were not yet paid (see College refund policy).

The College, its officers, staff, or Board of Directors, shall not be liable for accident, injury, damages, costs, claims or even disciplinary action which results from violation of the rules and policies as set forth by the College, its officers, directors, faculty, and staff.

The Village of Wheeling has declared all public buildings smoke-free; hence, students are not permitted to smoke in any area of the building. Further, effective March 1, 2007, smoking is prohibited within fifteen (15) feet of any entrance, window or ventilation air intake to a public place or place of employment. Therefore, we ask that students smoke outside on the side of the garage where we have provided benches and stand-alone receptacles for your cigarettes once they have been extinguished. Additionally, the chewing of smokeless tobacco is not permitted in the building. The use of electronic cigarettes is also prohibited in the building.

General laboratory safety will be covered in an educational session during orientation. You should be aware of the location of the SDS (Safety Data Sheets) of all chemicals used in clinical areas and be familiar with the cautions and warnings for each chemical or fluid. Safety Data Sheets are kept in a binder located in the embalming lab.

Laboratory instructors will provide non-routine task training on the first day of lab. This training will include discussion of: non-routine procedures (including step-by-step directions), the nature of labeling on products to be used, review of related SDS/MSDS sheets, and emergency procedures. Worsham College practices and adheres to established and recognized safety protocols as mandated by OSHA concerning chemical safety, blood borne pathogens and infection control.

Students may park in the College lot as long as they use common courtesy and park only in designated parking spaces. Spaces reserved for CANA, visitors, and the disabled are not designated parking places for students, and the student’s vehicle may be subject to being towed at the owner’s expense. Additionally, anyone parking in the College lot improperly may also have their vehicle towed at their own expense. The College also reserves the right to take disciplinary action against anyone who improperly uses the parking facilities.

Those students arriving at the College after all spaces are occupied in the main lot are advised to park in the adjacent lot to the south of the building. Students are restricted from parking in the parking facilities of other businesses. The College requests the use of both courtesy and compliance of traffic laws when parking in the College parking lot, and the adjacent lot, to ensure the safety of all pedestrians and drivers. Current vehicle registrations must also be on file in the administration office.

The College maintains a strict policy prohibiting the use of screen capture, recording software, digital recorders, laptops, or any other recording devices to record lectures, class discussions, examination reviews and/or any other activity relating to class work. Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action that could include immediate termination from the program, suspension, or any other disciplinary action as seen appropriate by the College administration.

Cell phones and pagers must be used only during break times, and therefore, should be turned off at all times during class. In the event of an emergency, telephone calls may be made to the administration office during class at (847) 808-8444, and subject to administrative approval, the student will be notified immediately.

The use of cameras, video and audio recording devices, or digital devices (such as cell phones, MP3 players, or PDAs) that have recording capability can cause violations of privacy, breaches of confidentiality, and disruptions in class. For these reasons, we do not allow cameras, video or audio recording equipment, or cell phones or other digital devices that have these capabilities, in the classroom. This rule also applies to the Medical Examiner’s Office and other school sponsored event. If you would like to record or take pictures of the campus, you must first obtain permission from Leili McMurrough, Program Director of the College. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action (see Code of Conduct Policy).

Social media tools, including College-sponsored blogs and microblogs, social networking sites, video or picture sharing sites, wikis, and other means of communicating online, are an important part of our College’s face to the public. These social media offer new opportunities to shape opinions about our unique learning environment and an avenue for our College to communicate directly with students and industry professionals. Social media is a means to provide added value for our students, and to be part of the online conversation about important developments in our field.

Exercise your good judgment when requesting that fellow students, coworkers or managers, join your online social networks, or when responding to such requests. Keep in mind that, although you may be friends outside of class or work, you are also colleagues while in school, and must always treat each other with respect and courtesy. A post or comment that might be appropriate among social friends may sound different when coming from a classmate, boss, subordinate, or coworker. All of the College policies apply when posting comments on the internet, and any inappropriate, bullying, harassing, or vulgar comments, will not be tolerated and may incur disciplinary action.

The College recognizes that some of our students may choose to express themselves by posting personal information on the Internet through personal websites, social media, blogs, or chat rooms, by uploading content, or by making comments at other websites or blogs. We value our students’ creativity and honor your interest in engaging in these forms of personal expression on your own time, should you choose to do so. However, problems can arise when a personal posting identifies or appears to be associated with the College, or when a personal posting is used in ways that violate the College’s rights or the rights of other students.

You are legally responsible for content you post to the Internet, in a blog, social media site, or otherwise. You can be held personally liable for defaming others, revealing proprietary information or copyright infringement, including posting College-owned course or exam content, among other things.

All of the College policies apply to anything you write in a personal blog, post to the Internet, or upload to the Internet, and inappropriate posts may include possible disciplinary action. This means, for example, that you may not use personal postings to harass or threaten other students, faculty or administration of the College, or reveal confidential information. Embarrassing or unkind comments about other College students, visitors, speakers, College events, or other College activities are also inappropriate and will not be tolerated.

If, in the process of making a personal post or upload on the Internet, you identify yourself as an student of our College, whether by explicit statement or by implication, you must clearly state that the views expressed in your post, or at your blog, social media page, or website, are your own, and do not reflect the views of the College.

You may not use College trademarks, logos, or other images, nor may you make false or misleading statements about the College’s philosophy, products, services, opinions, or make false or misleading statements against affiliations with other companies or institutions associated with the College. If you have any concerns about the confidentiality or propriety of something you would like to post, check with Leili McMurrough, Program Director, at the College, prior to posting. Please keep in mind that your personal postings will be read not only by your friends and family, but possibly by your fellow students, coworkers, and bosses, as well as by the College’s customers, clients, and other institutions. Even if you post anonymously or under a pseudonym, your identity can be discovered relatively easily. Use your common sense when deciding what is appropriate content to include in an online post or comment.

Only authorized students or personnel may set up or post to College-sponsored blogs or microblogs, social networking pages, or other social media. Authorization is granted by Leili McMurrough, Program Director of the College. Before anyone will be allowed to begin posting content, they must agree to attend social media training or any other preparation as deemed necessary by the College administration.

Remember, you are legally responsible for what you post online, whether on a personal site or a College-sponsored site. You can be held personally liable for defaming others, revealing proprietary information, or for copyright infringement, among other things. All College policies apply to your online posts, including those posted on College-sponsored sites.

All students who post content to College sites or other website pages or blogs, when making any references regarding the College, fellow students, faculty, administration, courses, or any College-sponsored events, must remember to keep in mind the College policies regarding appropriate conduct. Additionally, if you choose to cite personal opinions relating to the College or about any student, administrator, faculty or College-sponsored events or curriculum, which again, are also not offensive or disrespectful in any way as per the College’s Conduct Policy, your post must include the following disclaimer:

“The posts on this page express my own views and opinions, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Worsham College.”

The office will not disturb scheduled classes unless a telephone call for a student is an emergency. Messages of an important nature will be posted outside of the door next to your assigned classroom. No cellphone usage is permitted during class, which includes texting, instant messaging, or surfing the web. Failure to comply with the cell phone policy may result in disciplinary action being taken by the faculty or administration as per the Code of Conduct and College Examination Procedure Policies.

We are concerned for your safety and for the safety of other drivers and pedestrians, and texting, checking messages, going online, or otherwise using a portable computing device or smartphone while driving can lead to accidents. The legislature passed a law in Illinois in 2009 that prohibits texting while driving. The law went into effect on January 1, 2010. The law is set forth in the Illinois Vehicle Code at 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2. Texting while driving is a moving violation in Illinois, and therefore, can result in a suspended license. The statute prohibits more than just texting, however. In 2014, this law was updated to include making or receiving calls while driving unless using a hands-free device. Further, a driver cannot text, instant message, email, or surf the web while driving, with either a cell phone or a laptop computer. See the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles or other State-sponsored websites for more information on the State’s current driving laws.

Please refrain from texting, talking (without a hands-free device), reading emails, etc. while driving on the campus, or while driving to any College sponsored activity, including driving to the Medical Examiner’s Office, for your safety, the safety of your fellow students, and for other pedestrians and drivers on the road.

If you must send or read a message while driving, you must wait until you can pull over safely and stop the car before doing so. Failure to comply with this safety policy on campus, or off campus going to or from a College-sponsored course, activity, or event, may also result in disciplinary action, as per the College’s Conduct Policies.

It is the intention of the college officials to provide the best possible environment conducive to a good education. Defacement of school property and deliberate damage to equipment will be reported to the administration. Students responsible for such actions will be required to pay the costs for repair or replacement, as determined by the College administration. Violators of these policies may also be subject to additional and immediate disciplinary action that could include immediate termination from the program, suspension, or any other disciplinary action as seen appropriate by the College administration. Immediate termination from the program may also require forfeiture of fees paid for that semester, and additionally, the student will remain responsible to pay to the College any fees owed that were not yet paid (see Refunds and Withdrawals policy).

The administration asks the cooperation of the student body in keeping the building and grounds neat and clean. It is our wish to keep the carpeted areas of the building stain-free; therefore, bringing food or beverages, except bottled water, in the carpeted areas is prohibited. You may consume food and beverages in the student lounge or areas not carpeted.

The College network and Internet access are for classroom use as well as personal use outside of classroom hours and only in accordance with the other terms of this policy. Any student who engages in inappropriate Internet use may be subject to immediate disciplinary action, as per the College’s Conduct Policy.

Students may not, at any time, access the Internet using College equipment or personal equipment for any of the following purposes while on campus:

Students may not use the College’s equipment to transmit their personal opinions by, for example, posting comments to a blog or contributing to an online forum. Even if you don’t identify yourself as a College student, your use of College equipment could cause your opinion to be mistaken for the College’s view, and is thus, prohibited while using the College’s computers. The College’s Computer Lab is intended to provide students with computers to use for academic related purposes.

The College reserves the right to monitor student use of the Internet at any time while on campus. You should not expect that your use of the Internet, including but not limited to the sites you visit, the amount of time you spend online, and the communications you have—will be private. If a violation of the Internet Policy is determined, or if inappropriate use of the computers has been reported or has occurred, the student may be subject to disciplinary action as set forth in the College’s Conduct Policy.

The College’s monitoring software may record keystrokes, login activity, and account access on any College-owned computer or device. This includes access to College-issued student logins, email accounts, and any files stored within College-managed systems. Therefore, although students may use College equipment to access personal email accounts, messages sent, received, or viewed on College equipment are not private. The College recommends that you reserve personal communications for your own devices during non-classroom hours.

Students are responsible for safeguarding their College login credentials and may not share their username or password with others. Unauthorized use of another student’s account or login information is strictly prohibited and may result in disciplinary action.

Worsham College has a help desk available to assist with both hardware troubleshooting as well as assistance with Worsham Email, Canvas, and other school computer applications. Students can access this service Monday-Friday from 9:00AM to 4:00PM by phone or email techsupport@worsham.edu. If a student prefers, they can fill out a help ticket using the HelpDesk 24/7 (https://support.worsham.edu/). The help ticket will be logged and handled within 24-48 hours. In the event of academic or advising issues, use the contact information in the syllabus to contact your instructor, adviser or program director.

Updated October 2025