Prohibited Actions

Disorderly Conduct

Conduct on college or housing owned or controlled property resulting from behavior that unreasonably affects others; which disrupts the orderly functioning of the college or housing; or which is lewd, indecent, inappropriate, or obscene is not permitted.

1. Noise/Quiet Hours/Courtesy Hours: The realities of community living dictate that individuals respect community needs for the moderation of noise regardless of established quiet hours. Noise is any sound, human, or otherwise, which is disturbing to any resident. To reduce the amount of noise in the building, specified quiet and courtesy hours are established.
• Excessive Noise: Excessive noises that are disruptive at any time are not permitted. To maintain an atmosphere conducive to study, sleep, and other individual pursuits, noise inside and outside of the building must be kept at a minimum level during designated quiet hours. Disruptive noises, including but not limited to loud stereos, loud televisions, amplified instruments, or loud voices, infringe on the rights of other students.
• Courtesy Hours: Courtesy hours are always in effect. Courtesy hours allow all residents to sleep, study, and relax or host visitors without distracting noises from neighbors.
• Quiet Hours: In addition to courtesy hours, general quiet hours are to be observed from 11:00pm to 9:00am, Sunday through Thursday; and 12:00am to 10:00am, Friday and Saturday. During finals week, quiet hours are in effect 24 hours a day. Quiet hours may be expanded as deemed necessary by housing staff.
2. Pranking: Engaging in any “pranking” activities is not permitted.
3. Sports and Roughhousing: The playing of various sports, wrestling, or “roughhousing” in housing is not permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, in-line skating, skateboarding, scooters, and bicycle riding, as well as throwing, kicking, or hitting any type of object including, but not limited to soccer balls, footballs, “nerf” balls, darts, etc. All athletic activities are to be limited to areas outside of housing that are specifically designated for such purposes.
4. Disruptive Behavior/Public Disturbance: Engaging in conduct that incites or threatens to incite a breach of the peace; breaching the peace; obstructing or disrupting the normal operations of the residence hall; infringing on the rights of others, including disrupting the living or learning environment is not permitted.
5. Threat or Harm to Self: Self-harm gestures, behaviors, or expressions that inappropriately affect or disrupt the educational processes of the college or the safety of the college community are not permitted. Any self-harm gestures, behaviors, or expressions that place inappropriate or unreasonable expectations or responsibility on the housing staff or members of the housing community are not permitted.
6. Threat or Harm to Others: Actions that would be considered likely to pose a threat, discomfort, or harm to others are not permitted. Such actions include, but are not limited to: inflicting verbal, mental, or physical harm upon any person; engaging in any intentional or reckless action from which verbal, mental, or physical harm could result; and causing a person to believe that the offender may cause verbal, mental, or physical harm.
7. Damage, Vandalism, or Misuse of Property: Deliberate, negligent, or reckless damage, destruction, vandalism, removal, defacing, or misuse of property of another, including personal, housing, or college property, is not permitted.
8. Theft, Unauthorized Possession, or Sale of Property: Theft, unauthorized possession, or sale of property of another, including personal, housing, or college property, is not permitted.
9. Bullying Behavior: Aggressive behavior directed at another person, either in person or through electronic means that causes stress or harm and that is repeated over time is not permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, assaulting, defaming, terrorizing, making obscene gestures, or invading privacy.
10. Stalking Behavior: Behavior in which an individual willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly engages in a knowing course of conduct directed at a specified person which reasonably and seriously alarms, torments, or terrorizes the person, and which serves no legitimate purpose is not permitted.
11. Harassing Behavior: Harassing behavior of any kind is not permitted. For the purposes of this policy “harassment” is the use, display, or other demonstration of words, gestures, imagery, or physical materials, or the engagement in any form of bodily conduct, on the basis of another’s protected status, that has the effect, intended or unintended, of creating a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment sufficiently severe or pervasive to substantially impair a reasonable person’s participation in college programs or activities, or use of college facilities; must target a specific person or persons; must be addressed directly to that person or persons; and the behavior does not have to be repeated. Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:
• Physical Harassment: Physical harm or the threat of physical harm, intimidation, as well as conduct that threatens the health and safety of the community is not permitted.
• Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature that occurs without the explicit consent of all parties involved, not in private, or without the proper consideration given to the rights of other residents and where such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating a hostile or offensive working or academic environment is not permitted.
• Verbal & Nonverbal Harassment: Verbal and nonverbal harassment made directly or indirectly (via email, social networking sites, written messages, etc.) is not permitted. This includes threats, malicious pranks, abusive name-calling, prank phone calls, and racial, gender, or sexual orientation harassment.
12. Videotaping and Camera Use: Any unauthorized use of electronic or other devices to make an audio or video recording of any person without that person’s prior knowledge, or without effective consent when such a recording is likely to cause injury or distress is not permitted.
13. Staff Direction and Compliance: Residents and their guests are required to comply with official and reasonable requests or orders of authorized college or housing staff or representative acting on behalf of the college or housing, including local law enforcement. This expectation includes requests for students to properly identify themselves, reasonable requests for students to meet appointments in administrative offices, disciplinary investigations and hearings, the completion of or the adherence to sanctions resulting from a conduct hearing. Not answering doors, being uncooperative or verbally abusive, failing to provide information, intentionally concealing information, providing false information, showing reckless disregard for the truth, or otherwise interfering with staff is not permitted.
14. Gambling and Games of Chance: Gambling or activities involving the use or exchange of money during or at the close of playing a game in housing and on college property is not permitted. This includes online gambling from one’s room using the college-provided network.
15. Trash and Littering: Students shall dispose of all personal trash in proper receptacles located outside the residence hall.
16. Attempted Violations: Attempts to violate policies and expectations, including unsuccessful attempts, are not permitted and are subject to the same response as are actual violations.
17. Passive Involvement and Complicity: Housing expects students who anticipate or observe a violation of college or housing policy to remove themselves from the situation; failure to do so may result in being charged for the policy violation being observed. A student witnessing any act that constitutes a violation of college or housing policy is expected to report such incidents to the proper authorities. Any student who is believed, more likely than not, to have assisted in violating any college or housing policy may be charged with a policy violation to the same extent as those persons directly committing a violation.
18. Persistent or Recurring Behavior: Persistent or recurring behavior that violates any of the listed policies may impact a student’s continued residential status.