Public Safety

HCC’s Public Safety encourages students and employees to take responsibility for protecting themselves and their property for their own safety and the safety of others.

Some campus safety measures include:

• Code Blue Emergency Call Stations in parking areas which provide audio and visual contact with security staff.
• Campus security staff escort service, available by request at the main campus.
• In-house campus phones to provide quick access to the security staff (ext. 8300).
• Parking and traffic control enforcement and accident assistance; local vehicle towing and locksmith contact information available at the security desk.

The Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) is the College's required Threat Assessment Team. They review information and conduct inquiries to help identify concerning behaviors, and try to assist any student who may be on a pathway to violence of self or others. If you "see something, say something."

More information is available at the Public Safety webpage.

Additionally, this link spells out our violence prevention policy (PDF).

Students, employees, and community members with a chronic communicable disease may attend the College whenever, through reasonable accommodation, they do not constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of themselves or other individuals.

Attendance decisions will be made by the College President in consultation with the Dean of Students using this standard in conjunction with current available public health department guidelines concerning the particular disease in question. Individual cases will not be prejudged; rather, decisions will be made based upon the facts of the particular case.

The College shall respect the right to privacy of any person who has a chronic communicable disease. The person’s medical condition shall be disclosed only to the extent necessary to avoid a health and safety threat to the student and others. Persons deemed to have “a direct need to know” will be provided, subject to applicable law, with the appropriate information; however, these persons may not further disclose such information. Persons deemed to have “a direct need to know” may include:

• College President and Dean of Students
• Appropriate faculty or administrator
• College health official

In compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 (Public Law 101-226), the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-690), the Illinois Drug Free Workplace Act of 1986 (PA 86-1459) and Heartland Community College Board of Trustees Policy 6.1 (Drugs, Alcohol, and Cannabis), the following procedures and programs exist to prevent the illicit use of drugs and the unlawful use and abuse of alcohol and/or cannabis by students and employees.  

Standards of Conduct

Heartland Community College prohibits the use, possession, and/or distribution of alcohol, cannabis, and/or any controlled substance by students, employees, and visitors on  premises (including in College vehicles) owned or leased by the College or as part of any College activity.  Further, the College prohibits students, employees, and visitors from being on College premises or participating in any College activity when impaired due to the use of alcohol, cannabis, and/or any controlled substance. 

Penalties for Violation of Policy 

Students who violate this policy will be governed by the College’s Code of Student Conduct and subject to disciplinary action up to and including suspension, expulsion, and referral for prosecution. Employees who violate this policy will be subject to sanctions, consistent with law and Board policy, which shall include appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination. Drug abuse counseling and treatment is available locally and may also be a component of disciplinary action. Visitors determined to have violated this policy are subject to eviction from College premises and are subject to legal action initiated by the College. 

Legal Sanctions for Unlawful Possession, Use or Distribution of Illicit Drugs and Alcohol 

Legal sanctions that apply to the unlawful possession, use, distribution, dispensing, and manufacture of alcohol, cannabis, or any controlled substance are consistent with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Students, employees, and visitors are reminded that these laws provide for a variety of legal sanctions and penalties which include but are not limited to incarceration and monetary fines. 

Notice of Convictions

Any Heartland Community College employee who is convicted of violating any federal or state criminal drug statute in the workplace must notify the President within five (5) days of such conviction.  The President shall notify any federal granting agency required to be notified pursuant to the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 within ten (10) days after receiving notice of the conviction from an employee. Failure to inform the College of such conviction subjects the employee to disciplinary action. 

Health Risks 

Health Risks are associated with the use and/or the abuse of alcohol, cannabis, or controlled substances. The consumption of such substances has serious risks to one’s health. For a comprehensive list and more information, consult a physician or other drug-treatment professional. 

Information, Counseling, Treatment & Rehabilitation 

The College periodically sponsors educational sessions and provides informational materials dealing with the dangers of drug and alcohol usage and abuse. Students and employees are encouraged to attend these sessions and read the informational materials. In addition, students are encouraged to contact PATH Information and Referral at (888) 865-9903 and employees are encouraged to contact the College's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at (800) 433-7916 for information and assistance. 

Leave the building if you hear the fire alarms. Emergency evacuation instructions are posted inside each room. Follow these instructions in case of fire or other emergency. Health emergencies should be handled by dialing 911.

College Immediate Action Guides are posted in all classrooms and meeting rooms on campus. The Guides provide students with critical information for the first few minutes after an emergency occurs. Students should review the Immediate Action Guide along with the Campus Safety Video.

More information is available at the Public Safety webpage.

Heartland Community College is committed to maintaining a working and learning environment that is free from all forms of harassment including, but not limited to sexual harassment and harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, or disability. The College prohibits any form of harassment in the classroom, in the workplace, in any academic setting at the College, and at all College-sponsored events and activities.

This policy applies to all employees and all students at the College as well as any individual representing the College in an official manner, whether paid or unpaid by the College. Under certain circumstances, this harassment policy also applies to third parties such as subcontractors, sales representatives, repair persons, or vendors of the College. Every student, employee, and official College representative has the responsibility to refrain from any type of harassment in the College environment as well as the right to work and learn in an environment free from harassment. Any student, employee, or official representative who harasses a College student, employee, or official representative will be held liable for their individual conduct and will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion or discharge.

All complaints will be investigated, with confidentiality maintained to the extent possible. The complete Heartland Community College harassment policy is available in the Human Resources Office and on the College’s website at http://www.heartland.edu/policy/harassment.pdf.

For additional information, please contact the Associate Vice President, Enrollment & Student Services at (309) 268-8249 or the Director of Human Resources at (309) 268-8148.

By using HCC’s electronic resources, students acknowledge and consent to HCC’s Appropriate Use policy. A complete, current version of the Appropriate Use Policy (PDF) may be found on the Heartland Web site.

HCC is committed to protecting the information it retains about its students, employees, vendors and community visitors. Read the College’s privacy statement carefully to understand how information you provide to the College may or may not be used. A complete, current version of the Privacy Policy (PDF) may be found on the Heartland Web site.

For Heartland Community College, "Tobacco Free" means HCC will be completely free from use of all tobacco products including any cigarettes, cigars, pipes, beedies, clove cigarettes, and any other smoking product that appears to be a cigarette or electronic cigarette. This policy includes smokeless tobacco, dip, chew, snuff, snus, and any other non-FDA approved nicotine delivery device or product.

Tobacco use is prohibited in all facilities and vehicles owned or leased by Heartland Community College and is prohibited on all College property.  This policy does not extend to personal motor vehicles. All tobacco products in use must be properly disposed of prior to entering any College property or exiting a personal vehicle. Littering the remains of tobacco products or any other related waste product on College property is further prohibited.