The 2019-20 Student Handbook 1 Dear Connecticut College Student: Welcome to the 2019-2020 academic year. As a member of the Connecticut College community, you are expected to conduct yourselves according to the standards of integrity, civility and respect established by the student body and documented in our highly valued College Honor Code and in the College’s Student Code of Conduct. In addition to the expectations we have for each of you regarding your conduct on campus, you also have access to a conduct process that ensures the responsibilities and rights of students are systematically and duly addressed. The Student Handbook explains our community standards under the Honor Code and the Student Code of Conduct and our student conduct process. Students are responsible for the information contained in the Student Handbook and for upholding our community standards. This handbook represents the current code and the values of the Connecticut College community. It replaces the previously issued handbook and remains in effect until the next handbook is issued. The Student Handbook is organized into seven sections: Mission and Values of Connecticut College Student Responsibilities Under the Honor Code and Student Code of Conduct Discriminatory Conduct Policies and Procedures Detailed Policy Standards General Regulations The Student Conduct Process Student Involvement Should you have questions or input to offer with regard to your rights and responsibilities, please feel free to contact a member of the Student Government Association, the Office of the Dean of Students, or one of the student Conduct Process Advocates. Best wishes to you for a successful year! Sincerely, Sarah Cardwell Senior Associate Dean of Student Life 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section I – The Mission and Core Values Fire Safety The Connecticut College Core Values Motor Vehicles/Parking4 Statement on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Residential 5Education and Living The Student Bill of Rights Social Functions8 and Private Party The Honor Code Registration11 Communication with Family Members 12 Section V - General Policies and Section II – Student Responsibilities Procedures Under the Honor Code and Student Code Campus Safety Communications of Conduct Facilities Scope of the Honor Code & Student Code Posting & Advertising of Conduct Financial Policies15 Responsibility to Act and Report a Insurance & Liability Violation Medical Leaves16 of Absence Amnesty Policy Missing Persons17 Notification Violations under the Honor Code Off Campus18 Events &Transportation Violations under the Student Code of Religious Holidays Conduct 22 Section VI - Student Conduct Process Section III – Discriminatory Conduct The Complaint Process Discriminatory Conduct Methods of Resolving25 Complaints a. Definitions of Bias, a. Administrative Disposition Discrimination, Harassment b. Honor Council25 Support & Response Protocols c. Dean’s 27Grievance Board b. Definitions of Consent, Sexual d. Gender Based Complaint Investigation Misconduct, Intimate Partner Process Violence, & Stalking Student Conduct33 Sanctions Support & Response Protocols Student Conduct39 Review Process Conduct Process Student43 and Conduct 142 Records Section IV - Detailed Policy Standards Section VII – Student Involvement and Response Protocols Academic Integrity Appendix A57 Alcohol and Other Illicit Drugs FERPA, Clery60 Act and Campus Security Hazing Authorities 65 Public Inquiry and Freedom Appendix B of Expression College Policy67 on Alcohol and Drugs Department Regulations Appendix C72 Accommodations Sexual Violence72 Risk Reduction Tips Service & Emotional Support Appendix D Animals Amendments75 to Handbook Computing Resources 80 3 SECTION I Mission and Values of Connecticut College This section of the Connecticut College Student Handbook describes the shared values of the institution: Mission Statement and Core Values Commitment to Diversity and Anti-Discrimination Statement of Principles and Values for Student Life Outside the Classroom Student Bill of Rights The Honor Code Communication with Family Members Connecticut College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Information on how to comment on, or register complaints about Connecticut College’s compliance with NEASC accreditation criteria may be found at the CIHE NEASC website: http://cihe.neasc.org/information_for_the_public/comments_amp_complaints The Connecticut College Mission Statement Revised October 2004 Connecticut College educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society. The College has embraced several core values to further that mission. Those values help the College create a challenging academic environment that fosters reflection on a lifetime of learning and community involvement: Academic excellence Rigorous academic standards, innovative and engaging faculty members, and a diverse classroom curriculum challenge students to reach their full intellectual potential. The College expects students to learn outside the classroom as well, through such activities as research, travel, and internships. The College facilitates those opportunities in the belief that a diversity of experiences is essential for genuine academic excellence. The College also expects and strongly supports faculty scholarship, research, and creative work that advances human knowledge and expression and informs excellent teaching. Diversity, equity, and shared governance In the early twentieth century, Connecticut College was founded in the belief that all qualified students — women as well as men — deserve an opportunity to secure an education. The College strives to be a community in which all members feel comfortable, respect each other’s differences, and seek common ground. The College promotes 4 understanding by offering a variety of academic and social experiences and is committed to building greater access, opportunity, and equity. Students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni all participate in the governance of the College. Education of the entire person The College supports and nurtures the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, creative, and physical development of its student body. Connecticut College encourages students to engage in a wide range of activities, including academic pursuits, athletics and physical education, artistic expression, and community service. The College fosters an appreciation for the natural and aesthetic connectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. It prepares students to be responsible citizens, creative problem-solvers, and thoughtful leaders in a global society. Adherence to common ethical and moral standards Connecticut College maintains a strong commitment to its long-standing Honor Code. Students are expected to monitor their own faithfulness to the principles of honesty and moral integrity and to display courage in academic and social interactions. The principles of justice, impartiality, and fairness—the foundations for equity—are paramount. Community service and global citizenship Connecticut College fosters civic responsibility and enhances academic excellence through a long tradition of community involvement and through courses that provide opportunities for service. The College promotes an understanding of local, regional, national, and international peoples, groups, cultures, and issues, and encourages students to take a life- long interest in them. Environmental stewardship Connecticut College is proud of its pioneering tradition of ecological awareness and responsibility and intends to remain a leader in safeguarding the environment. The arboretum campus is an ecological showpiece, and the College’s procedures and programs aim to preserve and protect the environment, both locally and globally, and to prepare citizens sensitive to the need for responsible environmental stewardship. Connecticut College Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Connecticut College was founded in large part on the belief that women should have equal opportunities to pursue higher education of the finest quality. In 1911, the College opened its doors to women who had been excluded from other institutions in the state of Connecticut and around the United States. The College has carried forward this open-door spirit by positioning diversity, equity, and inclusion as mission-critical components of a comprehensive 21st century liberal arts education. Today, we are proud that our community represents diversity in all of its forms, including, but not limited to welcoming people of different abilities, ages, ethnicities, gender identities and expressions, races, religions, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses. 5 Connecticut College students, staff, and faculty come together every day to create and sustain a vibrant intellectual community; one where every member can exist wholly, with all of our identities being fully valued and affirmed. Our curriculum ensures that students will be able to form meaningful questions, both large and small, about their identities and to consider how they show up in the world. Inside and well beyond traditional classroom settings, students are exposed to ideas that broaden their perspectives and deepen their understanding. We bring nationally and internationally known thinkers and doers to campus to augment our exceptional course offerings. We also create the conditions for social relationships to flourish both within and outside of personal comfort zones. What is perhaps most extraordinary about diversity at Connecticut