Community Standards and Student Discipline System
Introduction
Stonehill College, an academic community within the Catholic tradition, committed to its Holy Cross roots, holds high expectations for how its members live and interact with one another. At the heart of these expectations is a respect for self and others. Specifically, Stonehill is committed to developing the moral, spiritual, intellectual and social competencies of our community. In search of this ideal, Stonehill endeavors to create an environment in which integrated learning is a shared responsibility, pursued in the classroom and laboratory, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, athletic fields, residence halls, dining room and chapel. These expectations and competencies are our Community Standards.
Expectations
Students are accountable for their actions as a necessary part of community life. By voluntarily choosing to affiliate with Stonehill College, students acknowledge to uphold these responsibilities.
As Stonehill is a community committed to Holy Cross and Catholic ideals and to the growth of each individual, the Community Standards established for student members of the Stonehill community are not always exactly the same as those within society at large. The College’s Community Standards go beyond what is simply required for public order. They ask what is good and developmental for the individual and for the Stonehill community.
To enter Stonehill College is to accept an invitation to participate in a learning environment that emphasizes “the education of the whole person” by promoting interdisciplinary inquiry and facilitating student learning and development. Choosing to become a member of this community requires a commitment to an open dialog about the basic human questions fundamental to a liberal education in the Holy Cross tradition, as well as an individual responsibility to foster an environment in which this dialog can occur.
Shared responsibility for the life and governance of the College should lead all its members to make the best of their own talents, to work together, to be sensitive to one another, to serve others and to seek justice within and beyond the Stonehill community. As such, students are expected to inform College officials whenever they are concerned about a student’s physical or emotional health or safety or when they have knowledge regarding a dangerous or potentially violent situation.
The Stonehill College Community Standards and other policies are intended to contribute to the moral, intellectual, spiritual and social growth of student members of the campus community. The College will call students to be accountable for their actions as a necessary part of community life.
Glossary of Terms
- Advocate: Faculty, staff member or member of the student body who, in a formal discipline hearing, provides support or advice to a charged student, complainant or person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct. The advocate may not be an attorney. The advocate may not actively participate during the formal discipline hearing.
- Appeals Board: A group comprised of the Vice President for Students Affairs, or designee, a student and faculty member authorized to consider a request for an appeal from the CDC’s determination as to whether a student has violated the Community Standards or from the sanction imposed.
- Associate Vice President for Student Affairs (AVPSA), or designee: Person designated by the Vice President for Student Affairs to be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Community Standards and the Student Discipline System.
- Charged Student: A student alleged to have violated the Community Standards who has been notified that he/she must attend a formal discipline hearing.
- Community Standards: Expectations and competencies Stonehill College has established for its students.
- Community Restitution Project: Work projects on and off campus.
- College: Stonehill College.
- College Discipline Committee (CDC): A group of students, faculty and college officials authorized to determine whether a student has violated the Community Standards and to recommend sanctions that may be imposed when a violation of the Community Standards has been committed.
- College Official: Any person employed by the College (including student employees), performing assigned duties or actions on behalf of the College in an official (recognized) capacity.
- College Premises: All land, buildings, facilities and other property in the possession of or owned, used or controlled by the College.
- Complainant: Any individual member of the Stonehill community, or the College itself, that submits an incident report accusing a student of having violated the Community Standards.
- Director of Community Standards: A College official who has the primary responsibility for the administration of the Stonehill Community Standards, which communicate the mission and values of a Catholic institution in the Holy Cross tradition. The Director will undertake a broad range of responsibilities including directing discipline case management to ensure that all discipline referrals are addressed in a consistent and timely manner through appropriate campus procedures and serving as the College’s primary hearing officer for discipline cases.
- Disciplinary Hold: An administrative hold placed on a student’s record when he/she does not respond to the request of a College official to attend an informal conference or formal discipline hearing, has not completed a discipline sanction, or has withdrawn from the College prior to the resolution of an informal conference or formal discipline hearing.
- Faculty: Any person hired by the College to conduct classroom or teaching activities or who is otherwise considered by the College to be a member of its faculty.
- Formal Discipline Hearing: A review of statements from a charged student, complainant, or person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct and witnesses with knowledge of an incident for the purpose of determining the charged student’s responsibility for violating the Community Standards and to make recommendations for sanctions if the charged student is found responsible.
- Gender-Based Harassment: Acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, stalking, or hostility based on gender or gender-based harassment. Gender-based harassment can occur if students are harassed either for exhibiting what is perceived as a stereotypical characteristic of their sex, or for failing to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity. In order to constitute harassment, the conduct must be such that it has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, demeaning or offensive living or learning environment.
- Guest: A non-student who is an associate of a student.
- Hearing Officer: A college official authorized on a case-by-case basis to determine whether a student has violated the Community Standards and to impose a sanction when a violation of the Community Standards has been committed. An administrator may also serve as a chairperson of the College Discipline Committee (CDC) or a Residence Area Discipline Committee (RADC).
- Incident Report: A written summary of an incident.
- Informal Conference: An informal meeting of a student alleged to have violated the Community Standards, an administrator, complainant and the person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct for the purpose of achieving resolution with all parties agreeing to the outcome. If an agreement is reached, the case will end with no opportunity for appeal. If no agreement is reached, the case will be referred for a formal discipline hearing.
- Interim Restrictions: Immediate sanctions taken against a student when there is information to show that the student’s continued presence on the campus endangers the physical safety or emotional state of a student or others or disrupts the educational process of the College.
- May: Used in the permissive sense.
- Member of the College Community: Any person who is a student, faculty, College official or any other person employed by the College. The AVPSA, or designee, will determine a person’s status.
- Notice of the Charges: Written notice that a student is alleged to have violated the Community Standards and notice of the date, time and place that a student must attend a formal discipline hearing, as well as the names of the witnesses called to testify.
- Non-Consensual Sexual Contact: Including, but not limited to, intentional physical contact of a sexual nature (touching breasts, buttocks, or pubic area) with anyone without her/his consent, or attempts to commit the same.
- Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse: Including, but not limited to, penetration of a bodily orifice (vagina, anus, or mouth) by an object or by a body part and/or non-consensual fellatio or cunnilingus or attempts to commit the same.
- Policy: The written regulations of the College. While the policies may be referenced or printed in College publications such as The Hill Book, the only official version of the current policies is located on the College’s Campus Web intranet site.
- Relationship Violence: The use of physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, stalking or other forms of emotional, sexual, or economic abuse directed towards a partner in a dating relationship constitute relationship violence.
- Residence Area Discipline Committee (RADC): A group of resident students and College officials authorized to determine whether a student has violated the Community Standards of the residence areas and to recommend sanctions that may be imposed when a violation of the Community Standards has been committed.
- Sanction: A requirement a student must abide by or complete when found responsible for violating the Community Standards.
- Sexual Exploitation: Behavior which occurs when a student takes advantage of another without his/her consent for his/her own advantage or benefit, to benefit or advantage anyone other than the one being exploited, or behavior that does not otherwise constitute one of the other offenses specifically noted in the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
- S.H.A.R.E. Advisor: Trained staff member who provides assistance, guidance, and support throughout the College discipline process for both the person who believes he/she was the victim of another’s sexual misconduct as well as the alleged perpetrator.
- Staff: Individuals who develop, maintain, implement, and oversee the various programs of the College.
- Stalking: A course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fearful, intimidated, threatened or cause emotional injury.
- Student: Any person taking courses at the College, either full-time or part-time, pursuing undergraduate, graduate or professional studies; any person who withdraws from the College after allegedly violating the Community Standards; any person who is not officially enrolled for a particular term but who has a continuing academic relationship with the College; any person who has been notified of his/her acceptance for admission or any person living in College residence halls, although not enrolled at Stonehill College.
- Student Discipline System: The process and procedures for addressing alleged violations of Community Standards.
- Will: Used in the imperative sense.
- Witness: Any person with knowledge of a student’s alleged violation of the Community Standards.
Violation of Law and College Discipline
- Student conduct should not violate the federal law, state law, local ordinances, and/or the Stonehill College Community Standards. Violations may be addressed through the College’s Discipline System, through the civil and/or criminal court systems, or through both.
When student conduct may have violated federal or state law, Stonehill College may take action against a student through the College Discipline System prior to, simultaneously with, or following civil or criminal proceedings at the discretion of the AVPSA, or designee.
Determinations made or sanctions imposed under the Student Discipline System will not be subject to change when criminal charges regarding the same incident are resolved in favor of or against the criminal law defendant.
- When a student is charged with a criminal violation of federal, state or local law, the student is responsible for all costs associated with the criminal violation. The College will not request special treatment on the student’s behalf. Individual students and other members of the College community acting in their personal capacities, may interact with federal, state and local authorities as they deem appropriate.
- If the alleged offense is also being processed under the Student Discipline System, the College may advise off-campus authorities of the existence of the Community Standards and Student Discipline System and of how such matters are typically handled within the College community.
- The College cooperates with law enforcement or other agencies in the enforcement of criminal law on campus. The College also cooperates with the conditions imposed by criminal courts for the rehabilitation of student violators, provided the conditions do not conflict with campus rules or sanctions.
Jurisdiction
- The Stonehill College Community Standards and Student Discipline System apply to the conduct:
- Of any student or individual:
- Enrolled in or accepted for an academic course or program regardless of credits carried
- Who withdraws from the College after allegedly violating the Community Standards but before a formal hearing takes place
- Not officially enrolled for a particular term but who has a continuing academic relationship with the College
- Living on or off campus
- Of any student organization.
- Which occurs:
- On College premises
- At College sponsored activities
- At all locations of the College such as internship and study abroad locations
- Off-campus that adversely affects the College community or the pursuit of its objectives or calls into question the suitability of a student as a member of the Stonehill College community
- Each student will be held responsible for his/her conduct from the time of acceptance of admission through the actual awarding of a degree, even though the conduct may occur before classes begin or after classes end, as well as during the academic year or during periods between terms of actual enrollment, even if the conduct is not discovered until after a degree is awarded.
- The Community Standards and Student Discipline System apply to a student’s conduct even if the student withdraws from the College while a complaint is pending.
- The AVPSA, or designee, will decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether the Community Standards and Student Discipline System will be applied to conduct occurring off campus.
- Students are responsible for the consequences of their actions even when the conduct may have been influenced by their physical or emotional state (irrespective of any medical or clinical diagnoses).
- Students are responsible for the consequences of their actions even when the conduct may have been influenced by their use of alcohol or other drugs.
- A disciplinary hold my be placed on a student’s educational record when a student does not respond to the request of a College official to attend an informal conference or formal discipline hearing, does not comply with a discipline sanction, or withdraws from the College prior to the resolution of a complaint. Students with a disciplinary hold may not be permitted to register for courses, receive transcripts, receive a diploma, add or drop courses, register for College housing or participate in other College activities.
- Students are responsible for the contents of their rooms, cars, lockers, or person. Students may also be held responsible for shared common areas. Students need not be present or notified when an inspection is conducted.
- Students are responsible for the conduct of their guests and should be with guests at all times.
Prohibited Conduct
The following conduct will constitute violations of the Community Standards and will be subject to action and sanctions outlined in the Student Discipline System.
1. ACTS OF DISHONESTY
1.01 Acts of dishonesty including, but not limited to, furnishing false information to any faculty member, College official or department, forgery, alteration or misuse of any College document record, or instrument of identification or misrepresenting oneself as another. This may also include violations of the Academic Integrity Policy. Alleged academic dishonesty violations will be addressed according to the provisions of the Academic Integrity Policy.
2. PERSONAL CONDUCT
2.01 Conduct that is in direct conflict with the values and expectations afforded by the Community Standards, and therefore, may call into questions a student’s ability to remain a member of the Stonehill community.
2.02 Violation of any federal, state or local law.
2.03 Participation in the disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, living or other College activities, the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, interfering with the duties of law enforcement, fire or other agencies, breaking the peace or leading or inciting others in acts of disruption or obstruction.
2.04 Attempted or actual theft, damage or vandalism to property of the College or others.
2.05 Failure to comply with the request of a College official or law enforcement, fire or other public officials acting in the performance of their duties or failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so.
2.06 Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys to any College premises.
2.07 Prohibited or unauthorized gambling.
2.08 Failure to abide by College Network Use Policy.
2.09 Failure to register an event.
2.10 Unauthorized solicitation.
2.11 Unauthorized posting or distribution of flyers, bulletins or posters.
2.12 Abuse of the Student Discipline System.
2.13 Failure to comply with any College policy.
2.14 Conduct that is lewd or indecent such as public urination, public defecation, streaking, or stripping.
2.15 Failure to abide by Residence Life Policies and Procedures or the College Room and Board Contract.
2.16 Failure to abide by College Guest Policies.
2.17 Inappropriate communication with College personnel.
2.18 Failure to maintain a hygienic living and learning environment.
2.19 Assisting or encouraging another person to engage in a violation of College policy.
3. PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION AND REPRESENTATION
3.01 Failure to carry a Stonehill College I.D. card.
3.02 Unauthorized use of the Stonehill College name, logo, mascot or other symbol.
3.03 Unauthorized use of Stonehill College directories.
4. PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND GENERAL SAFETY
4.01 Trespassing or unauthorized entry or attempted entry to or use of College premises including, but not limited to, roofs, balconies, roadways, ponds or waterways.
4.02 Any action that threatens, endangers or subjects another person to physical harm, incites a person by provocation, excludes a person from participation in or denies a person the benefits of College programs, or otherwise subjects a person to discrimination based on race, gender, disability, age, marital status, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics.
4.03 (Deleted)
4.04 Failure to abide by the College Policy Against Hazing.
4.05 Attempted use or actual use of electronic devices that invade a person’s privacy.
4.06 Failure to abide by College Weapons Policy.
4.07 Creating a fire hazard or a situation that endangers others such as false reports of fire or bombs, possession of fireworks, failing to evacuate, throwing objects from windows or tampering with, damaging or removing fire safety equipment.
4.08 Improper use of College vehicles.
4.09 Violation of the College’s prohibition against glass beer bottles.
4.10 Physical assault. An attempted intentional, and/or unjustified physical contact with a person, however slight, without his or her consent that entails some injury, harmful, or offensive touching.
4.11 Verbal Abuse. Verbal abuse, bullying, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion or conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of oneself or another person or any action that may subject oneself or another person to emotional injury.
4.12 (Deleted)
5. ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS
5.01 Failure to abide by College Alcohol Policy.
5.02 Failure to abide by College Smoking Policy.
5.03 Failure to abide by College Drug Policy.
6. GENDER-BASED MISCONDUCT
6.01 Sexual Harassment.
6.02 Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse (or attempts to commit the same).
6.03 Non-Consensual Sexual Contact (or attempts to commit the same).
6.04 The use of drugs or alcohol to render another person physically or psychologically incapacitated as a precursor to or part of sexual activity.
6.05 Sexual Exploitation (or attempts to commit the same).
6.06 Stalking: A course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fearful, intimidated, threatened, or causes emotional injury.
6.07 Relationship Violence: The use of physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, stalking, or other forms of emotional, sexual or economic abuse directed towards a partner in a dating relationship, constitute relationship violence.
6.08 Gender-Based Harassment: Acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, stalking or hostility, based on gender or gender stereotyping constitute gender-based harassment. Gender-based harassment can occur if students are harassed either for exhibiting what is perceived as a stereotypical characteristic of their sex, or for failing to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity.
Authority
- The Vice President for Student Affairs is responsible for the overall administration of the Community Standards and Student Discipline System. Under the direction of the Vice President for Student Affairs, the AVPSA, or designee, has been charged with the day-to-day responsibility for the administration of the Community Standards and Student Discipline System. The AVPSA, or designee, is also a student advocate who ensures the protection of all students’ rights.
- The AVPSA, or designee, will appoint staff to conduct informal conferences and formal discipline hearings.
- The AVPSA, or designee, will develop policies and procedural rules for the administration of the Student Discipline System consistent with the provisions of the Community Standards.
- If an incident report involves more than one charged student, the AVPSA, or designee, in his/her discretion, may determine whether an informal conference or formal discipline hearing concerning each student will be conducted either separately or jointly.
- Students are required to attend informal conferences and formal discipline hearings.
- Informal conferences and formal discipline hearings are not open to the public and are confidential in nature. Therefore, friends, parents, siblings or legal counsel may not be permitted in the room where the conference or hearing takes place, but may wait nearby for support purposes.
- Students will be held accountable for abuse of the Student Discipline System such as:
- The failure to obey a notice from a College official to appear for an informal conference or formal discipline hearing as part of the Student Discipline System.
- Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation in conjunction with the Student Discipline System.
- Submitting or corroborating a false incident report or withholding information.
- Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in or use of the Student Discipline System.
- Attempting to influence the impartiality of an administrator or member of a discipline committee.
- Harassment or intimidation of a witness, administrator or member of a discipline committee, prior to, during or after an informal conference or formal discipline hearing.
- Failure to comply with a sanction imposed under the Student Discipline System.
- Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the Student Discipline System.
- Using electronic devices, including but not limited to cell phones, cameras, and recording devices.
- The order of Administrative, College Discipline Committee (CDC) and Residence Area Discipline Committee (RADC) hearings will proceed as follows:
- Review and signing of the Honesty Statement.
- Reading of the charges.
- Opportunity for a charged student and the person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct to challenge the administrator or member of the discipline committee for bias.
- Charged student’s plea.
- Opportunity of a charged student and the person who believed he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct to make an opening statement.
- Complainant’s statement(s).
- Witness’s statement(s).
- Opportunity for a charged student and the person who believed he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct to make a closing statement.
- Discussion and decision-making in closed session.
- The administrator or discipline committee members may ask questions of the charged student, complainant, witness or person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct at any time during a formal discipline hearing.
- Formal rules of process, procedure or evidence such as those applied in criminal or civil courts are not used in the Student Discipline System.
- Staff, members of discipline committees and the Appeals Board will be impartial.
- Decisions resulting from an administrative or discipline committee hearing will be final, pending the normal appeal process.
- In the absence of a functioning RADC, CDC, or Appeals Board, such as before the appointment of members or at the end of an academic year, the AVPSA, or designee, may assemble a Board comprised of students, staff, and/or faculty.
- Student conduct that warrants action within the Student Discipline System may result in forfeiture of all Stonehill scholarships, financial aid or monies paid.
Initiation of Disciplinary Procedures
- Any individual member of the College community may submit an incident report that a student allegedly violated the Community Standards. The individual will be listed as the complainant on the notice of the charges to the charged student.
- The College may submit a complaint that a student allegedly violated the Community Standards. The College will be listed as the complainant on the notice of the charges to the charged student.
- The incident report will be prepared in writing and directed to the AVPSA, or designee. An incident report should be submitted as soon as possible to encourage the availability of witnesses or information about the incident.
- The AVPSA, or designee, will determine whether a charged student’s alleged violation of the Community Standards will be addressed through an informal conference or formal discipline hearing.
- Upon receiving an incident report, the AVPSA, or designee, may take one or more of the following steps within 10 business days:
- Conduct an investigation to determine if the incident report has merit
- Dismiss the incident report. Such disposition will be final and there will be no subsequent action
- Schedule a formal administrative, CDC or RADC hearing
- Schedule an informal conference
- Impose interim restrictions when there is information to show that the student’s continued presence on the campus endangers the physical safety or emotional state of the student or others or disrupts the educational process of the College
Formal Administrative, CDC and RADC Hearings
- The purpose of a formal discipline hearing is to review statements from a charged student, complainant, or person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct and witnesses with knowledge of the incident. A determination will be made as to whether or not the charged student violated the Community Standards. Then, recommendations for sanctions will be made if the charged student is found responsible.
- Formal discipline hearings will be conducted as soon as possible, but no sooner than 2 business days and no more than more than 10 business days after the charged student has been notified of the charges. Maximum time limits for scheduling a formal discipline hearing may be extended at the discretion of the AVPSA, or designee. Formal discipline hearings may be recessed at any time provided they are reconvened within 5 business days.
- A charged student will be considered notified of the charges once the notice of the charges has been mailed to the student’s local or campus address on file with the College or emailed to the student’s Stonehill email address.
- Notice of the charges for a formal discipline hearing will be in writing and will include the date, time and place that a student must attend the hearing, the name of the complainant, the name of the person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct, as well as the names of witnesses called to testify.
- If a charged student, with notice, does not appear for a formal discipline hearing, the hearing may proceed as scheduled and the information in support of the charges may be presented and considered even if the charged student is not present.
- A formal discipline hearing may accommodate concerns for the personal safety, well-being or fears of confrontation with the charged student, complainant, or person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct or witnesses during the hearing. This can be done by providing alternate means of communication where and as determined in the sole judgment of the AVPSA, or designee, to be appropriate.
- The charged student, complainant and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct, each have the right to be assisted by an advocate of their choice. The advocate must be a Stonehill faculty, staff member or member of the student body and may not be an attorney. The charged student, complainant and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct are responsible for presenting their own information; therefore, advocates are not permitted to participate directly in any formal discipline hearing. The charged student, complainant and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct, should select as an advocate a person whose schedule allows attendance at the scheduled date, time and place for the formal discipline hearing as delays will not normally be allowed due to the scheduling conflicts of an advocate.
- The charged student, complainant and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct and their advocates, if any, will be permitted to attend the entire portion of a formal discipline hearing at which information is received (excluding deliberations).
- Admission of any other person to a formal discipline hearing (including witnesses) will be at the discretion of the AVPSA, or designee.
- Generally, the charged student and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct may present up to 4 witnesses with knowledge of the incident to provide information to and answer questions from the administrator or chairperson of the discipline committee. If the charged student and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct wishes to present more than 4 witnesses, he/she must submit a written request to the AVPSA, or designee, indicating the names of the additional witnesses and why their testimony would be beneficial. The request must be submitted to the AVPSA, or designee, at least 24 hours prior to the formal discipline hearing. The College will try to arrange the attendance of possible witnesses who are members of the College community, if reasonably possible. The name(s) of the witness(es) of the charged student and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct are to be submitted to the AVPSA, or designee, at least 24 hours prior to the formal discipline hearing. During the hearing, the charged student and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct may submit questions to the administrator or chairperson of the discipline committee to be answered by each other or other witnesses. This method is used to preserve the educational tone of the hearing and to avoid creation of an adversarial environment. Questions of whether potential information will be received will be resolved at the discretion of the administrator or chairperson of the discipline committee.
- All procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the administrator or chairperson of the discipline committee.
- Decisions of the administrator or discipline committee will be made on the information presented during the hearing on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the charged student violated the Community Standards.
- After the formal discipline hearing concludes, the administrator or discipline committee will determine whether the charged student violated each section of the Community Standards that the student is alleged to have violated.
- The administrator who conducted the administrative hearing and chairperson of the discipline committee is responsible for providing a written summary of the formal discipline hearing including a brief statement of the facts, decision as to whether the charged student is responsible or not responsible for violating the Community Standards, sanction, if any, and the rationale for the decision and sanction, if any.
- The AVPSA, or designee, may consider the sanction recommended by the discipline committee and may impose sanctions other than those recommended by the administrator or discipline committee.
- The charged student will be informed of the decision and sanction imposed, if any, of the administrator or discipline committee within 3 business days following an administrative or discipline committee hearing.
Rights of All Parties in Formal Discipline Hearings
- A charged student and person who believes he/she was the victim of another student’s misconduct will be entitled to:
- Receive written notice of charges.
- Obtain the name of the individual complainant (if applicable).
- View the incident report in the Office of Community Standards in the presence of a Student Affairs staff member during normal business hours or request a copy of a police report or a redacted copy of a Student Affairs incident report.
- Be notified of the date, time and place of the formal discipline hearing, as well as the names of the witnesses called to testify.
- Receive notice of the fact that failure to appear for a formal discipline hearing may result in the hearing being conducted in the absence of the charged student or person who believes he/she was the victim of another student’s misconduct.
- Provide the names of up to 4 witnesses with knowledge of the incident who may appear at a formal discipline hearing on his/her behalf to the AVPSA, or designee, within 24 hours of the hearing. If the charged student and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct wishes to present more than 4 witnesses, he/she must submit a written request to the AVPSA, or designee, indicating the names of the additional witnesses and why their testimony would be beneficial. The request must be submitted to the AVPSA, or designee, at least 24 hours prior to the formal discipline hearing. Character witnesses are not permitted.
- Be notified of the fact that he/she may request additional information about the Community Standards and Student Discipline System.
- Challenge the composition of the discipline committee.
- Present his/her case, including questioning witnesses and charged student/victim through the Chair of the Committee.
- Additional accommodations, including, but not limited to, the use of technology, if either student wishes to be in a different location.
- Decline to answer any questions or make any statements during a formal discipline hearing. Such silence will not be used against the charged student or person who believes he/she was the victim of another student’s misconduct. However, the outcome of the formal discipline hearing will be based upon the information or lack thereof presented at the hearing.
- Be advised by a faculty member, staff member or member of the student body who is not an attorney.
- Be informed in writing of the decision and sanction, if any, within 3 business days of a formal discipline hearing.
- Request an appeal of the decision resulting from a formal discipline hearing within 4 business days of receiving the decision in writing. A charged student and person who believes he/she was the victim of another student’s misconduct are entitled to one appeal.
- An individual complainant/victim will be entitled to:
- Be notified of the date, time and place of the formal discipline hearing, as well as the names of the witnesses called to testify.
- Receive notice of the fact that failure to appear for a formal discipline hearing may result in the hearing being conducted in the absence of the complainant.
- Receive notice of the fact that he/she may request additional information about the Community Standards and the Student Discipline System.
- Be advised by a faculty member, staff member or member of the student body who is not an attorney.
- The College will disclose, in writing, the final results of any institutional disciplinary proceedings conducted against a charged student to the victim (or if the victim is deceased as a result of such crime or offense, to the next of kin) of any violent crime or non-forcible sex offense.
Discipline Committees
- College Discipline Committee (CDC)
- The CDC will be comprised of a group of members of the College community representing students, faculty, and staff members.
- A quorum of 3 CDC members must be present to conduct a CDC hearing.
- The Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee, will follow special procedures when hearing sexual misconduct complaints, as outlined in the Hill Book.
- Members of the College community may nominate student members for the CDC. From these nominations, the outgoing and incoming chairpersons of the Student Senate and Commuter Council will recommend to the SGA President the student government members to serve on the CDC for the following academic year. The resident assistant staff will recommend to the Director of Residence Life the resident assistant members to serve on the CDC for the following academic year. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will appoint faculty and fill any vacancies during the year by appointment. The Vice President for Student Affairs will appoint staff and fill any vacancies during the year by appointment.
- Any member of the CDC may be removed from office for non-fulfillment of duties essential to the position. A majority vote of the members is required for removal.
- Residence Area Discipline Committee (RADC)
- The RADC will be comprised of a group of resident students and College officials authorized to determine whether a student has violated the Community Standards of the residence areas and to recommend sanctions that may be imposed when a violation of the Community Standards has been committed.
- A quorum of 3 RADC members must be present to conduct an RADC hearing.
- Appeal board or CDC members cannot be the same members who served on the original hearing board.
- Any member of an RADC may be removed from office for non-fulfillment of duties essential to the position. A majority vote of the members is required for removal.
- The appointment of members to an RADC will be made in the fall.
- Student members of the CDC or RADC must be full-time students in good academic and disciplinary standing. If a student member does not maintain good academic or disciplinary standing, he/she will be removed from the CDC or RADC for that academic year.
- The term of office for each member of the CDC and RADC will be one academic year.
- RDs/ACs and RADCs cannot recommend the following sanctions: Residence Hall Dismissal, College Separation, and College Dismissal.
- All decisions by the CDC and an RADC will be arrived at by a simple majority vote. The chairperson will vote only in case of a tie.
Informal Conferences
- An informal conference is an informal meeting of a student alleged to have violated the Community Standards with an administrator, complainant and person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct for the purpose of achieving resolution with all parties agreeing to the outcome. If an agreement is reached, the case will end with no opportunity for appeal. If no agreement is reached, the case will be dismissed or referred for a formal discipline hearing.
- Informal conferences will be conducted as soon as possible.
- The student alleged to have violated the Community Standards will be informed in writing of the charges at the informal conference.
- The administrator is responsible for providing a written summary of the informal conference including a brief statement of the facts and outcome of the conference.
- The outcome of the informal conference will be made part of the student’s discipline file and may be considered in determining future sanctions.
Sanctions
- In determining a sanction, the AVPSA, or designee, may consider the student’s present demeanor, past disciplinary record, the nature of the misconduct and the severity of any damage, injury or harm resulting from the misconduct or other factors.
- The College has a special concern for incidents in which persons are mistreated because of race, gender, disability, age, marital status, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation or other personal characteristic. Such incidents damage not only individuals, but also the free and open academic environment of the College. More severe sanctions are appropriate for such misconduct.
- Sanctions do not become effective until the appeal process is completed.
- Some College policies specify sanctions for violations. See individual policies for sanctions required, if any.
- The AVPSA, or designee, may impose the following sanctions upon any student found to have violated the Community Standards. See individual policies for specified sanctions for certain violations.
- Warning: A notice, either verbal or written, that the student is violating or has violated College regulations, must cease the conduct immediately and that continuation or repetition of wrongful conduct may be cause for more severe disciplinary action.
- Parental Notification: The College may notify parents/guardians when students under the age of 21 have been found responsible for violating the College’s alcohol or other drug policies, when there is a serious health or safety issue regarding a student or if a student’s residency or student status is in jeopardy.
- Loss of Privileges: Denial of specified privileges for a designated period of time.
- Restriction: Denial of access to any campus facility, activity, class or program. This includes no contact orders.
- Fines: Financial sanction.
- Restitution: Compensation for loss, damage or injury. This may take the form of appropriate service or monetary or material replacement.
- Community Restitution Project: Assignment of an appropriate service project that will benefit the College community, responsible student or others.
- Educational Program/Project: Required attendance at an educational workshop or completion of an educational project that will benefit the College community, responsible student or others.
- Assessment: A student may be referred to the Counseling and Testing Center, Health Services or other appropriate office or local agency for consultation or assessment.
- Disciplinary Probation: A period of time during which a student may be excluded from participation in all social and extracurricular activities such as representing the College, participating in intercollegiate athletics, SGA or study abroad.
- Relocation of Residence: Required assignment to another residence area.
- Deferred Suspension from Residency: Warning that if the student is found responsible for violating the Community Standards during a specific period of time, the student may be immediately removed from the residence halls for a specific period of time after which the student may reapply for housing. Reapplication for housing does not guarantee immediate placement. Conditions for returning to the residence halls may be specified.
- Suspension from Residency: Separation of the student from the residence halls for a specific period of time, after which the student may reapply for housing. Reapplication for housing does not guarantee immediate placement. Conditions for returning to the residence halls may be specified.
- Residence Hall Dismissal: Permanent separation of the student from the residence halls.
- Deferred College Separation: A warning that if the student is found responsible for violating the Community Standards during a specific period of time, the student may be immediately separated from the College for a specific period of time after which the student may reapply. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
- College Separation: Students who have been separated from the College for a period of time must meet with the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students or designee two weeks prior to registration to review any outstanding sanctions and the readmission process. Students who have completed all assigned sanctions or made sufficient progress, as determined by the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students or designee, may be conditionally approved to register for the following semester; however, students must then meet all stated requirements in order to return to the College and officially resume residency and/or coursework.
- Deferred College Dismissal: Warning that if the student is found responsible for violating the Community Standards during a specific period of time, the student may be immediately dismissed from the College.
- College Dismissal: Permanent separation of the student from the College.
- Revocation of Admission or Degree: Admission to the College or revocation of a degree awarded from the College may be revoked for fraud, misrepresentation, or another violation of the Community Standards in obtaining the degree or for other serious violations committed by a student after admission or prior to graduation.
- Withholding Degree: The College may withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the completion of the disciplinary process set forth in the Student Discipline System, including the completion of all sanctions imposed, if any.
- Student Organization Recognition in Jeopardy: A delayed removal of recognition as a recognized student organization. Any proven violation during a specific period of time may result in the student organization’s immediate loss of recognition for a specified period of time.
- Loss of Recognition: During a specific period of time, a recognized student organization may not associate itself with the College by using the College name, facilities, or other rights and privileges of recognized student organizations after which the group may reapply for recognition. There is no guarantee re-recognition will be granted. If re-recognition is granted, conditions for re-recognition may be specified. Other sanctions may be imposed instead of or in addition to those specified above. In addition to the above sanctions, student conduct that warrants action within the Student Discipline System may result in forfeiture of all Stonehill scholarships, financial aid or monies paid.
- More than one of the sanctions listed above may be imposed for any single violation.
- A campus department, separate from the Student Discipline System, may place a restriction on a student found responsible for violating the Community Standards such as the loss of merit points for housing assignments, restrictions for athletes or the denial of study abroad, campus parking or other privileges.
Appeals
- The agreement reached as a result of an informal conference may not be appealed.
- A charged student or person who believes he/she was the victim of a student’s misconduct may submit a request for an appeal of a decision or sanction resulting from a formal discipline hearing no later than 4 business days after receiving notice of the decision or sanction.
- A request for an appeal is to be submitted in writing to the AVPSA, or designee.
- The RADC will review a request for an appeal of the decision reached or sanctions resulting from a formal administrative hearing with an RD/AC.
- The AVPSA, or designee, will review a request for an appeal of the decision reached or sanctions resulting from a formal RADC hearing.
- The CDC will review a request for an appeal of the decision reached or sanctions resulting from a formal administrative hearing with the AVPSA, or designee.
- The Appeals Board will review a request for an appeal of the decision reached or sanctions resulting from a formal CDC hearing.
- Appeals will be considered based on the following criteria:
- Failure to follow the process or procedures outlined in the Student Discipline System
- Insufficient or inappropriate evidence used to justify a decision
- New information that was not known at the time of the hearing
- Sanction imposed is substantially outside the guidelines and/or parameters set by the College
- Students may not appeal based upon 8d if they plead responsible to the charge in question and the sanction imposed generally follows the sanctions for Student Violations Guidelines as outlined in The Hill Book. Students may not appeal based upon 8b if they plead responsible at the hearing to the charge in question.
- Deviations from designated procedures will not be the basis for sustaining an appeal unless significant prejudice results.
- Upon receipt of the request for an appeal, the AVPSA, or designee, will refer the request to the appropriate appeals committee or board normally within 7 business days.
- The appropriate appeals committee or board may:
- Determine the appeal request merits a formal appeal hearing and schedule a hearing no later than 10 business days from the date the request is reviewed. Formal appeal hearings will be conducted following the same procedures as set forth for formal discipline hearings
- Determine there are no grounds for the appeal thus upholding the decision
- Refer the case to the administrator, CDC or RADC that originally heard the case for consideration of suggestions
- Change the original decision or sanctions after reasonable review of the appeal request and the decision rationale of the administrator or discipline committee
- The Appeals Board is comprised of the Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee, who serves as the chairperson, a faculty member (appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs) and a student (appointed by the SGA President) to consider an appeal from the CDC’s decision as to whether a student has violated the Community Standards or from the sanctions imposed. All members must be present for a formal appeal hearing. All decisions will be made by a majority vote.
- Appellate decisions are final.
Accommodations for Student with Disabilities
- By federal law, a person with a disability is any person who: 1) has a physical or mental impairment; 2) has record of such impairment; or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment, which substantially limits one or more major life activities such as self-care, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing or learning.
- A student requesting an accommodation in regard to an administrative conference, hearing or probation review meeting must follow the appropriate process for requesting an accommodation through the Center for Students with Disabilities. The Center for Students with Disabilities will make a determination regarding the request and notify the appropriate parties.
- Reasonable accommodations depend upon the nature and degree of severity of the documented disability. While the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that priority consideration be given to the specific methods requested by the student, it does not imply that a particular accommodation must be granted if it is deemed not reasonable and other suitable techniques are available.
Special Procedures for Hearing Gender-Based Misconduct Complaints
In addition to the procedures outlined in the Community Standards and Student Discipline System, the following special procedures have been adopted for hearing gender-based misconduct complaints:
- The person who believes she/he was the victim of another’s misconduct will meet individually with the AVPSA, or designee, to provide input as to whether the complaint should be heard through an informal conference or formal discipline hearing. The AVPSA, or designee, will consider such input and will decide whether the complaint will be heard through an informal conference or formal discipline hearing.
- Formal rules of process, procedure, or rules of evidence such as those applied in criminal or civil courts are not used in the Student Discipline System.
- The Hearing Board for gender-based misconduct cases shall be comprised of the designee of the Vice President for Student Affairs, who serves as the chairperson, and two staff, and/or faculty members.
- The Appeals Board for gender-based misconduct cases shall be comprised of the Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee, who serves as the chairperson, and two staff, and/or faculty members. However, the Appeals Board members cannot be the same members who served on the original Hearing Board.
- No questions, statements or information about the sexual activity of the person who believes she/he was the victim of another’s misconduct with anyone other than the charged student may be introduced. Requests for exceptions to this guideline must be made in writing to the AVPSA, or designee, at least 72 hours prior to the hearing. If the person who believes she/he was the victim of another’s misconduct raises his/her own sexual activity with anyone other than the charged student, questions may then be asked about that relationship.
- The College will disclose, in writing, the final results of any institutional disciplinary proceedings conducted against a charged student to the victim (or if the victim is deceased as a result of such crime or offense, to the next of kin) of any non-forcible sex offense.
Interim Restrictions
- The AVPSA, or designee, may impose restriction(s) upon a student pending disciplinary proceedings. Interim restrictions become effective immediately without prior notice whenever the AVPSA, or designee, believes the student may pose a serious threat to self or others, property or cause serious disruption to the College community.
- Interim restrictions may include: Separation from the College or residence areas; relocation of residence, restriction from designated College residence areas or other campus facilities by time or location; restriction of communication with named individuals or groups within the College community; or the requirement to obtain advance authorization to engage in a specified activity.
- Whenever reasonably possible, a meeting between the charged student and AVPSA, or designee, will be held prior to the imposition of interim restrictions.
- The charged student will have the opportunity to meet with the AVPSA, or designee, to present his/her version of the facts and to indicate why interim restrictions should not be imposed. Following this meeting, the decision of the AVPSA, or designee, will be final.
- Violations of interim restrictions may result in separation or dismissal from Stonehill College.
Discipline Records
- Discipline records are educational records and are maintained by the office of the AVPSA, or designee.
- Discipline records are not considered to be part of a student’s permanent academic record maintained by the College with the exception of a violation of the Community Standards that results in a sanction of College Separation or College Dismissal.
- Discipline records are maintained by the Office of Community Standards for seven years post graduation.
- In situations involving both a charged student and student who believes he/she was victim of a student’s misconduct, the records of the process and of the sanctions imposed, if any, will be considered to be the educational records of both the charged student and the student who believes himself/herself to be the victim because the educational career and chances of success in the academic community of each may be impacted.
Bias Response Protocol
Stonehill College is committed to providing a multicultural academic community in which the dignity and worth of each of its members is respected. We recognize that an environment in which bias, hate, and disrespect for persons in our community disrupt the institutional mission. The College, therefore, is determined to confront and discourage conduct and attitudes that exhibit bias and that harass or discriminate against any of our community members on the basis of race, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, color, disability, national origin or other personal characteristics.
Bias incidents may consist of slurs, epithets, name calling, use of degrading language, graffiti or slurs, intimidation, harassment or coercion directed at the targeted person or group. Bias acts occur whether the act is intentional or unintentional or is directed toward an individual or group and may contribute to creating an unsafe/unwelcoming environment for victims and social identity groups. Bias acts are considered such even when presented as a joke, prank, or delivered with humorous intent.
The College has developed procedures for addressing issues of bias within our community. For a copy of these procedures, please contact the Office of Student Affairs.
Interpretation and Revision
- Any question of interpretation or application of the Community Standards and Student Discipline System will be referred to the AVPSA, or designee, for final determination.
- The Community Standards and Student Discipline System will be reviewed at least every 2 years under the direction of the AVPSA, or designee.
Substance Abuse Awareness Policy
Introduction
Only in an environment free of substance abuse can Stonehill College fulfill its mission of developing the academic, professional, social, cultural and intellectual potential of each member of the community. The use of illegal drugs and the abuse of alcohol impair the safety and health of students and employees and inhibit personal and academic growth. For these reasons, the unlawful use of alcohol and other drugs is prohibited on campus and at College-sponsored activities.
Campus Prevention and Awareness Programs
Alcohol and other drug abuse education and prevention programs have been established and are coordinated by the Counseling and Testing Center with assistance from Health Services and other College departments. Programs provide training and direct services to the College community and offer preventative education and outreach activities about the Substance Awareness Policy and alcohol and other drug abuse.
College supervisors, as well as student staff in the residence halls, receive training on a regular basis on issues regarding alcohol and other drug use and abuse.
The Counseling and Testing Center and Health Services are available for consultation concerning individual students with alcohol or other drug problems. Services provided by the Counseling and Testing Center include personal assessment and counseling, group discussion opportunities, educational and alternative programming, information on Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholic Anonymous and referrals to outside agencies. The Counseling and Testing Center and Health Services have established working relationships with area hospitals, community mental health centers and other social service agencies to facilitate referrals when treatment is needed.
The Health and Wellness Office provides health education, awareness events and prevention programs on a variety of topics including but not limited to stress reduction, physical activity, nutrition, smoking cessation and healthy relationships throughout the entire school year. Services range from workshops, individual consultation or presentations by request. The office is located in the Roche Dining Commons, Room 113.
General Provisions
The students of Stonehill College shall not unlawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess or use controlled substances, drug paraphernalia or alcohol. Drug paraphernalia is defined as any equipment, product or material that is modified for making, using or concealing illegal drugs such as bongs and hookah pipes. Any individual who violates this prohibition will be subject to disciplinary action. Sanctions may include separation or dismissal from the College, mandatory participation in an alcohol or other drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program or referral of the matter to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
Student Alcohol Policy
Stonehill complies with all federal and state laws and local ordinances regarding the possession, use, sale, and/or distribution of alcoholic beverages. In conjunction with and in addition to these laws and ordinances, the College has adopted certain standards to facilitate its regulation of the use and possession of alcohol by students and their guests. The following are considered violations of the College’s standards with respect to the use, possession, and distribution of alcohol:
- Violation of any alcohol or alcohol-related federal, state or local law or ordinance.
- Being a student under the age of 21 not engaged in an employment or other permissive activity, in the presence of an open alcohol container.
- Possession, use, or distribution of alcohol by a student, under the age of 21, or possession, use or distribution of alcohol by the guest of a student, under the age of 21 even if the guest is age 21 or older.
- Procurement of alcohol for a student or guest who is under the age of 21.
- Failing to abide by the drinking laws of the immediate locale while on an away program or College-sponsored or approved trip or program.
- Possession, use, sale, or distribution of a false identification card, wristband, or other age or identity verification form.
- Use of an alcohol container as room decoration, vase or storage item.
- Possession of alcohol in a residence hall, or common area of a residence hall, in which alcohol is not allowed based on the dry status of the hall or area.
- Possession of an open container of alcohol in an area designated as a public area by the College without prior approval from the Vice President of Student Affairs or the designated College official sponsoring, hosting, or supervising an event in a public area.
- Possession by a student, age 21 or older, or possession by the guest of a student, age 21 or older, of an amount of alcohol over the limits specified (limits apply to full, partially full, and empty containers) by the College.
The limits specified by the College are:
– Twelve 12-ounce coolers, malts, or beers
OR
– Two 750 ml. bottles of wine
OR
– One pint of hard liquor up to 80 proof.
The total amount of alcohol in a residence hall room may not exceed the total amount permitted for the residents of the room, age 21 or older.
- Possession of alcohol at a College event without prior approval by the Director of Student Activities or the designated College official sponsoring, hosting, or in charge of the event.
- Intoxication on College property or at College sponsored or sanctioned programs or activities.
Intoxicated students and their guests will not be permitted entrance to College-sponsored activities. Intoxicated students or intoxicated guests in need of medical attention may be transported to the hospital for emergency care. Intoxicated students or intoxicated guests may be placed into protective custody by Stonehill Campus Police and transported to the Easton Police Department. All costs will be charged back to the student.
- Possession of a drinking game or the use or possession of a board game, table game, ice luge, drinking funnel, beer tap or other device that promotes or encourages abusive drinking or is used in a way that promotes or encourages abusive drinking.
- Operation of motor vehicle which contains alcohol, by a student under the age of 21, regardless of the age of any passenger in the vehicle.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Student drivers may be required to take sobriety tests. A student driver who fails a sobriety test may have his/her car towed to a storage facility for pick-up when the student is sober enough to drive. All towing costs are the responsibility of the student driver.
- Possession of a full to empty common source of alcohol, regardless of the size(s) or the container(s).
A common source of alcohol includes, but is not limited to, a keg, pony keg, beer ball, punch bowl (with or without alcohol), or gelatin shots.
- Commercial delivery of alcoholic beverages to the residence halls or the College Mail Room.
- Use of alcoholic beverages to render another person physically or emotionally incapacitated.
- Creation of materials that promote alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
Athletic teams, club sports teams, student organizations, residence hall councils and other groups or individuals are prohibited from creating marketing or promotional material such as clothing that promotes alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. In addition, such items may not discriminate against individuals or groups and must be approved by the appropriate College official listed below. Appropriate College official must also approve the use of the Stonehill name, logo, or likeness. Questions concerning this policy may be directed to the Student Affairs Office.
Athletic teams must receive the approval of the Director of Athletics, or designee.
Club sports teams must receive the approval of the Director of Recreational Sports, or designee.
Recognized clubs and organizations must receive the approval of the Director of Student Activities, or designee.
Residence hall councils must receive the approval of the Director of Residence Life, or designee.
- Possession or a full or empty excessive amount of alcohol.
An excessive amount may include any amount of alcohol over the limits specified.
Entertaining in the Residence Halls
Students may entertain or socialize in their individual rooms provided the number of people in the room does not exceed 10 individuals (including residents of the room). Students must be in compliance with campus guest and quiet hours policies and may not disrupt the learning or living activities of others.
Reserving Common Lounges for Social Gatherings Without Alcohol
Students who wish to reserve a common area lounge for an event without alcohol must obtain approval from the RD/AC.
Social Gatherings with Alcoholic Beverages in the Residence Halls
When approved by the Director of Residence Life, or designee, alcoholic beverages may be present at social gatherings in common area lounges. A social gathering is defined as 15 or more people gathered, including non-members of the house or suite, and alcohol is present.
The following conditions apply:
- Each September, the College will inform students whether or not the use or possession of alcoholic beverages will be permitted in common lounges.
- Social gatherings may be held on Friday and Saturday nights from 8:00 pm - 1:00 am.
- The Director of Residence Life, or designee, may approve up to 2 social gatherings per residence area, per night, on a first-come, first-serve basis. In special circumstances, the Director of Residence Life may approve additional social gatherings with the approval of the Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee.
- The number of guests present at a social gathering in a townhouse may not exceed 50 guests (including residents of the house).
- The number of guests present at a social gathering in a suite may not exceed 30 guests (including residents of the suite).
- Social gatherings may not be held during exam periods, when the residence halls are closed, or during the summer.
- In order to host a social gathering, 50 percent + 1 of the townhouse or suite residents must be age 21 or older.
- Social gatherings may not be advertised.
Violations of Social Gathering Guidelines
- All violations of the Social Gathering Guidelines will be addressed by the Residence Life Office.
- Failure of a townhouse or suite to comply with the above guidelines may result in restrictions being placed upon the townhouse or suite, such as warning, loss of privileges to host social gatherings, or the loss of privileges for students age 21 or older, to use or possess alcoholic beverages, etc.
Procedures for Hosting Social Gatherings with Alcoholic Beverages
- A townhouse or suite may request to host a social gathering by submitting a Social Gathering Application to their RD/AC by 4:30 pm on Wednesday for social gatherings to be held on the following Friday or Saturday night. Any resident who has a concern with a gathering being held on a particular day or weekend may contact the RD/AC.
- Requests will be processed on a first-come first-serve basis by the RD/AC. Requests to hold a social gathering may be denied based on the disciplinary history of residents, pending discipline matters, previous damages, etc.
- Fifty percent +1 of the residents of the townhouse or suite must be present for the duration of the social gathering.
- The RD/AC will notify townhouses and suites of the approval status of their requests by noon on Friday.
- Only social gathering guests age 21 or older (with the exception of students under the age of 21 who live in the townhouse or suite) may attend a social gathering.
- A designated resident of the townhouse or suite must be present at each entrance of the social gathering to check guests’ IDs. The designated residents must remain sober for the duration of the social gathering. Residents and social gathering guests must present a current Stonehill College ID card and a valid driver’s license (not a duplicate) that confirms the student’s date of birth documented in College records. Non student guests must present a valid driver’s license (not a duplicate) and a valid guest pass and must be accompanied by their host at all times.
- The use or consumption of alcoholic beverages must be confined to the inside of the townhouse or suite. Possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages on porches, patios and in public hallways is prohibited.
- Hosts must ensure the noise level of the social gathering does not interfere with nearby residents or quiet hours.
- Hosts must control excessive loitering outside the townhouse or suite.
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages must be available and prominently featured.
- Gathering attendees may leave a social gathering and return. However, any individual reentering a social gathering must again present proper identification (see step 7 above) upon reentry.
- Residents or guests who appear to be intoxicated and who attempt to enter a social gathering will not be permitted to enter the social gathering.
- Hosts must contact Campus Police immediately if any social gathering guest appears to need medical attention.
- Hosts must contact RAs or Campus Police when they would like assistance controlling the social gathering.
- Hosts are responsible for cleaning the location of the social gathering to avoid a cleaning charge. All townhouse or suite residents are responsible for any cleaning or damage charges resulting from a social gathering.
- Residence Life staff members and Campus Police will monitor the student residence areas. Students are expected to be cordial, cooperative and respectful of College officials.
- A social gathering may be terminated at any time when College officials determine the social gathering poses a threat to the health and safety of the community or is in violation of any College policy. Such violations will be addressed by the Residence Life Office and/or the Office of Community Standards.
Student Programs with Alcohol
- The Director of Student Activities, or designee, has primary responsibility for determining the circumstances and whether or not alcoholic beverages will be served at student programs held on or off campus.
- Students, age 21 or older, must present 2 forms of ID to enter the alcohol service area. Massachusetts residents must present a current Stonehill College ID card and a valid Massachusetts driver’s license or valid Massachusetts Liquor ID card. Out-of-state residents must present a current Stonehill College ID card and a valid driver’s license (not a duplicate) that confirms the student’s date of birth documented in College records.
- Guests, age 21 or older, must present a valid driver’s license (not a duplicate) and a valid guest pass and must be accompanied by their host at all times. In order to enter the alcohol service area, guests, age 21 or older, must be accompanied by their host, who must be age 21 or older. Up to two guests per current student will be allowed.
- Students and their guests may not attempt to or bring alcohol into student programs or attempt to or remove alcohol from the service area or student programs.
- Underage students and their guests, regardless of age, may not attempt to enter the alcohol service area.
- Safeguards must be taken to ensure an orderly function to protect the rights of other members of the community against undue interference, noise and other disturbances.
- Students may be refused admission to a student program if the validity of their identification is questionable or if students are intoxicated or disruptive.
- The sponsoring organization shall abide by the established laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, ordinances of the Town of Easton and policies of Stonehill College.
- Student organizations may not use student fees to purchase alcoholic beverages for student use.
- Alcoholic beverages may not be offered free of charge to any participant at a student program.
- When alcoholic beverages are served, food and nonalcoholic beverages must be made available. The cost of refreshments must not be prohibitive. Alcoholic beverages may not continue to be served if nonalcoholic beverages run out. When alcoholic beverages are served, the student program must be supportive of alcohol education programs that encourage responsible decisions about the use or non-use of alcoholic beverages.
- Alcoholic beverages may not be provided as awards.
- Advertising promoting alcoholic beverages must not encourage any form of alcohol abuse or place any emphasis on quantity or frequency of use. The advertising of alcoholic beverages on campus may not portray drinking as a solution to personal or academic problems or as necessary for social, sexual or academic success. Advertising of alcoholic beverages and other promotional beverages may not associate alcoholic beverage consumption with the performance of tasks that require skilled reactions such as driving or playing sports. All posters must be in accordance with the College’s Advertising Policy.
- If a student program is held off-campus, the contracted server/facility must agree in writing that it agrees to assume all responsibility for serving alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages may not be served in common sources when students have direct access to serve themselves.
Smoking on Campus
- Smoking is prohibited in all campus buildings and facilities including all of the student residence halls.
- Individuals who choose to smoke are expected to be at least 25 feet from the building so as not to allow smoke to travel back into the building.
- Individuals who choose to smoke are expected to dispose of cigarettes and their packaging in proper trash receptacles.
Student Drug Policy
- The possession of illegal drugs, including unauthorized possession of prescription drugs, is strictly prohibited.
- The use of illegal drugs, including unauthorized use of prescription drugs prescribed, is strictly prohibited.
- The distribution of illegal drugs, including unauthorized distribution of prescription drugs, is strictly prohibited.
- Being a student in the presence of illegal drugs, is strictly prohibited.
- As required by federal law, students are required to notify the College’s Director of Student Financial Services, or designee, within 5 days of being convicted of violating a criminal drug statue.
- The use of drugs to render another person physically or emotionally incapacitated is strictly prohibited.
- The possession, use, sale or distribution of drug paraphernalia is strictly prohibited. Drug paraphernalia is defined as any equipment, product or material that is modified for making, using or concealing illegal drugs such as bongs and hookah pipes.
- Stonehill College does not distinguish between civil and criminal penalties associated with possession of marijuana. Possession of marijuana, regardless of the amount, is strictly prohibited on campus property or at campus sponsored events.
Substance Awareness Policy
Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol consumption causes a number of marked changes in behavior. Even low doses significantly impair the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely, increasing the likelihood that the driver will be involved in an accident. Low to moderate doses of alcohol also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including sexual and physical assaults.
Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause marked impairments in higher mental functions, severely altering a person’s ability to learn and remember information. Very high doses cause respiratory depression and death. If combined with other depressants of the central nervous system, much lower doses of alcohol will produce the effects just described.
Repeated use of alcohol can lead to dependence. Sudden cessation of alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions. Alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening. Long-term consumption of large quantities of alcohol, particularly when combined with poor nutrition, can also lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and the liver.
Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants have irreversible physical abnormalities and mental retardation. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other youngsters of becoming alcoholics.
Effects of Drugs
Cocaine or crack use may be fatal, depending upon the cardiovascular response of the user. This drug is highly addictive and withdrawal results in severe depression. Tranquilizers and sedatives are also highly addictive, even in low doses. Use of these drugs in conjunction with alcohol is extremely dangerous and may result in the user becoming comatose.
The intravenous use of drugs carries the additional risk of infection due to shared needles. HIV and hepatitis are transmitted in this way. Marijuana has properties of both depressants and stimulants and is considered a psychoactive drug. Marijuana contains more tar than tobacco and causes lung and bronchial disease, a chronic dry cough and respiratory irritation. Continued marijuana use has also been connected with memory loss and a motivational syndrome. Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide and may cause cancer and bronchial disease, a chronic cough and respiratory irritation. Smoking by pregnant women may result in fetal injury, premature birth and low birth weight. Chewing of tobacco may cause cancer.
Additional Assistance
Help concerning drug and alcohol-related problems is available from several sources. Individuals needing personal assistance, individuals who know of someone who needs help or individuals with questions concerning alcohol and drug abuse may contact any of the following:
| Counseling and Testing Center |
508-565-1331 |
| Health Services |
508-565-1307 |
| Student Affairs |
508-565-1363 |
Biennial Review
In compliance with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, Stonehill College will conduct a biennial review of the College’s alcohol and other drug programs, which will be coordinated by the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. According to the Act, the biennial review is due by October 1st of every even numbered year.
Controlled Substances: Uses and Effects
Narcotics
Possible Effects: Euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted pupils, nausea
Effects of Overdose: Slow and shallow breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, possible death
Withdrawal Syndrome: Watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite, irritability
| Drug Name |
Trade/Other Name |
Medical Uses |
Dependence Physical/Psychological |
|
| Opium |
Dover’s Powder, Parapectolin |
Analgesic, Antidiarrheal |
High/High |
|
| Morphine |
MS-Contin, Roxanol, Roxanol SR |
Analgesic, Antitussive |
High/High |
|
| Codeine |
Tylenol w/Codeine, Robitussin A-C |
Analgesic, Antitussive |
Moderate/Moderate |
|
| Heroin |
Horse, Smack |
None |
High/High |
|
| Hydromorphone |
Dilaudid |
Analgesic |
High/High |
|
| Meperidine |
Demerol, Mepergan |
Analgesic |
High/High |
|
| Methadone |
Methadose, Dolophine |
Analgesic |
High/High |
Depressants
Possible Effects: Slurred speech, disorientation, drunken behavior without the odor of alcohol
Effects of Overdose: Shallow respiration, clammy skin, dilated pupils, weak and rapid pulse, coma, possible death
Withdrawal Syndrome: Anxiety, insomnia, terrors, delirium, convulsions, possible death
| Drug Name |
Trade/Other Name |
Medical Uses |
Dependence Physical/Psychological |
|
| Chloral Hydrate |
Noctec, Somnos |
Hypnotic |
Moderate/Moderate |
|
| Barbiturates |
Amytal, Seconal |
Anesthetic, Sedative, Hypnotic, Anticonvulsant |
High-Moderate/High-Moderate |
|
| Benzodiazepines |
Dalmane, Xanax, Librium, Valium |
Anesthetic, Sedative, Hypnotic, Anticonvulsant |
Low/Low |
|
| Methaqualone |
Qaalude |
Sedative, Hypnotic |
High/High |
|
| Glutethimide |
Doriden |
Sedative, Hypnotic |
High/High |
Stimulants
Possible Effects: Increased alertness, excitation, euphoria, increased pulse rate and blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite
Effects of Overdose: Agitation, increase in body temperature, hallucinations, convulsions, possible death
Withdrawal Syndrome: Apathy, long periods of sleep, irritability, depression, disorientation
| Drug Name |
Trade/Other Name |
Medical Uses |
Dependence Physical/Psychological |
|
| Cocaine |
Coke, Flake, Snow, Crack |
Local Anesthetic |
Possible/High |
|
| Amphetamines |
Dexadrine, Obetrol, Delcobese |
Attention Deficit Disorder, Weight Control, Narcolepsy, |
Possible/High |
|
| Phenmetrazine |
Preludin |
Weight Control |
Possible/High |
|
| Methylphenidate |
Ritalin |
Attention Deficit Disorder |
Possible/Moderate |
Hallucinogens
Possible Effects: Illusions and hallucinations, poor perception of time and distance
Effects of Overdose: Longer, more intense “trip” episodes, possible psychosis, possible death
Withdrawal Syndrome: Withdrawal syndrome not reported
| Drug Name |
Trade/Other Name |
Medical Uses |
Dependence Physical/Psychological |
|
| LSD |
Acid, Microdot |
None |
None/Unknown |
|
| Mescaline/Peyote |
Mexc, Buttons, Cactus, Mesc |
None |
None/Unknown |
|
| Amphetamine |
DMA, MDMA, STP, MDA |
None |
Unknown/Unknown |
|
| Phencyclidine |
PCP, Angel Dust, Hog |
Vet Anesthetic |
Unknown/High |
Cannabis
Possible Effects: Euphoria, reduced inhibitions, increased appetite, disorientation
Effects of Overdose: Fatigue, paranoia, possible psychosis
Withdrawal Syndrome: Insomnia, hyperactivity, loss of appetite
| Drug Name |
Trade/Other Name |
Medical Uses |
Dependence Physical/Psychological |
|
| Marijuana |
Pot, Acapulco Gold, Grass, Reefer |
None |
Unknown/Moderate |
|
| Hashish |
Hash |
None |
Unknown/Moderate |
|
| Hashish Oil |
Hash Oil |
None |
Unknown/Moderate |
Sanctions for Student Violations
The sanctions below have been developed to educate students and ensure an environment that supports the academic mission of the College. Some sanctions have been developed to respond to repeated violations during a student’s career. Sanctions listed are possible outcomes. In determining a sanction, the AVSPA, or designee, may consider the student’s present demeanor, past disciplinary record, the nature of the misconduct, and the severity of any damage, injury, or harm resulting from the misconduct as well as any other factor.
| Presence of Alcohol |
- Sanctions ranging from a warning to a 1st Alcohol Violation;
- Parental notification for students under the age of 21.
|
| First Alcohol Violation in Career |
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- Community restitution project;
- Fine;
- Weekend restriction;
- Parental notification for students under the age of 21.
|
| Second Alcohol Violation in Career |
- Alcohol assessment and completion of recommendations;
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- Community restitution project;
- Fine;
- Consecutive weekend restrictions;
- Deferred suspension from residency;
- Parental notification.
|
| Third Alcohol Violation in Career |
- Alcohol assessment and completion of recommendations;
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- Suspension from residency for 16 consecutive academic weeks;
- Deferred separation from the College;
- Parental notification.
|
| Fourth Alcohol Violation in Career |
- Separation from the College;
- Parental notification.
|
| Common Source Violation |
- Alcohol assessment and completion of recommendations;
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- Suspension from residency for 16 consecutive academic weeks;
- Parental notification.
|
| Excessive Amount of Alcohol Violation |
- Alcohol assessment and completion of recommendations;
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- Multiple weekend restrictions, AND community restitution project, AND deferred separation from residency OR suspension from residency for 16 consecutive academic weeks;
- Parental notification.
|
| Use or Distribution of False Identification |
- Alcohol assessment and completion of recommendations;
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- Educational project;
- Multiple weekend restrictions, AND community restitution project AND deferred separation from residency OR suspension from residency for 16 consecutive academic weeks;
- Parental notification.
|
| Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Other Drugs |
- Alcohol assessment and completion of recommendations;
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- $300 fine;
- Restricted driving and parking privileges for one year;
- Suspension from residency for 16 consecutive academic weeks;
- Parental notification.
|
| Purchasing or Distributing Alcoholic Beverages for Students or Guests Under the Age of 21 |
- Alcohol assessment and completion of recommendations;
- College sponsored educational intervention program;
- Suspension from residency for 16 consecutive academic weeks;
- Parental notification.
|
| Use or Possession of Illegal Drugs |
- Drug assessment and completion of recommendations;
- Suspension from residency for 16 consecutive academic weeks;
- Parental notification.
|
| Presence of Illegal Drugs |
- Weekend restrictions;
- Community restitution project;
- Parental notification.
|
| Use of Alcohol or Drugs to Render Another Person Emotionally or Physically Incapacitated as a Precursor to or Part of Sexual Misconduct |
- College dismissal;
- Parental notification.
|
Other Sanctions for Students
The College may impose additional sanctions as appropriate. Refer to the Student Discipline System for a complete listing of sanctions.
Additional Fines and Holds
Failure to complete sanctions on time or disregarding College requirements may result in the College imposing an additional fine as well as placing an academic hold on a student’s account. This hold may impact a student’s ability to register or obtain certain academic records.
Sanctions for Student Organizations
The College’s response to student organizations found in violation of the Substance Awareness Policy will be determined based upon the nature of the incident.
Selected College Policies
Gender-Based Misconduct Policy (Including Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Gender-Based Harassment Policies)
Statement of Intent
Stonehill College is committed to providing a learning and working environment that is free from gender-based discrimination or harassment. As such, the College does not tolerate any kind of gender-based discrimination or harassment, which includes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and gender-based harassment. The College is committed to fostering a healthy and safe environment that emphasizes the dignity and worth of every member of its community.
Gender-based misconduct comprises a broad range of behaviors focused on sex and/or gender discrimination that may or may not be sexual in nature. Sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, gender-based harassment, stalking, and relationship violence are forms of gender-based misconduct under this policy. Misconduct can occur between strangers or acquaintances, including people involved in an intimate or dating relationship. Gender-based misconduct can be committed by men or by women, and it can occur between people of the same or different sex.
Gender-based misconduct is a serious concern on college campuses throughout the country. To address this problem, the College provides educational and preventative programs, services for individuals who have been impacted by gender-based and sexual misconduct, and accessible, prompt, and equitable methods of investigation and resolution. Additionally, the College will not tolerate any acts of gender-based discrimination and will take effective means to end any acts, up to and including dismissal of the offending individual.
Consistent with its commitment to addressing gender-based discrimination and harassment, the College complies with Title IX of the Higher Education Amendment of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities. Gender-based misconduct, as defined in the document, constitutes forms of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX.
The Gender-Based Misconduct Policy applies regardless of the complainant’s or respondent’s race, gender, disability, age, marital status, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics.
The Gender-Based Misconduct Policy describes the College’s policy toward gender-based discrimination. It also provides guidance for those who have been victims of gender-based misconduct, outlines the College’s response to alleged incidents, and identifies relevant departments within the College responsible for managing the policy and programs associated with it.
Definitions and Examples
Gender-Based Harassment:
Acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, stalking, or hostility based on gender or gender-stereotyping constitute gender-based harassment. Gender-based harassment can occur if individuals are harassed either for exhibiting what is perceived as a stereotypical characteristic of their sex, or for failing to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity. In order to constitute harassment, the conduct must be such that it has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, demeaning, or offensive living or learning environment.
Relationship Violence:
The use of physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, stalking, or other forms of emotional, sexual, or economic abuse directed towards a partner in a dating relationship constitute relationship violence. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, or injure someone. Relationship violence can be a single act or a pattern of behavior in relationships. Relationships may be defined as short or long-term relationships (current or former) between persons intended to provide some emotional/romantic and/or physical intimacy. Examples may include the following:
- Slapping
- Pulling hair
- Punching
- Damaging one’s property
- Driving recklessly to scare someone
- Harassment directed toward a current or former partner
- Threats of abuse such as threatening to hit, harm, or use a weapon on another (whether victim or acquaintance, friend, or family member of the victim), or other forms of verbal threats
- Policy E3.47 Employee-Student Consensual Relations, is incorporated herein by reference
Stalking:
A course of conduct directed at a specific individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel fearful. A course of conduct is defined as “a pattern of actions over a period of time, however short, evidencing a continuity of conduct.”
Stalking includes any behaviors or activities occurring on more than one occasion that collectively instill fear in a victim, and/or threaten her or his safety, mental health, or physical health. Such behaviors and activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Non-consensual communication including face-to-face communication, telephone calls, voice messages, text messages, email messages, instant messages, written letters, gifts or any other communications that are undesired and/or place another person in fear
- Use of on-line, electronic, or digital technologies including:
- Posting of pictures or information in chat rooms or websites
- Sending unwanted/unsolicited email or talk requests
- Posting private or public messages on internet sites, social networking sites, and/or school bulletin boards
- Installing spy-ware on a victim’s computer
- Using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to monitor a victim
- Pursuing, waiting, or showing up uninvited at a workplace, place of residence, classroom, or other locations frequented by a victim
- Surveillance and other types of observation, whether by physical proximity or electronic means
- Trespassing
- Vandalism
- Non-consensual touching
- Direct physical and/or verbal threats against a victim or a victim’s loved ones
- Gathering information about a victim from family, friends, co-workers, and/or classmates
- Manipulative and controlling behaviors, such as threats to harm oneself or threats to harm someone close to the victim
- Defamation (lying to others about the victim, etc.)
Stonehill College encourages reporting of all incidents of stalking to law enforcement authorities and respects that it is the victim’s decision whether or not to report the incident to the police.
The College offers services to victims even if they choose not to report the incidents. The Student Affairs Office provides services, advocates, and information for student victims in a safe, supportive, and confidential setting. Human Resources can provide similar services for employees.
In some circumstances, a victim may wish to seek an order of protection from a court or appropriate jurisdiction against the alleged perpetrator. In these circumstances, Campus Police will assist victims in their attempt to secure these orders. Victims may also seek restriction of access to the College by non-students or non-employees when appropriate.
In certain circumstances, Stonehill College may need to report an incident to law enforcement authorities. Such circumstances include any incidents that warrant the undertaking of additional safety and security measures for the protection of the victim and the campus community. Additionally, in situations where the health and safety of the individual and/or campus community is at risk, it may be necessary to notify additional appropriate College officials.
Stonehill College is committed to supporting victims of stalking by providing the necessary safety and support services and reasonable accommodations. Crisis intervention and victim safety concerns will take precedence. Due to the complex nature of the problem, the victim may need assistance in obtaining one or more of the following:
- No-contact order
- Services of an advocate
- Change in an academic schedule
- Alternative housing and/or office accommodations
- An interim restriction/suspension of the accused individual
- Resources for medical and/or psychological support
For assistance in obtaining these safety accommodations, students may contact the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students at 508-565-1363. Employees may contact the Director of Human Resources at 508-565-1105.
If safety is an immediate concern, contact law enforcement at 508-565-5555, or dial 911 for assistance.
Sexual Misconduct:
Stonehill College strictly prohibits sexual misconduct in all forms. Students found responsible for violating this policy will face disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal from the College. Sexual misconduct includes the following:
- Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse, which includes but is not limited to, penetration of a bodily orifice (vagina, anus or mouth) by an object or by a body part and/or non-consensual fellatio or cunnilingus or attempts to commit the same, without effective consent.
- Non-Consensual Contact, which includes but is not limited to, intentional physical contact of a sexual nature (touching breasts, buttocks, or pubic area) of anyone without his/her consent or attempts to commit the same, without effective consent. In addition, any disrobing of another or exposure to another without effective consent may also constitute non-consensual sexual contact.
- Sexual Exploitation, which occurs when a student takes advantage of another without his/her consent for his/her own advantage or benefit, to benefit or advantage anyone other that the one being exploited, or behavior that does not otherwise constitute one of the other offenses specifically noted it the Sexual Misconduct Policy. Examples of sexual exploitation include, but are not limited to:
- Sexual exhibitionism
- Prostitution or the solicitation of a prostitute, escort and/or stripper
- Non-consensual video, photographing, or audio-taping of sexual activity and/or distribution of these materials via mediums such as the internet
- Going beyond the boundaries of consent (e.g. allowing people to watch consensual sex without knowledge of the participants)
- Peeping or other voyeurism
- Knowingly transmitting a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) to another individual
- Sexual Harassment, which includes, but is not limited to:
- Sexual advances, whether or not they involve physical touching
- Requests for sexual favors in exchange for actual or promised job or academic benefits, such as favorable reviews, salary increases, promotions, increased benefits or academic advantages
- Lewd or sexually suggestive comments, jokes innuendos or gestures
- Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, magazines or cartoons
- Commenting about or inappropriately touching an individual’s body
- Inquiries or discussion about an individual’s sexual experiences or activities and other written or oral references to sexual conduct
For more information regarding sexual harassment please see Stonehill’s Opposition to Sexual Harassment Policy. Further, Policy E3.47 Employee-Student Consensual Relations, is incorporated herein by reference.
Effective Consent
Stonehill College strongly encourages students who choose to engage in sexual behavior to verbally communicate their intentions and consent as clearly as possible.
In the absence of mutually understandable words or actions, it is the responsibility of the initiator, or the person who wants to engage in the specific sexual activity, to make certain that he/she has the consent from his/her partner. Consent to some form of sexual activity does not necessarily mean consent to other forms of sexual activity. In addition, consent to sexual activity may be withdrawn at any time, as long as the withdrawal is communicated clearly, at which point all sexual activity must cease. Mutually understandable consent must be obtained by the initiator at every stage of sexual interaction.
Consent is mutually understandable when a reasonable person would consider the words and/or actions of the parties to have expressed a mutually understandable agreement between them to do the same thing, in the same way, at the same time, with one another.
Consent obtained through the use of fraud or force (actual or implied), whether that force be physical force, threats, intimidation or coercion, is not effective consent.
Consent may never be given by minors (in Massachusetts, those not yet 16 years of age), mentally disabled persons, those who are incapacitated as a result of alcohol or other drug consumption (voluntary or involuntary), or those who are unconscious, unaware or otherwise physically helpless. A person who knows or should have reasonably known that another person is incapacitated may not engage in sexual activity with that person. Incapacitation means being in a state where a person lacks the capacity to appreciate the fact that the situation is sexual, or cannot appreciate (rationally or reasonably) the nature and/or extent of the situation.
Additional Clarification Regarding Sexual Misconduct
- A person who is the object of sexual aggression is not required to physically or otherwise resist a sexual aggressor.
- Silence, previous sexual relationships, and/or a current relationship with the initiator (or anyone else) may not, in themselves, be taken to imply consent.
- Intentional use of alcohol or other drugs does not excuse a violation of the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
- Attempts to commit sexual misconduct and/or aiding the commission of sexual misconduct as an accomplice are also prohibited under this policy.
Obtaining Information, Support or Counseling
Counselors at a variety of departments/agencies both on and off campus can assist a person in deciding what steps to take, such as obtaining counseling, seeking medical attention, preserving evidence, and reporting to authorities. Information, support, and advice are available for anyone who wishes to discuss issues related to gender-based misconduct. Specifically, in cases of sexual assault, they may help determine whether or not a sexual assault has actually occurred, and whether or not the person seeking information has been assaulted, has been accused of sexual assault or is a third party.
On Campus Resources:
- Campus Ministry – 508-565-1487
- Campus Police – 508-565-5555
- Counseling and Testing Center – 508-565-1331
- Health Services – 508-565-1307
- Human Resources – 508-565-1105
- Residence Life – 508-565-1290
- S.H.A.R.E. Advisors – during business hours (8:30am – 4:30pm, contact the Counseling and Testing Center at 508-565-1331 for a list of Advisors; after 4:30pm, contact the Switchboard at 508-565-1000
- Student Affairs – 508-565-1363
- Title IX Coordinators – refer to The Hill Book for a list of Coordinators or contact the General Counsel’s office at 508-565-1404
Off-Campus Agencies:
- A New Day – 508-941-7400
- Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital – 508-941-7000
Medical and Counseling Attention
A person who has experienced a sexual assault is urged to seek appropriate medical evaluation as promptly as possible, ideally within 72 hours of the incident. To help preserve evidence, the victim is encouraged not to bathe or douche, urinate, or drink any liquids. If oral contact has occurred, the victim is encouraged to refrain from smoking, eating, or brushing their teeth. In addition, if clothes are changed, soiled clothes should be placed in a paper bag, as plastic destroys crucial evidence.
S.H.A.R.E Advisors for Cases of Sexual Misconduct
S.H.A.R.E Advisors are a group of trained staff and faculty members who provide support and assistance to Stonehill students who have experienced sexual misconduct and those students accused of sexual misconduct. Students can access S.H.A.R.E. Advisors by calling the Counseling and Testing Center during business hours (8:30am – 4:30pm) and Campus Police after 4:30pm. It is important to note that S.H.A.R.E Advisors, as they are private, not “confidential” resources, must make a formal report of sexual misconduct if one has not already been completed.
S.H.A.R.E Advisors are trained and available to assist the survivor and/or student accused of sexual misconduct in a variety of ways, including:
- Assistance with emergency rape crisis treatment and emergency medical services including accompanying the victim to the hospital, working with police, etc.
- Assistance, guidance, and support throughout the College disciplinary process and/or the criminal justice process
- Assistance in coordinating academic concerns, such as missed classes, assignments, or change of class section
- Assistance in contacting community resources, such as rape crisis centers or support groups
- General support and assistance as needed
While S.H.A.R.E. Advisors are available to assist, it is always the survivor/accused student who chooses what services or support she/he would like to utilize.
Filing a Sexual Misconduct Report
A person who believes he/she was the victim of another’s gender-based misconduct is encouraged to report the incident. On and off-campus support and the campus Student Discipline System may play important roles, and Stonehill College provides support services to students who choose to seek criminal or civil prosecution as well as disciplinary action under Stonehill College’s Student Discipline System. These options run concurrently with the processes available pursuant to Policy E3.35, Opposition to Sexual Harassment and Other Forms of Discrimination.
Several options for reporting are available:
- File a Report with Campus Police: Campus Police will respond quickly upon notification of an incident. A campus investigation may or may not lead to initiating the Student Discipline System.
- File a Report with the Easton Police Department: Students can contact the Easton Police Department at 508-230-3322 or by dialing 911 from a cell phone. Campus Police will be notified if dialing 911 from a campus phone. Campus Police can assist in notifying the local police if the student chooses.
- File a Report with a Title IX Coordinator: Report the gender-based misconduct to a Title IX Coordinator, who will forward the report to the Office of Student Affairs. The Title IX Coordinator can help inform victims about the process, procedures, and policies that apply in gender-based misconduct cases. Other services provided by the Title IX Coordinator may include, but are not limited to:
• Making referrals as appropriate
• Furnishing materials for support services on and off campus
• Imposing interim measures and/or no-contact orders
• Changing on campus student housing to a different on campus location (attempts will be made to move the charged student)
• Providing assistance from the College in completing the relocation
• Rescheduling exams and/or assignments
• Transferring class sections
• Assisting with time away from the College
• Providing information on civil and criminal investigation and adjudication processes
- File an Anonymous Report: Students who wish to anonymously inform the College of a gender-based misconduct may file an incident report on-line through the Community Standards web page. The information provided to the College in this manner will only be used for Clery Act data collection and will be kept confidential. Anonymous reports cannot be used to initiate a formal student discipline process.
- Take No Action: Students have the right not to file a report, yet they are highly encouraged to seek medical attention and counseling. Students who wish to file a report at a later date may contact a Title IX Coordinator. However, please note that a delay in reporting could weaken evidence used to determine whether a student is found responsible for gender-based misconduct, including a sexual assault.
The Investigation and Disciplinary Process for Sexual Misconduct
Campus officials must take appropriate actions to ensure that investigations of gender-based misconduct complaints are normally completed within 60 days of receiving a complaint.
Reports of gender-based misconduct by a student may be addressed through the College’s student disciplinary process, which is described in further detail in the Hill Book. Additionally, for matters alleging gender-based misconduct, the student who believes he/she was the victim of gender-based misconduct will:
- Have the opportunity to be present throughout the entire disciplinary hearing.
- Be entitled to the same opportunity to have others present during a disciplinary hearing as provided to the charged student.
- Be informed of the outcome of the disciplinary hearing, including sanctions, in connection with his/her complaint.
- Be permitted to appeal the outcome of the disciplinary hearing.
Formal rules of process, procedure, or rules of evidence such as those applied in criminal or civil courts are not used in the Student Discipline System.
The hearing board will be comprised of a designee of the Vice President for Student Affairs, who serves as the Chair, and two staff and/or faculty members.
The appeals board will be comprised of the Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee, who serves as Chair, and two staff/faculty members. The appeals board members cannot be the same members who served on the original hearing board.
In cases of sexual misconduct, no questions, statements, or information about the sexual activity of the person who believes she/he was the victim of another’s misconduct with anyone other than the charged student may be introduced. Requests for exceptions to this guideline must be made in writing to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee, at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing. If the person who believes she/he is the victim of another’s misconduct raises her/his own sexual activity with anyone other than the charged student, questions may then be asked about that relationship.
The College will disclose, in writing, the final results of any institutional disciplinary proceedings conducted against a charged student to the victim (or if the victim is deceased as a result of such crime or offense, to the next of kin) of any violent crime or non-forcible sex offense.
Statement of Rights for Those Involved in Incidents of Gender-Based Misconduct
It is the goal of Stonehill College to ensure that students have access to needed resources, services, and information.
Ordinarily, the College assures all students involved in incidents of gender-based misconduct will:
- Be notified of available spiritual and personal counseling, mental health, medical or student services, both on campus and in the community as appropriate.
- Receive notification of options for and available assistance in changing academic and living situations after an alleged incident of gender-based misconduct, if so requested and if such changes are reasonably available (no charges or investigation, campus or criminal, need to occur before this option is available).
- Have the matter investigated in a timely manner.
- Be offered a S.H.A.R.E. Advisor (for cases of sexual misconduct) to be present during any formal disciplinary hearing.
- Be informed in writing of the outcome of any formal disciplinary hearing within 3 business days.
- Not have irrelevant prior sexual history admitted in a formal disciplinary hearing in cases of sexual misconduct.
- Be given the choice whether or not to have reports of gender-based misconduct resolved through an informal resolution.
- Be free from any behavior that may be construed by the College to be intimidating, harassing or retaliatory.
Rights of an Individual who May be the Victim of Gender-Based Misconduct
Ordinarily, the College assures all students reporting allegations of gender-based misconduct will:
- Have reports of gender-based misconduct responded to in accordance with College policy.
- Be present throughout the entire formal disciplinary hearing.
- Be entitled to additional accommodations including, but not limited to, the use of technology, if either student wishes to be in a different location.
- Question witnesses, including the charged student, through the Chair of the formal disciplinary committee.
- Appeal the finding and sanction of a formal disciplinary hearing in accordance with the standards for appeal established under “Rights of All Parties in Formal Discipline Hearings,” as published by the College.
- Choose whether or not to have a report investigated unless the College deems it necessary to protect the safety of the College community or in compliance with applicable law.
Rights of an Individual Accused of an Incident of Gender-Based Misconduct
Ordinarily, the College assures all students accused of an incident of gender-based misconduct will:
- Be notified of a report of gender-based misconduct in accordance with College policy.
- Be entitled to present his/her case in accordance with College policy.
- Be entitled to additional accommodations including, but not limited to, the use of technology, if either student wishes to be in a different location.
- Question witnesses, including the individual reporting the misconduct, through the Chair of the formal disciplinary committee.
- Appeal the finding and sanction of a formal disciplinary hearing in accordance with the standards for appeal established under “Rights of All Parties in Formal Discipline Hearings,” as published by the College.
Retaliation
The College encourages students to report all incidents of gender-based misconduct. Any threat of retaliation or other attempts to prevent the reporting of an incident of gender-based misconduct is itself prohibited and will result in disciplinary actions and/or sanctions.
Amnesty
At times, students are hesitant to report the occurrence of a gender-based assault to College officials because they are concerned that they themselves, or witnesses to the misconduct, may be charged with violations of the alcohol policy. While these behaviors are not condoned by the College, the importance of dealing with them pales in comparison to the need to address instances of alleged gender-based misconduct. Accordingly, in these cases, the College will not pursue disciplinary action against a student who claims, in good faith, to be the victim of a gender-based misconduct in connection with the reporting of a gender-based incident, or against students named as witnesses to the incident.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Students have the right under federal law (Title IX) to expect that reports of gender-based misconduct will be taken seriously by Stonehill College. Under federal law, if a student makes a formal report about gender-based misconduct to a College official (e.g. officials within Student Affairs, a Title IX Coordinator, Resident Assistants, Residence Directors, Campus Police, and certain other staff members with supervisory responsibilities), or when deemed necessary to protect the interests of the College community, the College has an obligation to investigate the complaint. To the extent possible, the College will protect the privacy of all parties to a complaint of gender-based misconduct.
In the case of sexual misconduct, an individual can speak confidentially with certain persons in legally protected roles, such as counselors at the Counseling and Testing Center, campus ministers, and/or staff in Health Services. These offices will pass along non-personally identifiable statistical information to Campus Police for statistical purposes only. The only information which will be released is that an incident was reported, the type of incident, and the general location of the incident (on or off campus). These statistics are made available through publication in the Annual Campus Security Report. The College will notify a Title IX Coordinator, in writing, that a sexual assault complaint has been filed.
When the College, through a report to a College official, becomes aware of an incident of sexual misconduct that occurred on campus and there is a potential for bodily harm or danger to members of the College community, College staff will issue a timely warning to the campus. While the College will provide enough information to safeguard the campus community, a student’s name or other personally identifying information will not be disclosed.
Confidentiality with respect to a person accused of having been found responsible for sexual misconduct policy is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment. FERPA provides that personally identifiable information maintained in the educational records of an institution shall not be disclosed, except as otherwise specified by law.
Education and Prevention
The College is committed to providing on-going education and support programs aimed at the eradication of gender-based misconduct. In addition, the College will evaluate on an ongoing basis, all policies and procedures related to gender-based misconduct.
OPPOSITION TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND OTHER FORMS OF
DISCRIMINATION
I. Introduction:
All members of the Stonehill community – students, staff, faculty, and visitors – have a right to a professional, academic, and working environment free of unlawful harassment and discrimination. Such harassment undermines the integrity of community relationships and is unacceptable behavior at Stonehill College.
Members of the Stonehill community who hold positions of authority have a particular responsibility to be aware of the power inherent in their relationships with students and subordinates and to avoid behavior that may be perceived as sexual harassment. All members of the Stonehill community, with academic or supervisory responsibility for another, must keep their relationships, especially those with students, on a professional level.
Stonehill College maintains a “Zero Tolerance” Sexual Harassment Policy. This policy not only applies to the workplace during normal business hours, but also to all work-related social and business functions, whether on or off the College campus, and also while employees and students are on business, academic, or athletic related travel. The College will take effective means to end any sexual harassment, up to and including termination or dismissal of the offending individual.
II. Sexual Harassment:
Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment; submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions; or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating, or sexually offensive working or academic environment.
The following are examples of conduct, which may constitute sexual harassment:
- Sexual advances, whether or not they involve physical touching.
- Requests for sexual favors in exchange for actual or promised job or academic benefits, such as favorable reviews, salary increases, promotions, increased benefits or academic advantages.
- Lewd or sexually suggestive comments, jokes, innuendos or gestures.
- Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, magazines, or cartoons.
- Commenting about or inappropriately touching an individual’s body.
- Inquiries or discussion about an individual’s sexual experiences or activities and other written or oral references to sexual conduct.
- Sexual exploitation, which is defined for the purposes of this policy as any abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust for sexual purposes. This includes profiting momentarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. Sexual exploitation is one of the purposes of trafficking in persons (performing in a sexual manner, forced undressing and/or nakedness, coerced marriage, forced childbearing, engagement in pornography or prostitution, sexual extortion for the granting of goods, services, assistance benefits, sexual slavery).
III. Complaints of Sexual Harassment:
If a member of the Stonehill community believes that he or she has been subjected to sexual harassment or inappropriate sexual conduct, a first step, if the person feels comfortable in doing so, is to inform the person engaging in the conduct that it is unwelcome and ask the person to stop. Retaliation against anyone who exercises his or her right to confront the individual whose conduct is offensive, or who brings a complaint of sexual harassment or cooperates in an investigation is unlawful and will not be tolerated by the College.
The College is committed to investigating all complaints promptly and fairly. To the extent practicable, the College will protect the confidentiality of the individuals involved and initially consider informal resolution. The College is committed to proceeding as necessary to eliminate sexual harassment and will take appropriate corrective action which may include counseling, written warnings, or other discipline up to immediate dismissal.
While students may contact any trusted employee or faculty member to report an incident, the following individuals have been designated as contacts for assistance in addressing any sexual harassment concerns:
- Rev. John Denning, C.S.C., VP for Student Affairs, 508-565-1363
- Pauline Dobrowski, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, 508-565-1363
- Katie Conboy, VP for Academic Affairs, 508-565-1311
- Whistleblower (Ethics Hot-line) 1-877-472-2110
Employees may contact their department head or the following for assistance in addressing any sexual harassment concerns:
- Lisa Conroy, Assistant Director of Human Resources, 508-565-1105
- Thomas V. Flynn, General Counsel, 508-565-1413
- Whistleblower (Ethics Hot-line) 1-877-472-2110
- Wellness Corp (Employee Assistance Program) 1-800-828-6025
In addition to the above-named individuals, the following individuals have been designated pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as the Title IX Coordinators for the College:
- Maryann Perry, Director of Human Resources, 508-565-1105 (senior coordinator) - primary responsibility for employee matters
- Beth Devonshire, Director of Community Standards, 508-565-1323 - primary responsibility for student matters
- Cynthia MacDonald, Associate Director of Athletics, 508-565-1391 - primary responsibility for athletic and gender equity matters
Title IX Coordinators shall coordinate the College’s compliance with Title IX, including identifying and addressing any patterns or systematic problems that arise during the review of complaints. Regardless of the primary responsibility of any coordinator or their status as the senior coordinator, if any Title IX Coordinator is directly involved in an investigation or complaint, the other Title IX Coordinators shall assume responsibility for any Title IX review involving such investigation or complaint.
IV. Other Forms of Harassment and Discrimination:
It is also unlawful and a violation of Stonehill policy to harass any member of the community because of his or her race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Any individual who believes that he or she has been subject to any type of harassment should feel free to institute the resolution and complaint procedure outlined above under Section III.
V. Government Resources:
The College encourages individuals to initially seek resolution of sexual harassment complaints through its internal procedures; however, formal complaints can also be brought to these government agencies. The time periods for filing are EEOC 300 days; MCAD 6 months:
- Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, 617-289-0111
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, John F. Kennedy Federal Building, 475 Government Center, Boston, MA 02203, 800-669-4000
- Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, 1 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA, 02108, 617-994-6000
Policy Against Hazing
Stonehill College fully complies with Commonwealth of Massachusetts Laws (Ch 269) regarding hazing. As such, the College has adopted the following policy against hazing for all students including student leaders and athletes. Stonehill defines hazing as any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, team, group, etc., whether on or off-campus, which endangers the physical or emotional health of any student or other person no matter how well intended the end result or intent.
Types of hazing include the following:
- Hazing as a Public Display: Any and all forms of public appearance, which may result in adverse publicity to the organization or the College.
- Hazing as a Physical Abuse: Any practice, whether internal or external, which could be detrimental to the health or well-being of any person.
- Hazing as Moral Indignity: Any action which by ethical, moral, and/or socially accepted standard of right and wrong may create in any individual feelings of humiliation or disgrace.
- Hazing as Scholastic Interference: Any and all practices, which place a person in the position of being unable to attend, or properly prepare for, academic practices.
Examples of hazing include, but are not limited to:
- Applying any substance to a person’s body or belongings such as whipped cream or paint
- Forced listening to loud, repetitive music or recordings
- Verbal or written abuse, yelling or screaming
- Verbal or written abuse or harassment based upon race, color, national and/or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, veteran’s status, age, or association with persons different from oneself
- Whipping, paddling or other beating
- Nudity
- Participation in illegal acts
- Kidnapping
- Bondage
- Personal servitude
- Pranks such as streaking/panty raids, unauthorized scavenger hunts, etc.
- Forced or coerced stunt or skit nights/events with demeaning and/or crude skits and/or poems
- Preventing the use of limbs
- Forced or coerced wearing of conspicuous clothing not normally in good taste such as togas
- Extended deprivation of sleep, adequate study time, rest or extended isolation
- Forced or coerced branding/tattoos/hair styles
- Deprivation of food or water
- Forced calisthenics or exercise beyond the physical limits
- Exposure to settings or conditions that adversely affect the physical health or safety of any student or which subjects such student or other person to extreme emotional stress
- Individual or group interrogations
- Involuntary consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any student or other person
- Use of titles or forms of address that denote personal servitude or authority
Hazing is banned in any form as a practice by any organization, group or team, etc. regardless of whether or not the organization, group, or team is recognized by Stonehill College.
Each group, team, or organization will distribute a copy of the Chapter 536, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Year 1985, An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Hazing, to each of its members or applicants for membership annually.
The Athletic Department (for intercollegiate sports teams), the Recreational Sports Department (for club sports teams) and the Student Activities Department (for recognized and unrecognized student organizations) will annually submit to the Student Affairs Office an attested acknowledgment stating the group, team or organization has received a copy of Chapter 536, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Year 1985, An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Hazing, and that each of its members or applicants has received a copy of Chapter 536, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Year 1985, An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Hazing, and that the group, team or organization understands and agrees to comply with the provisions of Chapter 536, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Year 1985, An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Hazing.
Any individual or organization found responsible for practicing hazing, in any form, is subject to disciplinary action and sanctions including separation or dismissal from Stonehill College and, in the case of a recognized student organization, loss of recognition.
An individual involved in an alleged violation of the Stonehill College Policy Against Hazing may not use consent as an acceptable reason for participation.
Anyone with knowledge that another person is the victim of hazing must immediately report such act to Campus Police at 508-565-5555, Student Affairs at 508-565-1363 and/or his/her RD/AC or RA.
Student Use of Electronic Devices Policy
Cellular phones, pagers, cameras, video and audio taping equipment and other electronic devices shall not be used in a manner that causes disruption in the classroom, library, in other College buildings or facilities, or at College events (e.g. lectures, masses, etc.). Individuals using electronic devices must obtain permission from individuals to be photographed, videotaped or audio taped prior to photographing, videotaping or audio taping on the Stonehill College campus or at College-sponsored functions. Personal information should not be incorporated into photographs, videotapes, audiotapes, websites and other media.
Weapons
Possessing firearms, using firearms, attempting to use or threatening to use firearms whether, loaded or unloaded, explosives or other weapons, even if legally possessed, is prohibited on the Stonehill campus or at off-campus events. Weapons include but are not limited to such items as switchblades, stilettos, nun-chucks, daggers, brass knuckles, bows and arrows, slingshots, BB guns, air guns, pellet guns, air rifles (regardless of projectile velocity), taser guns, paintball guns, chemicals, fireworks and ammunition (whether metal, plastic, or other materials). Any item that may be used as a weapon is prohibited. Improper use of laser beam instruments is also prohibited. Possession without appropriate authorization and/or misuse of the weapons will result in serious disciplinary action by the College. Weapons of any kind may not be stored in any building or on the grounds of Stonehill College, including personal vehicles.
The use of prop weapons for theatrical performances or activities on campus can present a potential danger for students, faculty, and staff. There are well-documented cases where law enforcement officers have mistaken a “toy” or realistic replica for a real weapon, and serious injury or death has resulted. It is unreasonable to expect the Stonehill College Campus Police or College employees to be able to distinguish a “stage prop” or “toy” from a dangerous weapon. Any person, class, club, or other organization that plans to use prop, replica, training or toy weapon of any description on the Stonehill College campus as part of their activities must register all the details of the activity with the Stonehill College Police.
Faculty, academic programs, and academic organizations must receive approval from the Dean of Faculty for the use of such items. All other groups (whether or not a student group) must receive the approval of the Dean of Students.
Gambling
Stonehill College students must abide by federal and state laws and College policies prohibiting illegal gambling. Prohibited activity includes, but is not limited to:
- Betting on, wagering on, or selling pools on any athletic event
- Possessing on one’s person or premises (e.g. room, car, etc.) any card, book, or other device for registering bets
- Knowingly permitting the use of one’s premises or one’s telephone or other electronic communication device for illegal gambling
- Knowingly receiving or delivering a letter, package, or parcel related to illegal gambling
- Offering, soliciting, or accepting a bribe to influence the outcome of an athletic event
- Involvement in bookmaking or wagering pools with respect to sporting events
- Playing cards for money
- Unauthorized raffles
College-approved non-cash legal gambling activities such as casino nights with prizes must be approved by the Director of Student Activities, or designee. The sponsoring organization must obtain appropriate licenses and complete required reports for legal gambling activities.
Students who experience serious difficulties with gambling are urged to call Gambler’s Anonymous at 617-899-7943 or Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling at 617-338-6020.
Cancellations Due to Inclement Weather
As a residential campus, Stonehill College will hold classes and other activities whenever possible. Therefore, cancellation of classes due to inclement weather such as snow or ice will be kept to a minimum, and students should plan accordingly. Individual faculty or instructors who may have a significant commute to campus may be forced to cancel their individual classes on a particular day while all other classes are in session.
When classes are cancelled due to snow, ice, or other inclement weather conditions, information is communicated on local radio stations:
BROCKTON
| WBET-AM 1460 |
WCAV-FM 97.7 |
BOSTON
| WBZ-AM 1030 |
WMJX-FM 106.7 |
| WRKO-AM 680 |
WBMX-FM 98.5 |
WORCESTER
NEW BEDFORD
| WNBH-AM 1340 |
WCTK-FM 98.1 |
Students may also call the College at 508-565-5000 for a taped message.
Students may turn to campus cable TV Channel 70 for cancellation information.
Campus Mail Service
Campus mail service and student mailboxes are located on the lower level of the Roche Dining Commons Building. The Mail Room is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Mail Room window is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The Stonehill College Mail Delivery System operates for the purpose of receiving and delivering college-related correspondence and U. S. Mail to all students.
Examples of misuse of campus mail include the attempted distribution of:
- Chain letters, hate mail or mail with obscene content
- Letters to gain personal profit (ex. pyramid schemes)
- On/off campus political endorsements
All resident students are assigned a mailbox with a combination and are responsible for picking up their mail daily. Students keep the same mailbox and combination for their entire stay at the College. Mailbox numbers and combinations will be given to all first-year resident students in their Orientation Packets over the summer. Commuter students may rent a box for a fee. Certain restrictions will be enforced.
When packages and accountable mail is received on campus, students are notified through their Stonehill Email account of its arrival. The packages are held in the Mail Room for student pickup. All packages must be picked up in a timely manner, so as not to create an overflow in the Mail Room.
The following format should be used for student mail, where “xxxx” equals the student’s box number. The word “Box” should not be used in the address, as it is often mistaken for a box at the local Post Office. Mail should never be sent to a student’s residence hall address.
Student’s Full Name
Stonehill College
320 Washington St. # “xxxx”
Easton, MA 02357
Please refrain from the use of nicknames, as it slows down mail services or causes mail to be returned to sender. Do not have packages delivered under a parent’s name. Student mail is forwarded over winter break as well as over the summer.
Student mail forwarding for summer begins after graduation. Mail is automatically forwarded to the mailing address on file with the Registrar’s Office. Students who do NOT wish their mail to be forwarded to this address and have an alternative mailing address for the summer should contact the Mail Room. Students who have graduated must register all address changes directly with the Alumni Office. Mail may be forwarded to an alternative address for a maximum of 90 days unless on approved leave from the College. Only first-class and periodical mail is forwarded. First-class mail includes bills & statements, personal correspondences and matter closed against postal inspection. The Mail Room will attempt to forward college/graduate school catalogs and applications, CD, video and book club mailings which require a timely response even if they arrive other than first-class mail or periodical mail. Note: the U.S. Postal Service has the final control over what classes of mail may be forwarded and may choose not to process bulk rate forwarded mail. Packages, boxes, etc. that arrive via the U.S. Postal Service are forwarded. Anything arriving via other carriers is returned to the sender with a forwarding address if available. It is the obligation of the sender to forward these items. Bulk mail is not forwarded. Bulk mail includes most catalogs, solicitations, and nonprofit mailings. Bulk mail is recycled.
Mail for students who keep their boxes active for the summer is pulled and distributed first. All other mail is forwarded on a daily basis.
Distribution of Notices and Flyers
Departments or student organizations may send college-related flyers and notices to the campus community free of charge. Please contact the Supervisor of Mail Services for size and content restrictions and also for current number of copies needed for your target group. Flyers and notices must be delivered to Mail Services 3 days before the requested distribution date. These groups can also send work-study students to place the flyers into boxes.
Outside vendors may distribute approved materials to the student mailboxes for a fee.
Student ID Cards and Hill Cards
Students are given an ID card (Hill Card) as part of their regular orientation to the College community. Students must maintain a current card for the entire period that they are affiliated with Stonehill College and must carry their Hill Cards at all times. The Hill Card is intended to serve as proof of an individual’s status at the College and provides access to many resources provided by the College.
Any transfer, alteration, falsification or forgery of an Hill Card constitutes a violation of the Stonehill College Community Standards and may result in disciplinary action. In addition, fraudulent or illegal use of the Hill Card may result in disciplinary action.
ID cards should not be defaced or modified in any way. The use of stickers, pins or other items affixed to Hill Cards is prohibited in order to preserve their useful life. Hill Cards should be protected from damage or wear. Please protect the magnetically encoded information by keeping the card away from magnetic fields such as those generated by television sets, stereo speakers, bulk tape erasers, radio transmitters and personal computers, which could erase the information encoded on the card.
The cardholder agrees to abide by the policy, as amended from time to time, and to the display of his or her picture on the Hill Card. The Hill Card is and at all times shall remain the property of Stonehill College. It may be revoked at any time by the College if misused. It must be presented or returned upon request by an appropriate College official.
The initial Hill Card is issued without charge. The cardholder is responsible for the care and safekeeping of the card. If the card is lost or stolen, there is a $25 fee for each replacement card. If a card becomes unusable because of normal wear and tear, it will be replaced at no charge. Once a replacement card is issued, no refund will be made, even if the missing card is found.
The loss or theft of the Hill Card must be immediately reported to Dining Services. If such loss or theft occurs after regular office hours or on the weekend, the report should be made to the Stonehill College Campus Police Department. It is important that the missing card is reported as soon as possible since the card could be misused. Until a student reports a card lost or stolen, he/she is responsible for any loss of funds.
Guest Policy
Students are responsible for the conduct of their guests and for ensuring that guests adhere to College rules and regulations. Stonehill College alumni are considered to be guests. Student hosts must be with their guests at all times. If guests violate College rules and regulations, the student host will be subject to disciplinary action and the guests subject to immediate removal from the campus and criminal trespass warning.
All guests must be registered with the College and must carry a valid photo I.D. and approved guest pass at all times.
Students are limited to hosting two guests during any period of time. Students must obtain permission from their roommate(s) for a guest to stay through the night. If a guest is under the age of 17, the student must obtain permission from his or her Area Coordinator or Residence Director. Guests cannot stay beyond two consecutive days in a one-week period without the approval of the Residence Life Office. Behavior that is intrusive to the privacy of the roommate(s) is prohibited.
As a Catholic institution, Stonehill College does not condone cohabitation.
Student Use of the Stonehill Name
Stonehill College is the owner of its name, logos, mascot and other trademarks and has sole discretion over their use.
The use of the Stonehill College name, logos, seal, crest, indicia or mascot is prohibited for the titles of publications, on manufactured articles such as T-shirts or novelty items without the approval of the Director of Student Activities, or designee. Any goods upon which the Stonehill name, logo or mascot appears without approval are subject to confiscation and may be destroyed.
Student Eligibility for College Activities, Club Sports and Study Abroad/Away Programs
In order to hold leadership positions in student organizations, apply for or receive endorsement for study abroad programs/away programs, or be eligible for participation in club sports, students must meet the minimum requirement of being in good academic and disciplinary standing. Programs or organizations may require more stringent or rigorous standards for eligibility.
Communication with College Officials
Students are expected to be respectful of faculty and staff. This includes, but is not limited to employers of third party vendors who work for the College. Verbal or written exchanges that are disrespectful, including swearing, will be addressed accordingly. Moreover, any form of physical violence, intimidation, or threats is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.
Compliance with Requests or Directives
Students are required to comply with reasonable requests, directives, or orders by authorized College personnel including members of the residence life staff, custodial staff, dining services staff, maintenance/grounds staff, faculty, secretaries/support staff and College administrators. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, reasonable requests for students to meet for appointments in administrative or faculty offices, to be cooperative at disciplinary investigations and hearings and to properly identify oneself upon request. Students who fail to honor requests or orders by authorized College personnel will be subject to disciplinary action.
Inspection of Student Rooms and Personal Belongings
One of the basic student rights is the right to privacy. The right to be secured and protected against unreasonable inspections of student rooms and personal belongings is part of this right to privacy. Students are responsible for the contents of their room, car, locker or person. Students need not be present or notified when an inspection is conducted.
Routine Entry & Inspection of Premises
The College reserves the right to enter all campus premises on a regular basis to examine the same or to make such repairs, additions, or alterations, as it deems necessary. In addition, the College reserves the right to enter the premises in order to take those precautions that might be found necessary to protect the health and safety of the occupants or other persons therein. Students must be advised that the College will take disciplinary action against any violators of College policy, even if the violation is observed as part of a routine operation.
Visual Inspection
When the College has reason to suspect that a violation of College policy is occurring, the College reserves the right to investigate the situation and confiscate evidence of such violations. In addition, the College may make a visual inspection of the student’s room, motor vehicle, and person. The possession or use of alcoholic beverages and containers, drug paraphernalia, suspicious odors, disruptive behavior or behavior which may be of concern, will generally be considered the basis for a visual inspection. As a follow-up to a visual inspection, the College may request permission from the student to inspect personal belongings such as closed lockers, refrigerators, closets, wardrobes, desks, bags or boxes.
Thorough Inspection
When the College has reasonable suspicion that a serious violation of federal, state and local laws or College policy is occurring, it may, with approval from the Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee, or a lawfully issued search warrant, thoroughly inspect a student’s person, room, motor vehicle and belongings without his/her consent. Materials obtained will be confiscated and used in disciplinary procedures.
Federal, Commonwealth & Local Authority
It should be noted that federal, state and local officials may exercise their legitimate authority in conducting search and seizure procedures without the consent of the College.
College Property and Residence Hall Damage
Policy and Procedures
“Stonehill College expects all students and guests to respect College facilities and property and does not tolerate any form of damage. While the College’s Community Standards includes the ‘attempted or actual theft, damage or vandalism to property of the College or others’ as a violation of College policy, resident students have particular accountability for the area or residential community in which they live.
Damage is defined as the unauthorized use, abuse, destruction, or theft of any College property. Damage may be accidental or intentional. Residence Hall damage is defined as damage to a residence area beyond what would be expected from normal wear and tear. Normal wear and tear is defined as deterioration or depreciation in value that occurs by ordinary and reasonable use of the property in the manner it was intended to be used, without negligence, carelessness, accident, or abuse. Normal wear and tear does not include uses that intentionally, maliciously, or accidentally damage property or uses that disregard College policies, building codes, fire codes or other municipal or state laws.”
As such, the following procedures apply:
- Students are prohibited from intentionally damaging, defacing, and destroying College property or the property of another student or guest.
- Students are responsible for accidental damage or destruction of College property or the property of another student or guest.
- Students will be held responsible for monetary restitution for any damages they, or their guests, cause anywhere on campus or another area under the control or use of the College. Students may also face disciplinary action under the Community Standards for any intentional or malicious act.
- If any damage exists beyond the level of normal wear and tear to an individual room where the responsible party or parties is not ascertainable, the the resident student(s) living in that room will share equal responsibility for restitution.
- If any damage exists beyond the level of normal wear and tear to a Controlled Common Area where the responsible party or parties is not ascertainable, then the resident student(s) for that Controlled Common Area will share equal responsibility for restitution. A Controlled Common Area is any area determined by the College that constitutes shared living space which is not accessible to a general population of students. For example a common room in a suite/townhouse/village house which is only accessible through a door which the suite/house residents have a key or card access to is a Controlled Common Area.
- If any damage exists beyond the level of normal wear and tear to a shared common area, an investigation will be conducted to ascertain responsible parties. The College may, based on the facts of any situation, make a determination, in its sole judgement, that a sub-group of the general population be held responsible for damage in a common area if the facts demonstrate that it is more likely than not that such sub-group is responsible for the damage. For example, the College may assess damages against a residence hall or the wing or floor of a residence hall.
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