APPENDIX
Williams prohibits the abuse of alcohol and expects members of the College community to abide by federal, state, and local regulations concerning the possession and use, purchase, and distribution of alcohol. The college prohibits the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of illegal drugs, or the unauthorized use of prescription drugs.
For help with alcohol and/or other drug problems, call the Health Education Office (x3165). Information on Narcotic's Anonymous is available from the Berkshire Council on Alcohol and Addictions.
Legal Sanctions Concerning Alcohol and Drugs
Federal, state, and local laws make illegal use of alcohol and drugs serious crimes. Convictions can lead to imprisonment, fines, and/or required community service. Courts do not lift prison sentences to allow convicted persons to attend college or continue their jobs. A felony conviction for such an offense can prevent you from entering many fields of employment or professions.
Controlled Substances: Illegal drugs are not allowed on campus. Whenever evidence of drugs of any quantity are discovered on campus, the college will report that discovery to the police department.
Common examples of controlled substances, as defined by law, are cocaine, marijuana, heroin, amphetamines, LSD, and other hallucinogens. Federal law makes the distribution of drugs to persons under age 21 punishable by twice the normal penalty with a mandatory one year in prison. If death or serious injury results from use of the substance, the prison sentence could be lengthened.
Possession of drugs without valid authorization is illegal. While penalties for possession are generally not as great as for manufacture and distribution, the possession of relatively large quantities may be considered as intent to distribute. Under both federal and state laws, penalties for possession, manufacture, and distribution are greater for second and subsequent convictions.
Persons convicted of drug possession under state or federal laws are ineligible for federal student grants and loans for five years following the first conviction, ten years after the second, and permanently after the third conviction.
Massachusetts has criminal penalties for use of controlled substances or drugs, varying with the type of drug. In general narcotic, addictive, and drugs with greater potential for abuse carry higher penalties.
Massachusetts also makes it illegal to be in a place where heroin is kept and to be "in the company" of a person known to possess heroin. Anyone in the presence of heroin at a private party risks a serious drug conviction. In addition, the sale or possession of drug paraphernalia is illegal in Massachusetts.
See page # for Massachusetts State Law concerning alcohol.
College Council Constitution
(As Approved February 2006)
College Council-for more information go to http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/cc/
Preamble
In order to organize as a valid collective, we the students of Williams College hereby establish the Williams Student Body. In addition to the responsibilities we have to ourselves as individuals, we recognize our responsibilities to the Williams community and to each other. By forming and upholding the Study Body, we assert our voice in the College community and our right to maintain an active role in the workings of the College. Through the Student Body, we hope to create a community to which every student belongs and in which every student participates.
I. Government
The Government of the Williams Student Body is the College Council. The College Council is empowered to consider matters of interest to the Student Body and shall act as the voice of the Student Body in official matters. Every Williams student, as a member of the Student Body, is entitled to attend and speak at all Council meetings unless, in the case of appointments, Council, after all non-Council members have spoken, orders an in camera session by a three-fourths majority vote for the duration of the appointments.
II. Functions
Section A. The College Council shall serve as the official forum for the student opinion and the representative thereof. In order to carry out this function:
1. The Council serves as the voice of the Student Body to the Faculty, Administration, Staff, and Williamstown community. In this capacity, the Council may lobby for change in College and Town policy on behalf of the student body.
2. The Council establishes and supervises the membership of student committees.
3. The Council supervises the student membership of Student-Faculty/Administration committees.
Section B. The Council receives student activities tax funds from each student to promote student activities. In funding these activities, the Council shall budget and spend this Tax to benefit the Student body by establishing priorities and approving all budgets before they take effect.
Section C. In protecting the interests of the community, the Council has the right to initiate disciplinary action against any residential house or campus organization, and may recommend to the Dean reconsideration of any disciplinary action he or she has taken against any of these groups.
Section D. The Council is charged with supervising all Council elections and referenda.
Section E. The Council shall establish Bylaws for operations not enumerated in this Constitution by a two-thirds majority vote of Council, and adopt Rules of Order for procedure not enumerated in this Constitution by a majority vote of Council.
1. Bylaws will remain in effect between terms.
2. The Co-Presidents, or President and Vice President, must present the Rules of Order to the Council to be adopted or amended as the first order of business each semester.
III. Representation
Section A. The Members of Council shall be:
1. Four officers, who shall be two Co-Presidents, or a President and a Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer of the Council, elected during the second full week of spring semester.
2. One representative from each of the rising Senior, Junior, and Sophomore classes, elected from and by their respective class during the second full week of spring semester.
3. One representative elected at-large with a specific focus toward minority concerns during the secondfull week of spring semester.
4. One representative from each of the neighborhoods in the Williams Residential House System, elected from and by their respective neighborhoods during the spring House Governance elections.
5. One representative from the House Governance Board of each neighborhood in the Williams Residential House System, elected from and by their respective neighborhood governance boards as soon as these students take office.
6. A number of first-year representatives, with one representative elected from each housing unit, by the first-year residents of that housing unit, at the beginning of the academic year.
Section B. All Members must be currently enrolled students at Williams College.
Section C. No Member will hold more than one seat on Council.
Section D. All Members of Council shall be voting members, with the exception of the Co-Presidents, or President and Vice President, who shall cast a single vote only in the case of a tie.
Section E. Duties
1. Members shall represent the interests of their respective constituencies and keep their constituents informed of Council proceedings.
2. The representative elected at-large with a specific focus towards minority concerns shall maintain ties with and represent the interests of the student minority organizations.
3. Members' duties not enumerated here shall be determined by the Council in the Bylaws.
Section F. Any vacancy of a position shall be filled by a two-thirds majority vote of Council. In the case that the Council is unable to reach a two-thirds majority, the position shall be filled by an election of the representative constituency.
Section G. Consideration of removal of a Member of Council
1. A motion by any voting Member of Council initiates the removal of a Member of Council.
2. A specific petition brought before the Council of at least twenty percent of the constituency that elected that member initiates the removal of a Member of Council.
3. In both cases, a two-thirds vote of the Council at a meeting at least one week after the motion or petition is brought before Council is required to remove the member.
IV. Officers
Section A. Requirements
1. The Co-Presidents, or President and Vice President, shall be directly elected as a ticket from a field of the entire rising Senior and Junior classes. The decision to form a ticket as Co-Presidents, or President and Vice President, is left to the discretion of the particular candidates and must be announced upon declaration of candidacy.
2. Candidates for the position of Treasurer must be or have been members of the Finance Committee, unless the Council, by two- thirds majority vote, makes other candidates eligible.
Section B. Duties
1. The four officers of the Council form the Officers' Committee. The Committee shall:
a. Set the agenda for meetings according to concerns of the Council and the Student Body.
b. Meet with and advise the College administration, the faculty, and other leaders of the College community.
c. Represent the Council and its decisions.
d. Bring official business before the Council for approval.
2. The President shall:
a. Call meetings of the Council.
b. Chair Council meetings.
c. Cast a vote in the case of a tie.
d. Call in Deans, Faculty, and other leaders of the College community when appropriate.
3. The Vice President shall:
a. Chair the Appointments Committee.
b. Assume the duties of the President when the President is absent.
4. In the case of Co-Presidents, they shall divide the duties of the President and the Vice President between themselves.
5. The Secretary shall:
a. Record the proceedings of all Council meetings, maintain those records, distribute them to all Council members and the Dean of the College, and make them available to the student body.
b. Receive, maintain, and make available to the College community all reports of committees associated with the Council.
c. Maintain an attendance record for all Members of the Council.
d. Assume the duties of the President when both the President and Vice President, or both Co-Presidents, are absent.
6. The Treasurer shall:
a. Chair the Finance Committee.
b. Report on the budget to the Council and be responsible for the maintenance of the Council's books.
c. Advise the Finance Committee on the budget priorities established by the Council and work to maintain them.
d. Assume the duties of the President when the President and Vice President, or both Co-Presidents, and the Secretary are absent.
V. Meetings
Section A. Meetings shall be called either by the Co-Presidents or President of the Council, or by a petition of one-third of the Council.
Section B. The attendance of two-thirds or more of voting members or their alternates constitutes a quorum for Council meetings.
Section C. The Council has the power to set attendance rules in the Bylaws or Rules of Order. Violations of these attendance rules may be subject to separate procedures for removal than those stated in this Constitution.
VI. Committees
Section A. Student-Faculty and Student-Administration committees are established under the respective joint authority of the Council and Faculty and the Council and Administration. The Council shall set procedures for the election or appointment of students to the aforementioned committees and shall supervise the student membership of the aforementioned committees.
Section B. Committees of the Council
1. The Council may create or abolish student committees, except for standing committees, at its discretion. All committees so created and the standing committees are under the direct jurisdiction of the Council, which has the right to veto any of their actions.
2. Standing committees:
a. Appointments Committee
i. The Appointments Committee shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, the rising Senior, Junior, and Sophomore class representatives, and the representative elected at-large with a specific focus towards minority concerns.
ii. The Vice President shall chair the Committee, and cast a vote in the case of a tie.
iii. The Committee shall screen nominations for Council appointments.
b. Finance Committee
i. The Finance Committee shall be composed of the Treasurer and three to eight other members chosen by the Council through the Appointments Committee, with at least one member from each of the rising Senior, Junior, and Sophomore classes.
ii. The Committee will be chosen as soon as the Officers take office.
iii. The Committee shall assist the Council in budgetary matters.
Section C. Any student member appointed by the Council to sit on a College committee may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Council.
VII. Student Assembly
Section A. The Student Assembly shall have the legislative powers set forth in this Constitution, provided a quorum of 250 Williams College students is in attendance. These powers shall include the reversal of a previous College Council decision. A Student Assembly decision may be overturned by a student referendum or by a two-thirds majority vote of Council.
Section B. The organizers of the Student Assembly shall decide on an agenda and select a moderator. The College Council shall be responsible for monitoring the Student Assembly and authenticating its decisions.
Section C. One week of publicity through all available channels must precede a Student Assembly.
VIII. Referenda and Constitutional Amendments
Section A. Referenda
1. Referenda shall be conducted on a two-thirds vote of the Council or upon specific petition of at least ten percent of the student body.
2. At least one-third of the students enrolled at the College must vote in a referendum for it to be valid.
3. Two weeks of publicity through all available channels is required before a referendum can come up for a vote. The Council is responsible for such publicity.
4. The Council may only overturn referenda with a three-fourths majority vote.
Section B. Constitutional Amendments
1. To amend the Constitution, those voting for the amendment must comprise at least one-third of the students enrolled at the College and a two-thirds majority of those voting.
2. Amendments shall be offered to the student body through the same procedures as referenda, except that petitions to amend require twenty percent of the student body.
IX. Dissolution
Section A. A vote of no confidence may be initiated upon the specific petition of at least twenty percent of the student body.
Section B. Two weeks of publicity by the petitioners through all available channels will be required before such a vote. All voting tools of College Council will be made available to the petitioners.
Section C. Upon a vote of no confidence by a majority of the student body, all members of the College Council shall relinquish office. Each housing unit shall elect a representative to a temporary Elections Commission, which shall conduct elections according to the principles of representation set forth in this Constitution.
X. Adoption
This Constitution may be implemented only with the approval of the Williams Student Body.
College Council Standing Rules
Finance
In March 1988, the Council approved standing rules to govern the allocation and use of funds from the Student Activities Fee. These standing rules are available to any student organization which currently receives funding at any point during the year. Please contact an officer of the Council for a copy of the rules or for further information.
Campus-Wide Elections and Student Appointments
The procedures for campus elections and student committee appointments are also codified in the form of standing rules approved by the Council in the Spring of 1988. Complete information regarding campus-wide elections and student appointment and election to committees is mailed to student mail boxes throughout the year, and any questions or requests for copies of the rules should be directed to an officer of the Council.
College Council Bylaws
Access online at http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/cc/docs/bylaws-5-03.pdf
Computing Ethics and Responsibilities
Williams College provides computing and networking resources to students, faculty, and staff for a wide variety of purposes. These resources, networked for the general benefit of the community, are continually updated and maintained to provide an academic environment that is consistent with the educational goals of the College. These resources are limited, and how each individual uses them may affect the work of other members of the community and beyond, as our campus network is connected (through the Internet) to other networks worldwide. It is important that everyone be aware of his or her individual obligations and what constitutes proper use and behavior.
Because of the rapid evolution of computing and information networks, the College reserves the right to modify these policies, with approval of the campus-wide Information Technology Committee, and publish the latest version on the OIT web pages. While users will be kept apprised of any changes, it is the user's responsibility to remain aware of current policies.
Common sense is a good guide to what constitutes appropriate behavior and use of computers and networks. You should respect the privacy of others and use computing resources in a manner that is consistent with the educational objectives of the College.
Behaviors that can create problems in a networked computing environment fall into the categories below. This list of responsibilities, while not exhaustive, should provide users with a good idea of what constitutes illegal or unethical on-line behavior. Users should note that computer users are governed by federal and state laws, including copyright laws, and College policies and standards of conduct.
Violations of these rules or, indeed, any disruptive situation in which a person's behavior or behavior generated on machines, accounts, or file space under that individual's control, creates a disruption of service to our clients, may be met by suspending access and services to the responsible parties. Access and services may only be restored following a discussion with the Office for Information Technology (OIT) and, if appropriate, other officers of the College.
When there is reason to believe that illegal activities or significant infractions of our rules have occurred or are continuing, with the permission of the appropriate senior officer of the College, OIT staff may monitor a suspected individual's computer files and activities. When necessary, the College may invoke the assistance of a law enforcement agency. The Office for Information Technology will not judge whether any request from a law enforcement agency to investigate suspected illegal activities affords due process and is of appropriate jurisdiction; OIT defers such requests to the appropriate officers of the College, and provides information required by subpoenas from courts with proper jurisdiction.
Break-ins
You may not attempt to gain access to computer systems (on or off campus) for which you have not been explicitly granted access.
Tampering
You may not deliberately attempt to disrupt the performance of a computer system or a network, on or off campus. You may not attempt to 'break' system security. You may not reconfigure computer systems to make them unusable for others. You may not attempt to destroy or alter data or programs belonging to other users. You may not modify residential computing network services or wiring or extend those beyond the area of their intended use. This applies to all network wiring, hardware, and cluster and in-room jacks. Gateways and firewalls designed for home use, such as Cable/DSL routers and Wireless Access Points, can disrupt the normal operation of the Williams network and are not allowed. You are responsible for protecting your computer and not allowing others to use your computer to attack others on the network. Specifically this means that you are required to be running a supported, up-to-date, anti-virus package and to ensure that your computer has had all applicable security patches installed.
Theft
By the copyright laws of the United States and most other nations, virtually all information in computer files is copyrighted.
If you have not been given direct permission to copy a file, you are not permitted to do so. You may not copy or redistribute software or other information that is copyrighted. By US law, software piracy is a felony. You may not attempt to override copy protection on commercial software. The ability to find and read information on computer systems does not mean that the information is in the public domain. Having the ability to read does not necessarily grant the right to copy or redistribute. Nor, even, in the case of certain information on the Internet, does ability to read mean that permission to read has been lawfully granted. Certain information is licensed to be read by the Williams community, though this does not grant the right to redistribute this information. See remarks under Eavesdropping and Violations of Privacy, below.
Eavesdropping and Violations of Privacy
All information on a computer system belongs to someone; some of it may be private or personal information; some may consist of confidential information, trade secrets, or classified material. If you have not been given direct permission to read or access another person's file, you may not try to do so. The Williams network is a computing system covered by this policy. The operation of packet capture or port scanning software, or other means of snooping on other's network activity, is strictly forbidden.
Williams-specific or commercially obtained network resources may not be retransmitted outside of the College community. Examples include copyrighted course materials, electronic journals, other commercial information services from the Williams College Library, and private student and/or employee-related information such as home phone numbers, addresses, and photographs of students.
Forging, Password Sharing, Password Stealing
You may not attempt to impersonate another individual by sending forged information such as e-mail. Never give your password to anyone or use another's password. You may not seek to determine another person's password, through cracking, decryption, interception or other means.
Annoyance and Harassment
Williams College has written standards of conduct that seek to prohibit annoyance and harassment by any members of the Williams College community.
You may not use computing resources to violate the College's standards of conduct. You may not distribute electronic chain letters or spam. These are not only annoying, but can also severely disrupt computing and network performance.
Negligence and Misuse (including private business)
Having access to computing privileges (e-mail account, Williams network connection, login, or shared file space owned by you), means that you have general responsibility for all computing activity which takes place from those accounts, connections, or file spaces. The College's connection to the Internet, for example, does not allow you to abuse that connection.
Access to the Williams College computing network and the Internet is limited to members of the Williams College community. Individuals within the Williams community are not permitted to provide access to the campus network to those outside this community. This restriction includes the operation of server software to provide any service that is accessible by those outside the Williams network without permission from OIT.
Use of Williams Computing facilities is intended to be consistent with the educational mission of the College; this does not preclude personal uses. However, we note that the College has:
--for students: "Regulations covering student businesses" in the Student Handbook
--for faculty: "Other employment during the academic year" in the Faculty Handbook
--for administrative staff: "Employment outside Williams or beyond full-time with the College" in the Administrative Staff handbook
All place some limitations on the community's use of computing facilities for commercial purposes.
You should report any suspected illegal or unethical activity to the Office for Information Technology or the Dean's Office.
Copyright and Attribution Reminders
Receiving, possessing, or distributing copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. Such acts are also a violation of the laws of the United States. Violators of copyright law could be subject to felony charges in state or federal court, and may also be sued by the copyright holder in civil court. To learn more about copyright, visit the Library's web page about copyright (library.williams.edu/copyright.php).
Illegal file-sharing using peer-2-peer file sharing programs is strictly prohibited both by College policy and under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 ("DMCA"). The DMCA limits the liability of internet service and network providers (ISPs), including the College in its role as an ISP, in disputes between copyright holders and users of those services. The DMCA also establishes procedures through which copyright holders can obtain information from internet service and network providers about alleged infringing use of those services. These procedures make individual students, faculty and staff responsible for their illegal file sharing. and they must assume all resulting liabilities as individuals without support from the College. To learn more about how the College handles DMCA notices from the entertainment, music and other copyright holders, see section below (File Sharing and Copyright Violations).
File Sharing and Copyright Violations
Your computer may be uploading music without your knowing it.
Current technology easily allows your personal computer to duplicate and distribute copyrighted video images, audio recordings and other digital materials. Unfortunately this makes it is easy for you to violate College policy and US copyright law. For this reason you should know the use of popular and freely distributed file sharing programs to download copyrighted music and video material, in almost every case, places you in violation of College policy and U.S. law.
Most of these programs by default allow Internet users to copy files from your computer. Most programs don't alert you in advance or even ask your permission before turning your computer into an Internet file server. Some of these programs also install hidden components that allow file sharing to run in the background on your computer. As a result, whenever your computer is turned on, the file sharing application is also enabled, even if you don't open the application or actively use the program. They also open up a back door to your computer for viruses and worms. This places you at great risk of violating college policy and copyright law by becoming an unlawful distributor of copyrighted material. For example, what you may believe to be a single one-time policy violation consisting of downloading a single track of music from a popular CD is actually an around-the-clock violation of College policy and copyright law because any time your computer is turned on it is publicly announcing to the Internet (perhaps unknowingly to you) that the single music track you previously downloaded is now available on your computer for distribution via the Williams College network. Because the College has a reliable and large capacity connection to the Internet and because these file sharing programs favor computers connected to fast reliable networks, thousands of other Internet users flock to your computer to download your file. You can learn more about how to protect yourself from uploading files inadvertently online (www.musicunited.org/5_takeoff.html).
OIT does not monitor normal computer use
OIT staff do not monitor computer use on the College network to look for copyright violations, but in the process of investigating network congestion or troubleshooting technical problems, they may become aware of policy violations. In such cases the OIT staff member will report these violations to the Chief Technology Officer who will consult with the Associate Dean of the College, the Director of Human Resources or the Dean of the Faculty.
The entertainment industry is aggressively seeking out copyright law violators
You also need to be acutely aware that law enforcement agencies, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and other copyright holders of digital media such as HBO, Universal Studios, the Business Software Alliance, and the Entertainment Software Association actively monitor the Internet for users who are distributing copyrighted material. The recording, film and software industries have recently become very aggressive in their active pursuit of copyright infringement. They have spent millions of dollars, and they have hired hi-tech firms to develop and maintain software that is able to search the Internet and identify unauthorized distribution of their protected titles. This active monitoring is specifically designed to search for distribution of materials using the most commonly used software packages.
How Williams College handles Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices or early settlement letters
In the past year, Williams received almost 100 formal complaints from legal authorities representing copyright holders stating that computers on the College network were involved in the unlawful distribution of copyrighted materials. Each case was easily traced back to a computer connected to the campus network, running one of the common file sharing programs. Many of the cases involved unsophisticated and first-time use of these programs. It is clearly not safe to assume that even the most casual copyright policy violation will go undetected.
When a copyright holder or their agent contacts Williams about an occurrence of copyright violation with a standard DMCA notice, the school is required to take action. If you are suspected of infringement, the College's DMCA agent, the Chief Technology Officer, will confront you about the matter with an email notice. If you believe you are not responsible for the offending computer, you should notify the Chief Technology Officer immediately. If you are a student, the offending computer will be removed from the Williams College network automatically for a period of one week once the Chief Technology Officer sends you the notice (or starting the next business day if the notice is sent on a weekend or holiday). You must respond to the Chief Technology Officer promptly that you have blocked access to the offending files or your computer will remain off the Williams College network indefinitely until she hears from you. If you are a faculty or staff member, the Chief Technology Officer will not immediately remove your computer from the network, but will notify the Dean of the Faculty (for faculty) or your supervisor and department head (for staff). But you must also respond promptly to the Chief Technology Officer that you have blocked access to the offending files or your computer will be removed from the Williams College network until she hears from you.
If you receive a notice and do not block access to the file(s), you have the right to petition the College to restore the computer to the network (for students, after the one-week College penalty), which it would do, while you pursued the matter legally with the alleged copyright holder or its designated agent.
If you block access to the file and notify the Chief Technology Officer, you do not need to respond to the agency sending the notice. Correspondence to this point is between the College and the agency, which does not have your identity. We will identify you to them only if they issue us a legal subpoena.
In March 2007 the RIAA began pursuing students more aggressively by sending out early settlement letters. A letter explaining this development was sent to all students in April 2007 by the Chief Technology Officer and the Associate Dean of the College. A similar letter was sent to faculty and staff. The DMCA notices we received in the past required you to remove or block access to the file. The new early settlement letters ask that you preserve but disable the software and the files. The College will not help or advise you in this process so, if you receive such a letter, you might wish to contact an attorney for assistance about how to respond.
Everyone must abide by copyright restrictions and the College's acceptable use policies as stated in our Computing Ethics and Responsibilities. By installing and running these common file sharing applications you put yourself at great risk, and unless you are technically sure your use of such programs is not a violation of College policy or the law, we strongly encourage you to avoid their use.
Please keep in mind that you are responsible for all uses of your computer, and that network use by a computer can be traced to its registered owner.
Williams College provides computing and networking resources to students, faculty, and staff for a wide variety of purposes. These resources, networked for the general benefit of the community, are continually updated and maintained to provide an academic environment that is consistent with the educational goals of the College. These resources are limited, and how each individual uses them may affect the work of other members of the community and beyond, as our campus network is connected (through the Internet) to other networks worldwide. It is important that everyone be aware of his or her individual obligations and what constitutes proper use and behavior.
In order to insure a fair hearing, the following rights are guaranteed to the accused and, in cases involving violations of individual rights, injury to individuals or their property, to the aggrieved:
1. To receive in advance of the meeting of the Discipline Committee a written statement of the alleged offense(s), a copy of these Rules and Procedures, and a notice of the time and place of the meeting. Such information must be provided within a reasonable time to allow for preparation of the case.
2. To have the meeting of the Discipline Committee without unnecessary delay.
3. To challenge member(s) of the Committee for cause. Challenges may occur at any time prior to the meeting but not after it has begun. Cause includes matters such as close friendship, conflict of interest, or a history of animosity. Mere acquaintance is not a sufficient cause. The Chair (or if the chair is challenged, the Vice-Chair) judges the merits of the challenge prior to the meeting. Only if the Chair (or the Vice-Chair) rules that the challenge is appropriate is (are) the member(s) disqualified from participation in a particular case.
4. To have an advisor of his or her choice from the student body, faculty, or staff of the College. The advisor helps with the preparation and conduct of the case. The advisor may be present when the case is heard but may not directly address the Committee. Legal counsel may not be present at the hearing.
5. To be present when the case is heard.
6. To summon a reasonable number of witnesses and present evidence.
7. To question all witnesses and challenge all evidence.
The Chair (or in his or her absence, the Vice-Chair) convenes the Committee. A quorum shall consist of two-thirds of those eligible and on campus. Prior to the formal presentation of the case and without the presence of the accused and the aggrieved, the Chair (or the Vice-Chair) states the alleged offense(s) and the names of the accused and the aggrieved. The Chair requests that any Committee member who cannot be impartial in a given case disqualify himself or herself. After the Chair grants the accused (and, when appropriate, the aggrieved) permission to enter the meeting, the Dean of the College presents the alleged offense(s) against the accused and a summary of the facts as they have been ascertained. If there is an aggrieved person, he or she may then present his or her understanding of the facts, and the Dean may call additional witnesses. The accused may then present testimony and call additional witnesses in his or her defense. The Committee makes its decision after the accused, the aggrieved, and all other witnesses have left the meeting. The Dean of the College, however, as an ex-officio member of the Committee, remains during the deliberations.
The Discipline Committee makes three judgments in reaching its final decision. It first determines whether the alleged act, should it have taken place, would be a violation of good conduct or of College Laws or regulations. If in the judgment of the Committee the alleged act would not have violated good conduct or College Laws and regulations, the charges are dismissed. If the alleged act is determined to be a violation of good conduct or of the College Laws or regulations, then the Committee decides whether the accused student actually committed the alleged act. A majority vote is necessary to find the student guilty of the violation. If the student is found guilty, the Committee sets by majority vote a penalty which it deems appropriate and which is consistent with the College Laws and regulations. The Chair (or the Vice-Chair) informs the accused student and aggrieved student, if there is one, of the committee's findings. The Dean of the College administers any penalties the Committee may set.
The convicted student may request a reconsideration of the Committee's decision on the basis of substantial new evidence or improper procedures. The Dean of the College may request a reconsideration on the basis of substantial new evidence. The aggrieved or any other party may bring new evidence to the attention of the Dean of the College. If a majority of the Committee members feel that it is appropriate, the Committee reconvenes to reconsider the case. The Committee reconsiders the case in its entirety, referring to its minutes and, when appropriate, recalling witnesses.
All participants are expected to respect the confidentiality of the disciplinary proceedings.
HIV/AIDS Policies, Procedures, and
Education Programs
This document is intended to refer to the entire spectrum of conditions which are associated with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Specifically, it refers to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and infection with the HIV as indicated by a positive antibody test.
I. Policies and Procedures
A. Students
Policy: Standard medical rules of confidentiality will apply to cases of student(s) with HIV/AIDS; i.e., the privacy of the student will be protected in accordance with the procedures outlined on pages 9-13.
This policy applies also to any external requests for information about student(s) such as applications for health insurance, references, et al.
Procedures:
1. Though students are encouraged to report disease to the Health Service, they are not required to do so. Should HIV/AIDS come to the attention of the Director of Health either through the self- reported medical history that all entering students complete, or otherwise, the Director of Health will establish an appropriate medical care plan with the student, but the College will not ordinarily restrict the privileges or activities of the student in any way.
2. Ordinarily, information about a student with HIV/AIDS will be given to no other person or office at the College without the student's permission. Should the Director of Health feel that others need to be informed, s/he will work with the student in a confidential manner to encourage the student to inform that person or office. Should a student with HIV/AIDS wish to have his or her medical condition known to others, the student may do so.
3. Any judgment about a student's continuation at the College based on his/her health or risk to others will be made by the Director of Health in consultation with the appropriate member(s) of the President's Senior Staff and legal counsel.
4. Since AIDS is a reportable disease, the Director of Health must report AIDS to the Massachusetts Public Health Service when a case comes to his/her attention. (An HIV-positive test is not reportable.)
5. Should medical referrals of persons with HIV/AIDS be necessary, the Director of Health, with permission of the student, will pass along the appropriate clinical information.
B. Employees
Policy: Standard medical rules of confidentiality will apply to cases of employees with HIV/AIDS; i.e., the privacy of the employee will be protected in accordance with the following procedures.
This policy applies also to any external requests for information about an employee such as applications for health insurance, references, et al.
Procedures:
1. Prospective and present employees are not required to report diseases to the College.
Should the fact that an employee has HIV/AIDS come to the attention of the Director of Health, the Director will confer with the employee to make sure that the employee has established an appropriate medical plan with his or her primary physician and/or a specialist in HIV/AIDS, but the College will ordinarily take no administrative action regarding the employee. Should an employee with HIV/AIDS wish to have his or her medical condition known to others, the employee may do so.
Since AIDS is a reportable disease, the Director of Health must confirm that the Massachusetts Public Health Service has been informed.
2. A diagnosis of HIV/AIDS by itself is not a clinical cause for termination or for a change in conditions of employment including location of employment. The concern of the College shall be for the employee and his/her risk of exposure to primary and secondary infections. In cases of requests by fellow employees for changes in jobs for fear of acquiring HIV/AIDS, the person with HIV/AIDS will not be displaced and the fellow employee(s) will be provided with education and counseling about the disease. No transfer should be assumed.
3. Any judgment about an employee's continuation at the College based on his/her health or risk to others will be made by the Director of Health in consultation with the appropriate supervisor, Director of Human Resources, member(s) of the President's Senior Staff and legal counsel.
4. Ordinarily, information about an employee with HIV/AIDS will be given to no other person or office at the College without the employee's permission. Should the Director of Health feel that others need to be informed, he/she will work with the employee in a confidential manner to encourage the employee to inform that person or office.
II. Education Programs
The Director of Health and the Health Educator will continue to work with appropriate student groups. The Health Center will make information about HIV/AIDS available to all students and employees.
The Director of Health and the Health Educator will meet with the President's Senior Staff and Administrative Group as appropriate and be available for educational sessions with supervisors in Facilities, Dining Services, Campus Safety and Security, laboratory staffs, coaches and other administrative and academic offices or groupings.
The Director of Health will maintain current information about the disease and share such information periodically with the community.
Mission and Purposes Statement
(The following description arises on its surface from public statements made by Williams presidents and others associated with the College, from which it borrows, and at a deeper level from the felt experience of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents over many decades. It was approved by vote of the Board of Trustees on April 14, 2007.)
Williams seeks to provide the finest possible liberal arts education by nurturing in students the academic and civic virtues, and their related traits of character. Academic virtues include the capacities to explore widely and deeply, think critically, reason empirically, express clearly, and connect ideas creatively. Civic virtues include commitment to engage both the broad public realm and community life, and the skills to do so effectively. These virtues, in turn, have associated traits of character. For example, free inquiry requires open-mindedness, and commitment to community draws on concern for others.
We are committed to our central endeavor of academic excellence in a community of learning that comprises students, faculty, and staff, and draws on the engagement of alumni and parents. We recruit students from among the most able in the country and abroad and select them for the academic and personal attributes they can contribute to the educational enterprise, inside and outside the classroom. Our faculty is a highly talented group of teachers, scholars, and artists committed deeply to the education of our students and to involving them in their efforts to expand human knowledge and understanding through original research, thought, and artistic expression. Dedicated staff enable this teaching and learning to take place at the highest possible level, as does the involvement and support of our extraordinarily loyal parents and alumni.
No one can pretend to more than guess at what students now entering college will be called upon to comprehend in the decades ahead. No training in fixed techniques, no finite knowledge now at hand, no rigid formula can solve problems whose shape we cannot yet define. The most versatile, the most durable, in an ultimate sense, the most practical knowledge and intellectual resources that we can offer students are the openness, creativity, flexibility, and power of education in the liberal arts.
Toward that end we extend a curriculum that offers wide opportunities for learning, ensures close attention of faculty to students but also encourages students to learn independently, and reflects the complexity and diversity of the world. We seek to do this in an atmosphere that nurtures the simple joy of learning as a lifelong habit and commitment.
We place great emphasis on the learning that takes place in the creation of a functioning community: life in the residence halls, expression through the arts, debates on political issues, leadership in campus governance, exploration of personal identity, pursuit of spiritual and religious impulses, the challenge of athletics, and direct engagement with human needs, nearby and far away.
To serve well our students and the world, Williams embraces core values such as welcoming and supporting in the College community people from all segments of our increasingly diverse society and ensuring that College operations are environmentally sustainable.
From this holistic immersion students learn more than they will ever know. Such is the testimony of countless graduates-hat their Williams experience has equipped them to live fuller, more effective lives. Ultimately, the College's greatest mark on the world consists of this: the contributions our alumni make in their professions, their communities, and their personal lives.
Therefore, we ask all our students to understand that an education at Williams should not be regarded as a privilege destined to create further privilege, but as a privilege that creates opportunities to serve society at large, and imposes the responsibility to do so.
At the same time, being itself privileged by its history and circumstances, Williams understands its own responsibility to contribute by thought and example to the world of higher education.
Non-Discrimination Policy and Grievance Procedures 1
INTRODUCTION
Williams College does not permit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion or creed, age, or disability. Any member of the College community who on any of these grounds feels discriminated against by another member of the community should take action. Should the matter involve a faculty appointment renewal decision, the range of appropriate action and the type of further redress open to the complainant are those described in Section II-C of the Faculty Handbook. In all other cases, the complainant should use the following procedures.
The complainant should report the incident as soon as possible and preferably within a month of its occurrence, since prolonged delay may complicate the presentation of evidence in the grievance procedures. Complainants have, however, up to two years to report alleged discriminatory behavior, and even this period may be extended with the approval of the appropriate executive officer. The procedures governing discrimination have four components-advising, informal grievance, formal grievance, and appeal-each of which is described below. Complainants are free to withdraw or proceed at any stage of the process. The College will treat the identity of the parties and the substance of the claims as confidential throughout, except as is reasonably necessary to carrying out the procedures and to ensuring the safety of everyone at the College. College policy explicitly prohibits retaliation, academic or otherwise, against employees or students for bringing complaints of discriminatory behavior.
I. ADVISING PROCEDURE
Whenever someone has experienced an incident that could be a form of discrimination, talking about the incident soon thereafter with a trusted advisor or friend can be helpful. Members of the College community such as health staff and counselors, assistant and associate deans, human resources officers, chaplains, and the Affirmative Action Officer are available for consultation. Among them are a number of people who have training in sexual harassment counseling. This group includes also two faculty, two staff, and two student advisors appointed yearly by the President, who invites nominations from the community. The names of the College advisors are listed in print and online in the Student Handbook; Williams College Bulletin, Catalog edition; The Williams Directory; the pamphlet on sexual discrimination, Understanding Sexual Harassment; and the websites of the Dean of the College and the Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity. Their names are also published semi-annually online in the Daily Messages and printed in the Daily Advisor.
A student, faculty, or staff member who seeks advice on matters related to discrimination is free to consult with any of the College's advisors. Depending on the wishes of the advisee, the advisor's role may include any of the following informational or supportive activities: listening to and discussing the incident with the advisee; helping the advisee decide whether to try to resolve the situation on her or his own; helping the advisee understand the College's discrimination grievance procedures. The advisee may choose at any point not to pursue the matter any further, and the College is not required to take any further action during the advising phase, except when in its judgment the circumstances present a danger to the individual or to others. Advising activities of this kind are not part of the actual discrimination grievance procedures, which require that a complaint be officially filed, as described in the Informal Grievance Procedure below. Only complaints that do proceed to the informal stage are certain to come to the attention of the appropriate authorities. The advisor keeps no record of the consultation. A person who feels discriminated against may proceed directly to the informal grievance procedure, whether or not he or she has consulted an advisor.
Should the advisee decide to proceed, the advisor's role may also include accompanying the advisee (now the complainant) through any subsequent College discrimination grievance procedures, should he or she want the advisor present. The respondent may also consult with any of the College advisors, except the one chosen by the complainant. The advisor's role continues to be that of a facilitator who provides information and support. The complainant may bring a draft of the statement of allegations (see Informal Grievance Procedure, paragraph 2) to the advisor to consult about how to express clearly what he or she wishes to say. The respondent, should he or she proceed to the appeal stage, may similarly consult with a College advisor about the statement of reasons for the appeal. The advisor may discuss procedural matters with the executive officers involved in the case, but may not investigate, or attempt to mediate or resolve the complaint. Like all other participants, the advisor is expected to respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.
II. INFORMAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
A person who is considering filing a complaint regarding discriminatory behavior should meet as soon as possible with the appropriate administrator (i.e., either the pertinent executive officer or affiliated staff) The administrator will, if so requested, help the person decide whether the allegation falls within the scope of these grievance procedures, answer any questions regarding the procedures themselves, or provide any information that might help the person decide whether to file a complaint and thereby initiate an investigation.
If the person then chooses to file a complaint, he or she will send to his or her executive officer a written statement of allegations. The complainant's executive officer will provide the complainant with a written set of guidelines indicating the kinds of information that the statement should contain. The respondent's executive officer will be responsible for giving the respondent a copy of the statement of allegations and for answering any questions regarding the procedures themselves. The complainant's executive officer and the executive officer of the person charged with the offense will oversee the entire informal stage. In doing so they may need to confer with and delegate responsibilities to members of their staffs. They will also inform the Affirmative Action Officer that a complaint has been filed. In conducting the investigation, the respondent's executive officer should consult his or her file of complaints of discrimination to determine whether it contains any information about the respondent that is relevant to a judgment concerning the present case or to the terms of its resolution.
After the investigation has been concluded the executive officers will reach a finding and report it to both the complainant and the respondent. If the finding indicates that the respondent did not violate the College's policy, or that the evidence is inconclusive, the complainant may, if dissatisfied with the finding, instruct his or her executive officer to begin formal grievance proceedings. If the complainant chooses not to request formal proceedings, the case is dismissed. If, on the other hand, it is the judgment of the executive officers that the respondent committed the act(s) alleged by the complainant and thereby violated College policy, they will seek an informal resolution of the complaint. They will also, if the respondent is a faculty or staff member, confer with his or her department supervisor. The complainant's executive officer will keep the complainant informed of any progress made in resolving the grievance, reporting to the complainant within one month of the filing of one the complaint. This period may be extended beyond one month if the complainant and his or her executive officer agree that an extension is needed.
To be successful, the terms of the resolution proposed by the executive officers must be acceptable to both the complainant and the respondent. The executive officers will put those terms in writing, giving a copy to the complainant and another to the respondent. Each party will have one week to indicate his or her acceptance of the terms as constituting a satisfactory resolution of the grievance by returning a signed copy to the executive officers. Upon receipt of both signed copies, the respondent's executive officer will place them in his or her file of complaints of discrimination and take such actions as are called for in the resolution.
The executive officers' attempt at an informal resolution will have failed if either the complainant or the respondent chooses not to accept the terms proposed. If the complainant does not accept them, he or she may, again within a week of receiving the proposed terms in writing, instruct the complainant's executive officer to begin formal grievance proceedings, and the grievance committee will hear the case following the regulations stipulated below (see Formal Grievance Procedure). In cases where the respondent is a faculty member and the finding is extremely serious, the complainant may waive his or her right to have the case heard before a formal grievance committee to enable the executive officers, if they so recommend, to initiate proceedings for the imposition of a major sanction (dismissal or suspension), as described in the Faculty Handbook in Section II-U and V. Should the complainant choose to withdraw the complaint, the executive officers may, depending on their findings, decide nevertheless to impose sanctions on the respondent. If the executive officers so decide, and the respondent believes that their findings are unwarranted or their proposed sanctions unjust, he or she may appeal the executive officers' decision as specified in the Appeal Procedure below.
III. FORMAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
The committee that hears cases of alleged discrimination is the Discipline Committee when both parties are students The formal mechanism for hearing all other allegations of discriminatory behavior, except those involving faculty appointment renewal decisions (which are handled by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions and by the faculty Steering Committee), is a grievance committee constituted for each particular case. This committee is drawn from a Standing Panel of thirty-two people, which the President appoints annually, whose members stand ready to serve in this capacity. The membership of the Standing Panel is constituted as follows:
--One minority faculty member and one minority staff member appointed annually by the President.
--The twelve faculty members elected by the faculty to serve on the Faculty Review Committee.
--Those staff members who are appointed annually to two similar panels by the Provost and the Vice-President for Operations, each of which has six members.
--Six students, appointed by the College Council, two of whom shall be the minority representatives to the College Council.
The President shall also annually appoint, from among the membership of the Standing Panel, one faculty member and one staff member, who will stand ready to chair the grievance committee constituted to hear a particular case. The chair will vote only to break a tie.
The grievance committee appointed by the President to hear a particular case shall be constituted from the membership of the Standing Panel as follows. If one of the parties is a student and the other faculty or staff, the committee shall have seven members, three from the same College category (student, faculty, staff) as the complainant, three from that of the respondent, and a chair. If one of the parties is a member of the faculty and the other a member of the staff, the committee shall likewise have seven members: a chair, three faculty members, and three staff members, at least one of whom shall be from the same job category as the staff member who is a party to the case. If both parties are faculty, the committee shall have five members, four from the Faculty Review Committee and a chair. If both parties are staff, the committee shall similarly have five members, a chair, and four members drawn from one or both of the panels appointed by the Provost and Vice President for Operations. At least one of those members shall be from the same job category as each of the parties involved. When the case involves faculty, both non-tenured and tenured faculty shall be included in the membership of the grievance committee. The faculty chair of the Standing Panel will preside in all cases involving faculty, and the staff chair in all cases involving staff, unless the case involves faculty and staff, when the chair shall be from the same College category as that of the complainant. The President shall strive to represent the diversity of the Williams community in appointing a committee to hear a particular case. Depending on the nature of the allegation, the President shall also strive to assure representation of the relevant groups protected by the College's non-discrimination statement. If unable to convene a committee with appropriate representation from among the members of the Standing Panel, the President may appoint up to two members not on the Standing Panel.
At or before the first meeting of the grievance committee constituted to hear a particular case, the chair, or any member of the committee may, at his or her own initiative, excuse himself or herself from the case because of potential bias or conflict of interest. If the chair asks to be excused, the President appoints for that case a chair pro tempore. Either party to the case may request members of the committee to withdraw from hearing a case on grounds of potential bias or conflict of interest. Should disagreement arise about a request for the disqualification of a particular member, the other members of the committee shall resolve the matter by majority vote. In the event that a member withdraws or is disqualified, the President shall appoint a replacement.
The grievance committee will conduct its hearings in private, keeping its proceedings, findings, and recommendations strictly confidential. A member of the grievance committee shall be designated by its chair to maintain minutes of its proceedings. Neither party to the case may mechanically record or stenographically transcribe the hearings. All decisions of the committee shall be made by majority vote, with the chair voting only to break a tie.
The committee will proceed as follows in order to protect the rights of both parties to the case and to assure the fairness of the College's procedures:
1. The respondent will receive a copy of the complainant's statement of allegations in advance of the first meeting of the committee, if he or she has not already received one.
2. Both parties will receive sufficient notice of the time and place of the hearing to allow for preparation of the case.
3. Both parties have the right to be present when the case is heard.
4. Both parties have the right to present evidence and to call a reasonable number of witnesses. Witnesses may be present only when they are actually testifying or being questioned.
5. Both parties have the right to question all witnesses.
6. The only sexual history that is admissible as evidence is that which exists between the two parties, and then only if the case involves sexual discrimination.
7. The grievance committee may request the executive officer of the respondent to testify whether the file of complaints of discrimination that he or she maintains contains information concerning the respondent that is relevant to a judgment concerning the present case or to its disposition.
8. Each party has the right to an advisor of his or her choice from the student body, faculty or staff of the College, who may help with the preparation of the case, who may be present when the case is heard, and who may confer with the advisee during the hearing. The advisor, however, may not address the grievance committee or question witnesses. The advisor may, but need not, be chosen from among the College advisors (see Advising Procedure). Neither party may be represented at the hearing by legal counsel.
The committee makes a finding as to whether or not the act alleged in the complaint, should it have taken place, would be a violation of the College's policies against discrimination. If so, the committee also makes a finding as to whether the accused faculty or staff person actually committed the alleged act. The committee then reports its finding(s) and a summary of the reasons for its judgments in a written statement sent to the complainant, the respondent, and their executive officers no later than two weeks after the hearings conclude. In the event that both of the findings are affirmative, the committee also sends to the executive officers a recommendation of appropriate courses of action to remedy the harm done to the complainant and to protect other members of the College community, including a recommendation, if necessary, of any disciplinary action to be taken against the respondent. When the committee's decisions are not unanimous, the report shall record both majority and minority opinions. The report shall be signed by all members of the committee.
If the complaint of discrimination involves grading, the grievance committee shall, at its discretion, call upon appropriate members of the Williams faculty for advice and shall have access to any information, including student records, it deems necessary. The laws governing access to individually identifiable student records require, however, that such information come to the committee through an officer of the College, i.e., the Dean of the College. If the committee judges an assigned grade to be the result of discrimination, the committee will recommend to the executive officers either a revised grade or a procedure for assigning a new grade. Nothing in these procedures shall infringe upon an instructor's responsibility for his or her own grading so long as that grading does not violate the College's non-discrimination policy.
The executive officers shall consider the grievance committee's finding(s), report, and recommendations (if any). The executive officers shall also consider any information about the respondent in the file of complaints of discrimination, to which the executive officer of the respondent has access that is relevant to a judgment concerning the present case or to its disposition. If the executive officers reach conclusions that differ from those of the grievance committee, they will state their reasons for having done so, in writing, to the committee, providing the committee with an opportunity to reply before taking action. If, after considering the grievance committee's reply, the executive officers conclude that the respondent did not violate the College's non-discrimination policy, or that the evidence is not sufficient to substantiate the allegation, the case shall be dismissed. If they conclude that a violation has occurred, they will, normally within a period of one month after receiving the committee's report, submit a written statement of their finding(s), and of the actions they plan to take, to the committee, the complainant, the respondent, and the respondent's department supervisor.
The complainant will have exhausted the College's discrimination grievance procedures at the close of the formal stage. The respondent has the right to appeal the executive officers' proposed disposition of the case, unless the executive officers have instituted proceedings to suspend or dismiss a faculty member, as the Appeal Procedure below explains. If the respondent chooses not to appeal, the executive officers shall then act to remedy the harm done to the complainant, to protect the College community, and to take appropriate disciplinary action against the respondent. Copies of the executive officers' written reports will be placed in the file of complaints of discrimination maintained by the Respondent's executive officer.
IV. APPEAL PROCEDURE
The formal grievance procedure constitutes the complainant's appeal. The respondent may appeal the executive officers' disposition of the case in the manner described below, unless the executive officers have initiated proceedings for the dismissal or suspension of a faculty member, in which case the matter shall be referred to the President and the Committee on Appointments and Promotions in accordance with the procedure governing the imposition of a major sanction, as described in the Faculty Handbook, Section II-V. This procedure includes an appeal option of its own. In all other cases, a respondent who is dissatisfied with the executive officers' finding of discriminatory behavior and/or the actions they have proposed may appeal at one of two points: at the conclusion of the informal proceedings, if the complainant has withdrawn; or at the conclusion of the formal proceedings, if the complainant has taken the case to a grievance committee. Should the respondent (hereafter the appellant) choose to appeal, he or she must submit a written statement explaining the reasons for the appeal within one month of receiving the executive officers' statement of the findings and the action proposed. The complainant is no longer party to the case but may be called upon as a witness.
When the appellant is a student, and the complainant who had filed the charge of discriminatory behavior is a member of the faculty or staff, the statement explaining the reasons for the appeal should be sent to the President, whose resolution of the case shall be final. When the appellant is a staff member, the statement of the reasons for the appeal should in all cases be sent to the President, whose resolution of the case shall again be final. The President shall report his or her decision(s), in writing, to the appellant and to the executive officers involved in the case. If during the formal stage the case had been brought before a grievance committee, the President shall send to the grievance committee and to the original complainant the statement of reasons for the appeal and report to the committee his or her findings and final resolution of the case. The executive officer of the appellant shall place the statement of reasons for the appeal and the President's report to the appellant and the executive officers in the file of complaints of discrimination he or she maintains, providing a full record of the final disposition of the case.
When the appellant is a member of the faculty, he or she should send the statement explaining the reasons for the appeal to a faculty hearing committee, which shall be constituted and conduct its business according to the procedures described in the Faculty Handbook in Section II-V. Upon the conclusion of those procedures, however, the following reporting mechanisms shall be added to those stipulated in Section II-V. In cases that had come before a grievance committee at the formal stage, the hearing committee and, where applicable, the President, shall report to the grievance committee and the original complainant the following: the statement of reasons for the appeal; the hearing committee's findings and its recommendation, if any, to the President; the final resolution of the case. In all cases, the Dean of the Faculty shall place in his or her file of complaints of discrimination the statement of reasons for the appeal and the report(s) to the faculty member from the hearing committee and, where applicable, the President, providing a full record of the final disposition of the case.
V. REPORTING AND FURTHER ACTION
If at any point during the discrimination grievance procedures, the respondent's behavior threatens immediate harm to others members of the community, he or she may be temporarily suspended, without prejudice. The need for and the conditions of the temporary suspension shall be decided by the President in consultation with the Dean of the College, if the respondent is a student; with the Vice-President for Operations, if the respondent is a member of staff; and with the Committee on Appointments and Promotions, if the respondent is a member of the faculty. Ordinarily, the suspension for faculty or staff will be with pay.
In the event that a criminal case is brought in which the factual issue is the same as that currently within the College's internal procedures, the internal procedures may be temporarily suspended upon the request of the respondent.
At the beginning of each academic year, the executive officers who play a role in the discrimination grievance procedures, shall report to the College community the number of cases heard in the prior year and which of those cases, if any, came before a grievance committee. They shall specify any findings of discriminatory behavior, the resolution of the cases, and the disciplinary actions, if any, that were taken. They shall do so, however, in a way that protects the privacy of the parties to the case.
APPENDIX A
A SUMMARY OF THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND OPTIONS IN THE DISCRIMINATION GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
I. Advising
(a) The person who believes he or she may have been subjected to discriminatory behavior may but need not discuss the incident(s) with a College advisor. College advisors are also available to persons against whom a complaint has been filed.
II. Informal
(a) The person who believes he or she may have been subjected to discriminatory behavior may discuss the incident(s) with the appropriate administrator.
(b) The person may but need not file a complaint at the informal stage.
(c) To file a complaint the person submits a statement of allegations to his or her executive officer. The executive officers will then conduct an investigation and reach a finding. If they find the complaint unwarranted, the complainant may but need not request formal grievance proceedings. If the respondent is judged to have violated College policy, the executive officers attempt a resolution. Either party may refuse to accept the terms proposed.
(d) If both parties accept the terms, the resolution is successful and the case is settled. If the resolution fails, the complainant may ask for formal grievance proceedings or withdraw the complaint.
(e) If the complainant withdraws, the executive officers may decide to take action against the respondent on their own. The respondent may appeal the executive officers' decision.
III. Formal
(a) The grievance committee conducts a hearing and reaches a finding, reporting its finding and its recommendations to the executive officers, the complainant, and the respondent.
(b) The executive officers reach their own finding. If it differs from the committee's, they so inform the committee and provide it with an
opportunity to reply.
If the executive officers then find the respondent not to have violated the College's anti-discrimination policy, or if they find the
evidence insufficient, the case is dismissed.
(d) If, on the other hand, the executive officers find that the respondent violated the College's policy, they will report their finding and the actions they propose to take to the committee, the complainant, and the respondent. The respondent may appeal their finding and their proposed actions.
IV. Appeal
(a) The formal grievance proceedings constitute the complainant's appeal.
(b) The respondent may appeal at the conclusion of the informal proceedings if the complainant has withdrawn and the executive officers have proposed disciplinary action; or at the end of the formal grievance proceedings if the complainant has taken the complaint to a grievance committee.
(c) If the respondent is a student or staff member, the appeal will be heard by the President. If the respondent is a faculty member, the appeal will be heard by a faculty hearing committee.
APPENDIX B
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF ALLEGATIONS FOR COMPLAINTS OF DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR
1. The statement should explain your past or present re1ationship(s), if any, to the respondent. Is or was the respondent your teacher? your student? a fellow student? a tenured member of your department? your supervisor? your employee? a co-worker? other?
2. The statement should describe the incident or incidents that led you to believe that you had been the object of discriminatory behavior. You should be as specific as you can be about the time and date of the alleged incident(s) and, in general, about the details of the incident(s).
3. The statement should also say why you think the behavior constitutes a violation of the College's anti-discrimination policy. If the behavior changed your educational or working environment in ways that interfered with your ability to receive an education or to do your job, you should explain the nature of the interference.
4. You should state whether you at any time spoke with the respondent about the incident, or about his or her behavior, and if so, what was said on the occasion.
5. You should indicate any evidence you possess that might support your allegations, such as communications from the respondent, or the names of people who witnessed the behavior, or with whom you spoke about the incident shortly after it occurred.
6. You may bring a draft of the statement of the allegations to a College advisor (see Advising Procedure) should you wish to consult with the advisor about how to express clearly what you wish to say.
APPENDIX C
REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE USE OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S FILE OF PRIOR COMPLAINTS BROUGHT AGAINST THE RESPONDENT
If a complaint of discriminatory behavior has been lodged against the respondent in the past, the following rules govern the use of the record of the prior case in the case under consideration:
(a) The executive officers may use information from the record in conducting the investigation. Nothing from the record, however, may be used as evidence in support of a finding as to whether the respondent in fact committed the act(s) currently is alleged. That determination must be based solely on the established facts of the case under consideration.
(b) If the respondent is found to have committed the alleged act(s), and is judged to have violated the College's anti-discrimination policy, a prior finding of discriminatory behavior, a prior warning, or prior instructions about what constitutes discriminatory behavior, may be used in determining the appropriate penalties or sanctions.
APPENDIX D
ADVISORY CONVERSATIONS AND THE COLLEGE'S NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
The following guidelines are for persons who have advising functions related to the College's Non-Discrimination Policy. As with all parts of the advising procedure, they are not part of the actual discrimination grievance procedures, which require that a complaint be officially filed. An "advisory conversation" is merely one of the options that College-designated advisors or other persons whose positions carry advising functions, such as chairs or managers of department or programs, might want to describe to an advisee whose situation resembles the following:
The advisee does not wish to file a complaint but does want the person whose behavior is at issue to be advised that he or she should be careful to avoid actions that could very well be innocent but could be misinterpreted.
An advisory conversation might be appropriate, in other words, when the advisee perceives the conduct to be ambiguous or innocent but nonetheless finds it dislocating. The guidelines are as follows:
Guidelines for Advisory Conversation
The advisee requests the conversation and the executive officer makes the decision as to whether an advisory conversation shall take place. The advisee, before deciding to recommend such a conversation, should be made aware of the following. His or her name will need to be made known to the executive officer. Depending on the circumstance of the case, the executive officer might also need to talk to the advisee, and the advisee's identity might need to be made known to the person whose behavior is at issue.
If the advisee wishes the conversation to take place, either the advisor and/or the advisee should discuss the matter with the executive officer of the person whose behavior is at issue. If the executive officer decides that an advisory conversation would be useful, the executive officer may choose to conduct it, or may delegate the responsibility to a member of his or her staff, or to another member of the faculty or staff, depending on who is likely to be the most appropriate and effective person. If the responsibility is delegated, the executive officer shall discuss what is to be said with the person who conducts the conversation and shall receive notice of its having taken place.
The executive officer or the delegated person shall inform the advisee that the conversation has taken place. Nothing else shall be conveyed to the advisee without the explicit permission of the person whose behavior is at issue. No record shall be kept of the conversation, unless the person whose behavior is at issue requests one, in which case he or she shall be given a copy. Such a record would have no "probative value" (i.e., it would provide no "proof" or "evidence" of discriminatory behavior concerning either the present situation or any future allegations of discriminatory behavior, should such be made).
Both the conversation, and the written record, if there is any, must make clear the following.
--That no charges of discriminatory behavior have been filed nor are any such allegations currently being made.
--That the case has not been investigated.
--That the behavior at issue may be entirely innocent.
--That the sole purpose of the conversation is to discuss for the sake of all concerned, the need to be careful about the impressions that even well-intentioned comments or contacts with students, faculty, or staff can have.
Footnotes for Non-Discrimination Policy and Grievance Procedures
1 For a summary of the most important stages in the discrimination grievance procedures, see Appendix A.
2 Throughout these procedures, a "complainant" is the person who has filed a complaint; the person against whom a complaint is filed is the "respondent."
3 For the Dean of the College the other administrators include the Associate and Assistant Deans; for the Dean of the Faculty they include the Associate Dean of the Faculty, the Provost, and the Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity; and for the Vice-President for Operations they include the Director of Human Resources and the Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity. If it is an executive officer whose behavior may be at issue, the person should discuss the alleged discriminatory behavior with the President, who will appoint a formal grievance committee, which will proceed as stipulated below, except that the committee will in this case make its report and recommendation to the President.
4 See Appendix B for the guidelines.
5 When both the complainant and the respondent belong to the same category (i.e., students, faculty, or staff) their executive officer and an affiliated staff member will oversee the proceedings.
6 Only the respondent's executive officer has access to the file, which contains information pertaining both to dismissed and to settled cases. See Appendix C for regulations governing the use of the file.
7 See Student Handbook, Disciplinary Proceedings.
8 See the opening paragraph of the Sexual Harassment Policy statement or the opening sentence of the Discrimination Grievance Procedures.
9 This refers to "Procedures for the Imposition of Sanctions Other Than Dismissal," which have been inserted into the current edition of the Faculty Handbook in Section II-V.
The purpose of these regulations is to outline the social and legal obligations of students when they have a party or plan an event on Williams College property, and to help students to make their parties safe and pleasurable. These regulations apply to any student party held in any College facility, including co-op houses.
GENERAL REGULATIONS
--Student parties are restricted to members of the College community and their escorted guests.
--Anyone hosting or serving alcoholic beverages at these functions must become certified to do so by attending the Certification Workshop conducted by Campus Life and Health Services, and passing the test given at the end of the workshop. Workshops are scheduled throughout the semester and during Winter Study. Contact Campus Life for dates and times.
--Hosts must be members of the sponsoring organization of the event.
--Hosts and servers may be paid or unpaid, and this must be determined prior to the party by the host(s) and/or the sponsoring organization. If paid, the rate is $10/hour, paid by the sponsoring organization. Hosts and servers may only be paid for their time during the party.
--If a host is unable to secure an adequate number of certified servers, the host must arrange for a professional bartender through the Office of Campus Life. The current payment rate for a professional bartender is $30/hour, paid by the sponsoring organization.
--Parties and events must be registered according to specific guidelines listed in this document and via the Event Registration Form. Registration guidelines will be discussed during the Certification Workshop.
--All advertising for parties must be directed exclusively at the College community.
--No off-campus advertising or promotion for parties is allowed.
--Advertisements for parties may not in any way feature alcohol, either in the name of the party or in the description.
--College funds may not be used to purchase alcohol.
--No admission fees, cover charges, or charges for alcoholic beverages are permitted when alcohol is served unless a temporary license to sell is obtained from the Town of Williamstown & approved by the Board of Selectors.
--The amount of alcohol available on campus via registered parties on a given night will be calculated based upon the actual number of students who are of legal age on campus.
--Hosts and servers must be and remain substance free (no alcohol or other substances) when working a party.
--At any party where alcohol is served, one host must be at least 21-years-old, and additional hosts must be at least 18-years-old. All servers must be at least 21-years-old.
--If alcohol is served at a party or event, bracelets must be used to identify persons of legal drinking age of 21 years.
--Parties and events must conform to fire code and maximum occupancy limits.
--A barrier (e.g., bar) is required to separate the alcohol from guests; only servers may have access to the alcohol during the party. The area must have adequate lighting to check ID's.
--Parties may not begin before 6pm on days when classes are scheduled or before 12 noon on Saturday & Sunday.
--Parties must end by 12midnight on Sunday-Thursday nights, and by 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.
--Hard alcohol, including punch, at all College-sanctioned (registered) events for students is prohibited. Exception is during First- Chance Dance, 100 Days Dance, and Senior Week events; professional servers are present at these events.
--Regulations regarding party sizes, amounts and type of alcohol allowed at different size parties, and host/server number requirements, can be found in the section "Registration Requirements"
--Alcohol is not permitted at athletic events unless purchased from a licensed vendor on the premises.
--Outdoor parties and events must be approved by Facilities & Campus Safety.
--Alcohol may not be served at a party in First Year dorms or at any party exclusively intended for First Year students.
--First Year entries cannot fund alcohol for parties but under separate billing can sponsor entertainment, food, alternative beverages.
--Smoking is not permitted at parties and events held in common areas, living rooms, rec rooms, dining halls, or academic and athletic buildings. All college buildings are considered smoke-free.
Additional Pre-Party Planning
--Facilities is available to assist if special set-ups such as risers, tables, chairs, fencing or lighting are needed. There are certain requirements that must be met and certain requests will incur a charge. Specific details can be obtained by calling the Campus Life Office (x2546) during regular business hours.
--The Office of Environmental Health & Safety must be contacted at x2406 if candles will be used during a party or event. Fog and smoke machines are not allowed at parties in any student residence. The Office of EH&S must be contacted if a fog/smoke machine will be used at any party or event held in a non-residential building. Foam machines are not permitted in any College building.
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
Parties are not allowed during First Days, Reading Period, or Final Exam Period.
Williams College requires the registration of parties or other events. In order to be eligible to register parties, students must complete the Certification Workshop, offered by Campus Life and Health Services, and pass the test at the end of the workshop. The workshop educates students about social and legal responsibilities. The Campus Life department maintains a confidential list of certified students for reference during registration.
Event registration procedures must be followed at all times during the year. A certified host must register the party via the Event Registration Form. Registration hours are Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm, at the Office of Campus Life. The party plan must be completed and discussed with the Campus Life Assistant for Student Activities, the Assistant Director for Student Activities, or the Director of Campus Life. Forms are available at the Campus Life office.
Parties must be registered a minimum of two working days prior to the event, by 4pm. Since Saturday and Sunday are not considered working days, events planned for Friday, Saturday or Sunday must be registered with the Office of Campus Life by 4pm on Wednesday.
Unregistered Intimate parties (13-50 people) are not permitted to have bulk alcohol nor hard alcohol. Beer cannot exceed 79 twelve-ounce cans and wine cannot exceed 11 liters. Bands and DJs are not permitted. Students holding these events in their own common areas in their respective house must notify the Baxter Fellow specifying date, time, and number attending. However, if the event is to be held in the building common area, the student holding the event must get permission from the Baxter Fellow prior to the event. The student will be the contact person and will be held responsible for clean-up and any damages that occurred. Unregistered Intimate Parties will be shut down due to noise complaints, overcrowding, exceeding alcohol limits or for any reason that jeopardizes student safety.
Registered Intimate parties (13-50 people) may have a maximum* of one keg or its equivalent and 50 people present. A band or DJ is allowed. A minimum of one host and two servers is required.
Small parties (51-99 people) may have a maximum* of one keg or its equivalent and 99 people present. A minimum of two hosts and two servers is required.
Medium parties (100-199 people) may have a maximum* of two kegs or its equivalent and 199 people present. A minimum of three hosts and two servers is required.
Large parties (200+ people) may have a maximum* of six kegs or its equivalent-the actual number will depend on the size and length of the party. A minimum of four hosts and three servers is required, and may increase incrementally depending upon the number of people expected at the event.
Late-Night parties or events are restricted to a maximum of 100 people and are limited to one keg or its equivalent. Late night parties must end at 3:00am and are limited to Friday and Saturday nights.
If you are interested in a trained non-student bartender for your party, contact the Office of Campus Life for the list of available bartenders.
(*See the next section entitled "Alcohol Limits" for information about the total amount of alcohol available on campus via registered parties on a given night.)
Alcohol Limits
Across the various sizes of registered parties, the amount of alcohol available on campus via registered parties on a given night will be calculated based upon the actual number of Williams students who are of legal age. Quantities cannot exceed this amount.
The amount of alcohol for a particular party depends on the size and length of the party. A maximum of 6 kegs will be allowed at large parties. Small to medium parties have lower limits. A maximum of 8 kegs will be allowed at parties exclusively planned for Senior Class participation (i.e. 100 Days and Senior Week).
Topics discussed during Registration
Discussion with a host will include ensuring the completion of the Event Registration Form, the amounts of alcohol permitted at the party, the size of the party, the location and its capacity limits, entertainment or theme of the party, types of food and alternative beverages available at the party, and the potential need for Campus Safety officers.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF HOSTS
The primary concern of a host is to maintain a safe environment for students and their guests and to abide by College rules and Massachusetts law. An individual who assumes the responsibility for hosting events must be a current Williams student from the sponsoring organization. One host must be at least 21-years-old; additional hosts must be at least 18-years-old. Attendance and certification in the Certification Workshop, conducted by Campus Life and Health Services, is mandatory. Hosts may or may not be paid, and this must be determined prior to the party. If paid, the rate is $10/hour, paid by the sponsoring organization.
Below are general responsibilities of hosts:
--Accept and carry out full responsibility of all aspects of the event including compliance with all Massachusetts State Laws concerning alcohol
--Organize the party.
--Confirm with the organization's financial officer that any necessary financial arrangements are within the budgetary limits of the sponsoring organization
--Register the party or event with Campus Life within the proper time frame via the completed Event Registration Form.
--Obtain written permission/signature from the Baxter Fellow if the party/event is being held in a residence. If no Baxter Fellow is assigned, the Campus Life Coordinator can authorize use of the residence.
--Contact and work with Campus Life to obtain permission/signature of the Dining Service Manager if the event is held in a dining hall.
--Name, assign, and, if applicable, arrange payment for servers for the party.
--Order bracelets through the Office of Campus Life no later than the Event Registration Form due date.
--Pick up bracelets from Campus Life on the day of the event prior to 4pm, OR, if the event is on a weekend, pick up bracelets from Campus Life on Friday prior to 4pm.
--Ensure the proper distribution and usage of the bracelets, following the section entitled "Checking for Proper Identification at Parties."
--Sign for any alcohol planned for the event (21-year-old host only).
--Ensure that proper amounts of appropriate food and non-alcoholic beverages are present and available throughout the duration of the party.
--Bear financial responsibility for any damage to College or student property that occurs during the party or event if the responsible person cannot be identified. The Dean's Office, Campus Safety, and Campus Life will work with students to resolve these cases as fairly as possible based on all available information.
--Check with the assigned Campus Safety officers at the beginning of the party or event and maintain communications for the duration. If no officers are assigned, regular campus patrol officers will check the event to ensure compliance. Hosts and servers must identify themselves and cooperate in every respect. Failure to comply with the registered plan may result in the party or event being shut down by the officers.
--Ensure that the party site is cleaned up and furniture is placed in its original location.
--Contact Campus Safety for any assistance, if necessary.
Regarding alcohol during the party, the hosts must:
--Check ID's at the point of entry to the event (one host minimum).
--Ensure that intoxicated persons do not gain entry to the party.
--Ensure that servers are present at all times.
--Monitor and control the service and consumption of alcohol.
--Prevent minors from consuming alcohol.
--Prevent alcohol being passed to minors by a 21 year-old guest.
--Remove any guest from the party who fails to comply with Massachusetts law.
--Enlist the aid of Campus Safety, when necessary, to ensure compliance with Massachusetts law.
--Deny alcohol to persons who appear intoxicated.
--Ensure that guests do not leave the party with an open container.
--Ensure that alcohol is kept in a secure area and does not exceed amounts listed on the plan.
--Ensure compliance with the information stated on the Event Registration Form.
--Ensure that any guest whose behavior is disruptive or creates an unsafe environment will be required to leave the party or event, enlisting the aid of Campus Safety if necessary.
--Ensure that alcohol is secured at the end of the party.
General Responsibilities of Servers
The primary concern of a server is to maintain a safe environment for students and their guests and to abide by College rules and Massachusetts law. An individual who assumes the responsibility for serving at events must be a current Williams student (unless a trained bartender). Attendance and certification in the Certification Workshop, conducted by Campus Life and Health Services, is mandatory. Servers may or may not be paid, and this must be determined prior to the party by the host. If paid, the rate is $10/hour, paid by the sponsoring organization.
Below are general responsibilities of servers:
--Accept and carry out full responsibility of the event including compliance with all Massachusetts State Laws concerning alcohol (relevant laws are discussed during the Certification Workshop).
--Serve only of-age guests.
--Ensure the proper usage of the bracelets, following the section entitled "Checking for Proper Identification at Parties."
--Monitor and control the service and consumption of alcohol.
--Prevent minors from consuming alcohol.
--Prevent alcohol being passed to minors by a 21 year-old guest.
--Remove any guest from the party who fails to comply with Massachusetts law.
--Ensure that any guest whose behavior is disruptive or creates an unsafe environment will be required to leave the party or event, enlisting the aid of Campus Safety if necessary.
--Deny alcohol to persons who appear intoxicated.
--Enlist the aid of Campus Safety, when necessary, to ensure compliance with Massachusetts law.
--Ensure that alcohol is kept in a secure area and does not exceed amounts listed on the plan.
--Ensure compliance with the information stated on the Event Registration Form.
--Ensure that the party site is cleaned up and furniture is placed in its original location.
--Check with the assigned Campus Safety officers at the beginning of the party or event and maintain communications for the duration. If no officers are assigned, regular campus patrol officers will check the event to ensure compliance. Hosts and servers must identify themselves and cooperate in every respect. Failure to comply with the registered plan may result in the party or event being shut down by the officers.
--Ensure that guests do not leave the party with an open container.
--Ensure that alcohol is secured at the end of the party.
--Contact Campus Safety for any assistance, if necessary.
CHECKING FOR PROPER IDENTIFICATION AT PARTIES
At least one host must check ID's at the point of entry for the event. Two (2) forms of photo ID are required for all 21-year-old guests:
--Williams students must produce a Williams ID, plus a valid driver's license, passport, military ID, or alcohol ID card.
--Guests of Williams students are required to produce two forms of ID to verify age (one must be a valid driver's license, passport, military ID, or alcohol ID card).
Books entitled "ID Check Guide" are available from Campus Life and Campus Safety for use by hosts and servers. Books must be returned after use.
PARTY CLEAN-UP
An important part of any party planning involves planning for clean-up. Always inspect the party area 30 minutes before the party begins, and carefully note any preexisting damage. Clean-up regulations are listed below:
--Student Hosts and Servers are responsible for the clean-up process.
--Notify the Custodian in the house of your event. S/he will leave the following items for your use: wet mop, bucket, broom and/or vacuum cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, extra trash bags.
--Pick up all trash both inside and outside buildings and bring it to the designated rubbish removal area.
--Sweep floor; vacuum carpets or rugs.
--Damp mop the floor at least twice, changing the mop water between mopping. With hardwood floors, use a minimal amount of water to avoid damaging the floor. Mop water solution should be 2 oz. of all-purpose cleaner per gallon of cold water.
--Do not replace carpets or furniture until the Custodian has had a chance to wet mop and apply floor finish.
--For parties held on the weekend, the area must be cleaned by noon on Monday. For parties held during the week, the area must be cleaned by noon on the following day.
--Hosts may call Facilities to request additional time to complete the clean-up for a party as long as the clean-up process has been initiated.
Additional options for clean-up are as follows:
--You may hire your own student workers at lower rates.
--Get a volunteer group of students to assist with the clean-up.
In the event that the area is not cleaned sufficiently, as determined by the Custodial Supervisor in accordance with above directions, Facilities Services will clean up the party area and there will be hourly charges for the labor payable by the sponsoring organization and/or the House. The sponsoring organization and/or the House will also be charged for whatever cleaning materials were used.
A House may deny another House permission to use its space if it feels that there will be a problem with the party clean up or damages. Disputes over this matter may be brought to the attention of Campus Life and/or the Dean's Office.
For more information on party clean-up, please call the Facilities Services Office, x2195.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND CONSIDERATIONS
The availability of alcoholic beverages at parties substantially increases the burden of responsibility on hosts and servers. Hosts and servers are strongly encouraged to enlist resources that are available from Campus Safety, Health Services and Campus Life.
--Hire trained bartenders to serve alcohol.-Campus Life has a list of available bartenders. Their current rate is $30/hour.
--Use the "ID Check Guide" book to verify authenticity of drivers' licenses. The books are available from Campus Life.
--Use a blacklight/flashlight to check ID authenticity. These lights are available from Campus Life.
--Use TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) as additional training. Contact Campus Life for more information.
--Contact the Health Center for additional alcohol education.
VIOLATING PARTY POLICY
Any violation or failure to comply with a party plan will result in a party being shut down and the host being fined a minimum of $100 per violation, imposed by Campus Safety and Security. Hosts or other responsible students may lose the privilege to host parties or may be subject to further College disciplinary action. If a party is unregistered and the responsible person is not identified, the fine will be imposed on the suite, entry, or house in which the party occurred. House members will be responsible to pay for damages not attributed to an individual. Previously unclaimed or unpaid damages will factor into whether or not a particular organization, house, host, or server may coordinate or take part in a party in the future.
Involvement with alcohol is not an excuse for dangerous or disruptive behavior. In such cases, students are still responsible for their actions. If alcohol or other substances have contributed to unacceptable behavior (e.g., violations of College policy; dangerous or disruptive behavior; continued abuse of alcohol resulting in significant health, personal, or academic difficulties), disciplinary action may, in addition to other sanctions, require the student to attend a substance abuse workshop offered by Health Services. The general rules of student conduct, as described in the Student Handbook, apply at all times.
ROLE OF CAMPUS SAFETY
When a host registers a party/event with the Office of Campus Life, a determination will be made whether to assign Campus Safety Officers. The following factors are always considered:
--Size of party.
--Type of entertainment.
--Other events/parties occurring on campus.
--Location of the party.
--History of the party location or history of the party theme.
--Amount and type of alcohol.
Responsibilities of Officers Assigned to Parties
Campus Safety officers are not responsible for supervising, overseeing or regulating the consumption of alcohol. The responsibility rests with the hosts and servers and adherence to the law is the obligation of each individual guest. However, Campus Safety officers will take appropriate action when deemed necessary. Officers are assigned to parties for the following reasons:
--To assist the hosts and servers to ensure compliance with Massachusetts law concerning alcohol consumption.
--To assist the hosts and servers with fire capacity limits.
--To notify the hosts if underage drinking is suspected.
--To directly intervene when requested by a host or server or when it is reasonable and prudent to do so.
--To identify and report to Campus Safety supervisors the names of students who fail to comply with Massachusetts law.
--To assist students to ensure that only members of the College community and their invited guests attend a party.
--To shut down parties that are excessively noisy or unruly, extend beyond the stated ending time, exceed fire capacity limits, or violate the terms of