Honor Code and Community Responsibility

I will honor myself, my fellow students and Mount Holyoke College by acting responsibly, honestly and respectfully in both my words and deeds.

Upon matriculation, each student brings a wide variety of experiences, hopes and goals to Mount Holyoke College. These backgrounds create and continually shape communal goals and ideals. The honor code is the hallmark of life together at Mount Holyoke College. Simply stated, it means that each student is responsible for maintaining their own integrity and the integrity of the Mount Holyoke community. While broad in its applications, it provides a guideline for decision making that holds each student to principles of good conduct toward themselves and others.

While this code of honor allows for a significant degree of individual freedom, the definition of a general framework of values is necessary. In choosing to live by a social honor code, students agree to integrate the following standards into the College’s definition of personal honesty as outlined in the following interpretation of the code:

Responsibility: Though each student’s individual conception of responsibility is unique, the College trusts that every student will demonstrate ownership of their actions and will recognize the ways in which their actions affect their peers, the College, and the greater community. Each student maintains the ability to express themselves with integrity, which is crucial to the development of a community that is personally challenging, both intellectually and socially.

Honesty: A sense of honesty is fostered by the individual’s ability to express themselves in a candid and forthright manner.

Respect: Respecting themselves and others requires that every individual maintain the integrity of their own values, while acting in a way that is careful and considerate of others. In the College community, mutual respect can be obtained only by valuing free inquiry, respect for difference, and intellectual honesty.

The values framework embodied in Mount Holyoke College Honor Code is reflected in the Code of Conduct and the Academic Policies and Procedures, the College's Sex Discrimination and Sex-Based Harassment Policy and Procedures, and the Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedures set forth before. The Mount Holyoke College Honor Code assumes adherence to the rules and regulations of the College, which are designed to promote intellectual and social pursuits and to ensure personal safety. In addition, the College protects and upholds civil rights, and is committed to an inclusive and diverse community. A Mount Holyoke student demonstrates their respect for individual freedom by conducting themselves with maturity and honor, and by showing due concern for the welfare of other members of the community.

Alleged violations of the honor code, including the Code of Conduct, academic policies and procedures, the College’s Sex Discrimination and Sex-Based Harassment Policy and procedures, as well as Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment policy and procedure matters will be adjudicated as outlined below using the procedures specific to those violations.

Mount Holyoke College Code of Conduct

Mount Holyoke College students are responsible for having read and abiding by the provisions of the Code of Conduct.

The Code of Conduct and the community standards process apply to the conduct of individual students, both undergraduate and graduate, student groups and all College-affiliated student organizations including athletic teams or other recognized groups. For the purposes of student conduct, the College considers an individual to be a student when an offer of admission has been extended through the awarding of a degree. The Code of Conduct also applies when an individual is enrolled in a College course or program.

The Code of Conduct applies whether or not the College is in session. Each student shall be responsible for their personal conduct from the time of admission through the awarding of a degree. The College retains conduct jurisdiction over students who choose to take a leave of absence, withdraw or have graduated for any misconduct that occurred prior to the leave, withdrawal or graduation, and may initiate and/or resolve any pending disciplinary matters at any time. When a student is subject to sanctions for a violation of the Code of Conduct, a hold may be placed on the student’s ability to re-enroll [and/or obtain official transcripts and/or graduate] and all sanctions must be satisfied prior to re-enrollment eligibility. In the event of alleged violation(s) committed while still enrolled, but reported after a student has graduated, the College reserves the right to initiate a community standards process. If the former student is found responsible, the College may trespass the individual from campus, revoke the student’s degree and/or impose other outcomes.

The Code of Conduct applies to behaviors that take place on the campus, at College-sponsored events and may also apply off-campus when we are made aware. The Code of Conduct applies to student conduct that occurs at Mount Holyoke College and its properties, at the other four colleges within the Five College consortium (Smith College, Amherst College, Hampshire College and Umass Amherst), or any event sponsored by any of these institutions.

The Code of Conduct may be applied to behavior conducted online, via email, or other electronic medium. Students should also be aware that online postings such as social media, chats, blogs, websites, and social networking sites are in the public sphere and are not private. These postings can subject a student to allegations of conduct violations if evidence of policy violations is posted online. The College does not typically seek out this information but may take action if and when such information is brought to the attention of College officials. If someone online presents a College official with a specific statement of intent to harm themself or others, the College will respond accordingly with appropriate resources and referrals. The Code of Conduct applies to guests of community members whose hosts may be held accountable for the misconduct of their guests.

It is encouraged and preferred that alleged violations of the Code of Conduct be reported in a timely fashion, in order to allow the College to respond in a timely and effective manner. While there is no specific time limit on reporting violations of the Code of Conduct, the longer someone waits to report a concern, the harder it becomes for College officials to obtain information and make appropriate determinations regarding alleged violations. The College reserves the right to decline the initiation of a conduct process if it is deemed that the length of time from the incident date to the reporting date renders the College unable to perform an effective investigation or make appropriate determinations, and/or where the students involved are no longer enrolled at the College.

Though anonymous complaints are permitted, doing so may limit the College’s ability to investigate and respond to a complaint. Those who are aware of misconduct are encouraged to report it as quickly as possible to Community Standards and/or to Public Safety and Service.

The College reserves the right to pursue matters through the community standards process that may also be addressed in the civil or criminal legal system. Proceedings may be carried out prior to, simultaneously with or following civil or criminal proceedings.

College email is the College’s primary means of communication with students. Students are responsible for all communication delivered to their Mount Holyoke College email address.

The Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students, or designee, oversees the community standards process, is authorized to enforce the Honor Code and Code of Conduct and may appoint hearing and appeals officers.

The College expectations are set forth to give students general notice and examples of prohibited conduct. The descriptions should be read broadly and are not intended to define expectations or misconduct in exhaustive terms.

The Dean of Students, or designee, may vary procedures with notice upon determining that a law or regulation requires policy or procedural alternations not reflected in the Honor Code or the Code of Conduct.

The Dean of Students, or designee, may make minor modifications to procedures that do not materially affect the integrity of the community standards process.

Any question of interpretation of the Honor Code or Code of Conduct will be referred to the Dean of Students, or designee, whose interpretation is final.

The following activities, occurring on or off College premises, constitute breaches of the Code of Conduct:

1. Conduct that is unbecoming of a Mount Holyoke student, whether physical, verbal, or sexual in nature. Examples include but are not limited to: lewd or indecent behavior (or sponsorship thereof); abuse or assault; threats; intimidation; harassment; coercion; behavior or activities that significantly disrupt the educational experience of other students; and other conduct that threatens, instills fear, or infringes upon the rights, dignity, and integrity of any person including through the use of social media or other means of electronic communication.
2. Doxing: Mount Holyoke College prohibits all forms of doxing, including but not limited to disseminating private, identifying, or sensitive information about another person; encouraging or inciting others to dox; assisting in doxing; threatening to dox someone; using doxing to blackmail or threatening to blackmail; or using information gained through doxing to harass, intimidate, or harm someone.
3. Taking of Property. Intentional and unauthorized taking or misappropriation of College property or the personal property of another, including goods, services, intellectual property, and/or other valuables;
4. Stolen Property. Knowingly taking or maintaining possession of stolen property;
5. Vandalism, Damage, and/or Destruction. Intentional, reckless and/or unauthorized damage to or destruction of College property or the personal property of another; Graffiti is considered a form of vandalism and may come in many forms such as stickers, painting, writing, pictures, or furniture/object destruction.
6. Purposely providing false, inaccurate, or misleading information to a College official(s) or employee(s);
7. Knowingly furnishing or possessing false, falsified or forged materials, documents, accounts, records, identification or financial instruments;
8. Threats or behavior that endanger the health and safety of oneself or others. Examples include, but are not limited to: destroying, misusing, or tampering with fire safety equipment; refusing to leave during a fire drill, partaking in negligent behavior leading to a fire, engaging in hazardous behavior such as possessing and/or using candles and incense or obstructing the sprinkler or other life safety system; unauthorized climbing on College buildings and structures; throwing objects out of windows; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; and possession of explosives or dangerous chemicals;
9. Disruption of the orderly processes of the College, involving obstruction of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, or other College activities, including its public-service activities. Actions disruptive to the orderly processes of the College include, but are not limited to:
   1. Unauthorized entry into, or occupation of a private office, college residence, work area, or a teaching, library, or social facility.
   2. Conduct that restricts or prevents the safe travel to occupants in all campus buildings that is free and clear of obstructions that could impede egress travel.
   3. Failure to abide by the stated operating policies of academic and non-academic offices, centers, unions, classrooms, libraries, laboratories, or other College buildings.
   4. Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys or access cards to College premises, or tampering with locks to College buildings; failing to timely report a lost College OneCard or college-issued key;
   5. Conduct that restricts or prevents College employees from performing their duties.
   6. Excessive or extreme noise, the unauthorized display of banners/objects, or the throwing of objects that prevents or disrupts the effective execution of a College function or approved activity, including, but not limited to: classes, lectures, meetings, interviews, ceremonies, athletic events, or public functions.
   7. Abuse or misuse of official College documents or systems.
10. Failure to comply with the reasonable request of a College employee, including a request to identify oneself or honor the terms of a College directive, including a no-contact agreement/order. This also includes turning over or disposing of any prohibited items, complying with requests to disperse from common spaces on campus and complying with the results of hearings and procedures in which they participate.
11. Violation of federal, state, or local laws, including ordinances, regulations and statutes;
12. Recording without consent is prohibited. Using or installing any device for listening to, observing, photographing, recording, amplifying, publishing, or transmitting sounds, images or events where an individual/group involved has a reasonable expectation of privacy, without consent of all persons involved. This includes meetings between students and administrators or between two or more people that are intended to be private or confidential. This also includes recording any College disciplinary proceeding, process, or hearing. The recording or photographing of a recognized group’s proceedings, performances, classes, lectures, programs, workshops, or other similar events without the specific authorization of the sponsoring organization, faculty member, speaker, or other party related to the event is prohibited.
13. Retaliation. Adverse action or threatened action taken or made, personally or through another person, against someone who has reported alleged violations of the Honor Code, or has been the subject of a report, or any other individual (e.g., an adjudicator, witness, or advisor) because they engaged with an established disciplinary process. Retaliation does not apply to reports made or information provided in good faith, even if the facts alleged in the report are determined not to be accurate. Some examples of retaliatory behavior can include, direct or indirect, coercion, harassment, intimidation, threats, interference, or improper influence of another.
14. Expectation of truthfulness. All participants in College adjudications are required to be truthful.
15. Failure to comply with any Mount Holyoke College policy including, but not limited to, the following specific ones:
    1. Alcohol and Other Drugs
    2. Academic Policies and Procedures
    3. Gender-Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy
    4. Sex Discrimination and Sex-Based Harassment Policy
    5. Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
    6. Computer and Network Access: Acceptable Use Policy
    7. Information Technology Policies
    8. Facilities Management Policies
    9. Fire Safety in Residence Halls
    10. Residential Life Policies
    11. Smoke and Tobacco Free Campus
    12. Weapons Policy

Student groups and recognized student groups including all recognized student organizations, club sports, class boards, and athletic teams may be charged with violations of the student handbook as well as the Recognized Student Organization (RSO) Handbook.

A student group or organization may be held collectively responsible and its officers or individual members may be held individually responsible when violations of College policy, the code of conduct,the honor code, and or community standards by the organization or its member(s):

• Take place at organization-sponsored or co-sponsored events, whether sponsorship is formal or tacit.
• Have received the consent or encouragement of the organization or of the organization’s leaders or officers.
• Were known or reasonably should have been known to the membership or its officers.

A position of leadership in a student group, organization, or athletic team entails responsibility. Student officers cannot authorize, ignore, or concur with any violation of the Student Handbook by the group or organization.

The officers or leaders or any formally/informally identifiable spokesperson for a student group or organization may be directed by the Dean of Student/Vice President of Student Life or designee to take appropriate action designed to prevent or end violations of this student handbook by the group or organization. Failure to make reasonable efforts to comply with the Dean of Student/Vice President of Student Life’s or designee’s directive shall be considered a violation of this handbook by the officers, leaders, or spokesperson for the group or organization and by the group or organization itself.

Sanctions for group or organization misconduct may include revocation, denial of registration, probation, loss of funding, as well as other appropriate sanctions.

Student groups and recognized student organizations will follow the same general student resolution and disciplinary processes. In any such action, individual determinations as to responsibility will be made and sanctions may be assigned collectively and individually and will be proportionate to the involvement of each individual and the organization.

In addition they are expected to comply with any other policies or regulations that govern their organization, in particular if they are a chapter organization, etc.