7.1.2 Fire Alarm

[Yury Morris]

Thisstudent conduct code is designed to promote the educational aims of Ithaca College and to outline the regulations and procedures of the College community regarding students' rights and responsibilities. This Ithaca College Student Conduct Code supersedes previous campus regulations in these areas.

Proposed changes to this student conduct code may be submitted to the president through the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards and must be acted upon by the board of trustees, which has ultimate authority over and responsibility for the College.

As an academic community, Ithaca College is committed to providing an environment that encourages scholarship and personal growth. Students are expected to meet academic challenges. They are also expected to develop maturity, self-sufficiency, responsibility, self-understanding, and an understanding of and respect for the rights of others.

Academic communities differ from other communities in several ways. For the purpose of this code, two differences are particularly worthy of emphasis. First, the primary mission of educational institutions is the pursuit of knowledge. The environment must be conducive to teaching, learning, thought, and research. Second, campus living environments are unique. On a residential campus such as Ithaca College, students live in close proximity to one another and interact continuously in their day-to-day living. The potential for noise, disruptions, group activities, or other infringements upon the rights of community members is always present.

These differences make it imperative that members of this academic community be particularly sensitive to their individual responsibilities for respecting the rights of others, especially the right to quiet, thoughtful study. Preservation of the facilities and character of the institution for future generations is also essential. To this end, rules and regulations are necessary for the orderly conduct of the educational process and the institution. Such rules are incorporated in the Ithaca College Student Conduct Code. Ithaca College students are expected to abide by this code and by all local, state, and federal laws.

As an educational institution, Ithaca College is committed to the education of the whole person. This includes social, emotional, and physical, as well as intellectual, development. The basic philosophy of the Ithaca College judicial system and this code is educational in nature. The judicial process is not intended to punish students but instead to challenge students' moral and ethical decision making and to help them change their behavior and actions to meet our community standards. If a student is unable or unwilling to make changes in their behavior, the judicial process may determine that the student should no longer have the privilege of being a member of the on-campus or academic community.1.

The goals of the judicial system are to establish and enforce reasonable and clear limits designed to protect the community and the rights of its members, to develop and support a positive living and learning environment, to educate students regarding responsibility and accountability for actions, to encourage and foster self-insight and self-initiated change of behavior, to protect the rights of individuals accused of violating the College's rules and regulations, and to provide learning experiences for those who participate in the judicial system's ongoing maintenance and implementation.

Freedom of inquiry and freedom of expression are essential elements in a campus community. Students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and to engage in a sustained and independent search for knowledge. The freedom to learn depends upon appropriate opportunities and conditions in the classroom, on the campus, and in the larger community. All members of the academic community have the responsibility to maintain and respect conditions conducive to learning. Students must exercise their freedom with maturity and responsibility.

As required by law, no student shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, familial status, military status, national origin, or disability. In addition to accepting these legal requirements, Ithaca College, as an open community, does not discriminate on the basis of personal preferences, such as individual political affiliation, insofar as related behaviors do not conflict with institutional policies. Rights include, but are not limited to, eligibility for academic programs, activities, and employment, and use of facilities and housing. Freedom from discrimination includes the right of students to pursue academic study and to live in an environment free from bias-based harassment or intimidation.

Students and student organizations are free to examine points of view that interest them. The student body is free to invite any person it chooses to address it on any topic as long the address does not disrupt the essential operation of the institution and/or does not violate the Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order found in section 2.31 of the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

Students and student organizations are free, publicly and privately, to hold discussions, pass resolutions, distribute leaflets, circulate petitions, and take other orderly action that does not disrupt the essential operation of the institution and/or does not violate the Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order found in section 2.31 of the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

Communications media are free of censorship and advance approval of copy, and the editors and managers are free to develop editorial policies and news coverage with the understanding that students and student organizations speak only for themselves.

Students are responsible for learning the content of courses of study but have the right to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in the classroom. Students have the right to expect that course descriptions will reflect actual course content, to be informed of the standards on which evaluation in each course will be based, and to be fairly and justly evaluated based only on performance in the course. Students have the right to expect a conscientious effort from faculty.

Students have the right to participate in institutional policy making. The student congress is the official representative body of the student body. Composition and responsibilities of the student congress are outlined in the constitution of the Student Governance Council found in section 1.6.5 of Volume I of the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

Students are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as all citizens. They are also subject to civil law as well as campus regulations. If students violate the law off campus, they may incur penalties prescribed by civil authorities.

Students are protected from arbitrary and capricious invasions of privacy and entry into their residences. Ithaca College reserves the right for personnel acting in the performance of their duties to enter student rooms, apartments, and suites in order to ensure that all health, safety, and fire codes are being followed, provide maintenance and repairs, respond to emergencies, and to locate missing property and/or prohibited articles. Such entries may reveal violations of the student conduct code or the residential life rules and regulations, which may result in fines and/or disciplinary action being taken against the student(s). Ithaca College cannot interfere with any sworn law enforcement official in conducting room searches if such a search is legal under state or federal law and is within the authorized performance of the official's duty.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, students shall have access to educational records maintained on them, and the records shall be protected from disclosure to third parties except as permitted by law. Academic and disciplinary records will be maintained separately. The procedure for access is explained in section 7.1.1 of this volume.

All students accused of violations of the "Statement of Responsibilities" (below) will be guaranteed written notice of charges and have the right to a hearing. This right includes adequate notice of hearing, information concerning the evidence against them, the opportunity to present evidence in their own behalf, and written notice of the decision. Students should be aware that the student process is different from criminal and civil court proceedings. Procedures and rights in the student conduct process are conducted with fairness to all, but may not include the same protections of due process accorded by a court of law. Decisions will be made based on preponderance of evidence showing that it is more likely than not that a student was responsible for a violation. If a student with a disability needs a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any aspect of the student conduct process, including an individual student conduct hearing or a Conduct Review Board, then the student must submit a request through the Office of Student Accessibility Services.1

As members of the Ithaca College community, students have an obligation to know and obey the rules and regulations of the institution as well as civil laws. A violation of any of the following regulations is cause for disciplinary action.

Rape: the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, forcibly or without affirmative consent or where the victim is incapable of consent due to mental or physical incapacity.

Statutory Rape: non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent. Ithaca College adheres to all New York State laws regarding the statutory age of consent to engage in sexual conduct.

Students may not sell, solicit, advertise, or canvass on College-owned or -operated property or solicit parents, alumni, or members of the campus community without advance authorization from the appropriate administrative agency. Students are responsible for abiding by all rules, regulations, and guidelines contained within the Ithaca College Student Campus Event Policy and the Ithaca College Campus Solicitation and Advertising Policy in section 2.12 of Volume II of the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

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