Student Conduct

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

The purpose of the Oberlin College Judicial System is to create an environment that is conducive to excellence within and outside of the classroom, that educates students about the relationship between their personal freedom and their responsibilities to their community, that promotes the orderly functioning of the community, that holds all members of the community accountable for their behavior, and that promotes habits of effective and engaged citizenship.

Students are expected to be responsible for their actions and to conduct themselves in accordance with the rules and regulations of the college. Violation of the Oberlin College Code of Conduct shall be grounds for disciplinary action. To become familiar with the college's rules and regulations consult http://new.oberlin.edu/students/ policies. A more detailed explanation of the Judicial System is available online at http://new.oberlin.edu/ students/policies/judicial.

SANCTIONS

A record of all educational interventions and sanctions, including verbal warnings, becomes a part of a student's permanent disciplinary record that is stored in the Office of the Dean of Students for a minimum of seven years.

Whenever possible, sanctions for violations of the Code of Conduct will be educational in nature. Violations affecting the health and safety of members of the Oberlin College community are deemed to be the most serious and may result in more serious consequences.

This non-exhaustive list of sanctions should serve to alert students to the range of possible sanctions or requirements.

  • Warning
  • Fines
  • Limitations on participation
  • Counseling
  • Campus/community work and educational workshops
  • Residence hall room change
  • Restitution
  • Denial of residence on campus
  • Suspension or deferred suspension
  • Withholding of degree
  • Dismissal from the college (expulsion)

STUDENT RIGHTS

No part of the Rules and Regulations are intended to abrogate the civil rights of students, either as members of the college or as members of the greater college community.

Civil Rights: Oberlin students are members of the college and the greater public communities. The college supports students in the exercise of their civil rights and the free exchange of ideas. Students have the right to be free from harassment and harm for reasons of their race, color, sex, marital status, religion, creed, national origin, disability, age, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, family relationship to an employee of Oberlin College, and gender identity and expression. Students have the right to enjoy a reasonable degree of privacy, within the constraints imposed by living together in close quarters.
Fundamental Fairness: Students at Oberlin College will be treated equitably and fairly under the terms of the Judicial System.

Freedom from Unwarranted Search: Oberlin respects students' right to privacy. The college and its officials abide by set procedures pursuant to entering or searching college property leased by or assigned to students with the understanding that this procedure in no way limits bona fide law enforcement for warranted searches.

Responsibility and the Law: Oberlin students shall accept full responsibility for their own actions under federal, state, and local laws. They shall recognize the rule of law and expect no special immunity on account of their student status. Students shall abide by college regulations and the decisions of the college's judicial bodies. When students incur penalties prescribed by civil authorities, they may also be subject to further discipline by the college Judicial System. When students of the college are charged with a violation of law, the college has no obligation to assist them.

FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. Our office is required to maintain strict confidentiality of information pertaining to student discipline files, but we generally encourage students to discuss their discipline cases with parents/guardians. If a student under 21 years of age has violated alcohol or drug policy and the student is at risk of suspension, expulsion or eviction, the college may notify the student's parents, of those facts. Students can authorize parents/guardians access to their information by filing a FERPA waiver form.

Medical Amnesty: To promote the health and safety of students who consume toxic levels of drugs or alcohol, the college reviews cases involving students whose friends call for assistance when concerned that medical attention is needed. Following the review, a judicial coordinator will make a determination about whether or not medical amnesty will be extended to the person who needed medical attention and the friends who sought the assistance. Medical amnesty negates status sanctions such as warnings, probation, suspension, and dismissal; however, an individual who has been extended medical amnesty may still be required by a judicial coordinator to take part in specified educational activities that are designed to increase the individual's awareness or their patterns of drug or alcohol use.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION OPTIONS

Individuals who need help resolving a conflict, want to raise a concern, or just explore their options may seek help from the Office of the Ombudsperson. The office offers a number of services through the Oberlin College Dialogue Center, including mediation and facilitation, as well as educational forums and workshops. A judicial coordinator may refer students involved in judicial matters to the Oberlin College Dialogue Center (OCDC) through the Office of the Ombudsperson when both parties agree to mediation as the appropriate means for addressing their dispute, and when the violation is sufficiently minor that it would not likely result in suspension or dismissal, as suggested by precedent.

HONOR SYSTEM

The purpose of the Honor System is to maintain a high standard of academic integrity in all curricular work, to respect students' ability to adhere to this standard, and to encourage further development of this ability through the efforts of faculty, administration, and students.

The Honor Code provides the foundation for the intellectual freedom that is encouraged and shared by all members of the academic community and embodies the belief that true academic freedom and discourse can only exist within a framework of honesty, integrity, and responsibility. Each individual should respect all fellow members of the Oberlin community and vigorously support the protected nature of intellectual property. It is expected that the core values inherent to the Honor Code will be adopted, upheld, and adhered to by all members of the Oberlin College community.

SEXUAL OFFENSE & EQUITY CONCERNS

Oberlin College seeks to provide and maintain the best possible learning and working environment. For this reason, the college will not tolerate sexual offense, including sexual violence, discrimination, or harassment in the work or academic setting. The college has adopted the Sexual Offense Policy and Procedural Guidelines and the Policy on Discrimination and Harassment, which offer definitions and guidelines to help its members understand which behaviors constitute sexual offense, including sexual assault or violence, as well as harassment and discrimination, on the campus and according to state, local, and federal law. The administration of the Sexual Offense and Discrimination and Harassment Policies is a primary responsibility of the Office of Equity Concerns. As is the case with the Judicial System and the Honor System, the efficacy of the policies depends upon the members of the community to embrace the concepts outlined in the policies. The college's ability to promote an educational and work environment that is intolerant of sexual offense, discrimination, and harassment depends upon the commitment of individuals (whether victims or witnesses) to report behaviors that appear by definition to constitute sexual assault, sexual battery, rape, and various forms of harassment and discrimination. The full policies can be reviewed at new.oberlin.edu/students/policies/.

A student who experiences or witnesses a suspected incidence of sexual offense, including sexual violence, discrimination, or harassment, should report it directly to the Equity Concerns administrator or choose to speak with any trusted member of the college's faculty or staff who have a duty to report sexual offense, including one of the Equity and Diversity Committee Chairpersons identified below. The college will provide appropriate support to parties involved in an internal college process. Members of the community who are found responsible for a sexual offense, harassment, or discrimination through an internal college process are subject to appropriate college adjudication processes and disciplinary action, in addition to any action that may be taken by civil or criminal governmental authorities.

Camille Hamlin Allen, Special Assistant for Equity Concerns, (440) 775-8555

Adrian Bautista, Co-chair, Equity and Diversity Committee, spring 2012, (440) 775-8462

Kimberly Jackson Davidson, Section 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator and Co-chair, Equity and Diversity Committee, fall 2011, (440) 775-8462

Office of Residential Life
Phone: (440) 775-8472
Brayton Fields, Assistant Dean/Assistant Director of Residential Education—Hearing Officer
Rebecca Mosely, Assistant Dean/Assistant Director of Residential Education—Hearing Officer
Dani Clark, Resident Director for the First Year Residential Experience—Hearing Officer
Ashley Clifford, Resident Director for Burton, Langston, Noah, Zechiel—Hearing Officer
Kourtney Kocel, Resident Director for Cooperative and Village Housing—Hearing Officer
Sarah Molitoris, Resident Director for Program Houses—Hearing Officer
Charles Terry, Resident Resident Director for East, Fairchild, South, Talcott—Hearing Officer
Jasmine Hamilton, Graduate Assistant for the First Year Residential Experience—Hearing Officer
Purvi Patel, Graduate Assistant for Program Houses—Hearing Office

Student Honor Committee
Phone: (440) 775-8462
Isaac Katz 2011-12 SHC Coordinator ohonor@oberlin.edu Reporting Forms: www.oberlin.edu/stuorg/shc/ Honor System Charter: new.oberlin.edu/students/policies/honor

Other Contacts
Marjorie Burton, Director, Office of Safety & Security (440) 775-8444 (440) 775-8911 – EMERGENCY
Allen Community Health Partners Emergency Room (440) 755-9110
Yeworkwha Belachew, Ombudsperson (440) 775-6728 www.oberlin.edu/ombudsperson/