Code of Conduct

The following lists specific violations of community standards which are addressed through UMW’s judicial system, and the hearing board or administrator who adjudicates them:

I. Adjudicated by the Director of Judicial Affairs and Community Responsibility or designee

A. Alcohol violations, including, but not limited to, the following (also see “Alcohol Policy”).

1. Intoxication, as determined by instrumentation, or by behavioral or physical manifestations. Any student under the age of 21 with a blood alcohol level of 0.02% or higher will be considered to be intoxicated.

B. Fire safety violations including:

1. Arson/setting fire.
2. Tampering with or needlessly discharging a fire extinguisher.
3. Tampering with fire alarms or smoke detectors.
4. Other.

C. Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, fireworks, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals.

D. Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, other official University activities, or authorized non-University sponsored activities, when the activity occurs on University premises.

E. Actions endangering the mental or physical health or safety of a student, or involving the destruction or removal of property, that are associated with initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or continued membership in a group or organization. (See “Hazing Policy”)

F. Violence, threats, intimidation, pranks, or any other action which interferes with the rights of any individual.

G. Student-to-student harassment including physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment; or interference with the activities or rights of another person on the basis of color, creed, gender, disability, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other classification.

H. Violation of federal, state or local law.

I. Violations of the University Drug Policy, including but not limited to, use, being under the influence of, possession, or distribution of narcotic or other controlled substances except as permitted by law, and the possession or use of drug paraphernalia.

J. Making, using, disclosing, or distributing a recording of a person in a location or situation in which that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and is unaware of the recording or does not consent to it; and any other conduct that constitutes an invasion of the privacy of another person under applicable law or University policies. Such conduct includes, without limitation, unauthorized recording of personal conversations, images, meetings, or activities. 

II. Adjudicated by the Judicial Review Board or Assistant Director of Residence Life

A. Alcohol violations (also see “Alcohol Policy”)

1. Consumption or possession of alcohol by persons under the age of 21.
2. Any public display of alcohol (includes drinking with room door open or consumption of alcohol in common areas).
3. Possession of, or use of any objects used to enhance the ingestion of alcohol such as, but not limited to, “beer bongs.”
4. Hosting a gathering, regardless of host’s age, which involves underage drinking, or the intoxication of any individual.
5. Use or possession of alcoholic beverages by a student 21 years old or older in a residence hall room where all assigned residents are under the age of 21.
6. Purchasing or supplying alcohol to any underage person.

B. Property

1. Conduct which results in damage to any property.
2. Redistributing University furniture.
3. Unsanitary, cluttered, or obstructive conditions.
4. Throwing objects from roofs, windows, or balconies.

C. Fire safety violations including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Open flames (from oil lamps, etc.), candles, and incense. These are prohibited in any University building (unless with express written permission).
2. Failing to vacate a building during a fire alarm.

D. Smoking in residence halls, within 50 feet of a residence hall, or in a non-smoking area, as determined by the Office of Residence Life or Self-determination by Community Standards.

E. Failure to abide by the “Quiet Hours” or “Courtesy Hours” policies as stated in the Student Handbook or in the Self-determination by Community Standards for each residence hall.

F. Failure to fulfill resident desk duty, where required by Self-determination by Community Standards.

G. Visitation violations including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Failing to sign in and/or out of a residence hall, or failure of a guest to sign in/and or out of a residence hall, whether or not the guest is a UMW student.
2. Falsifying sign-in or -out times.
3. Violating visitation hours as determined by Self-determination by Community Standards for each residence hall.
4. Visiting a residence hall which does not have visitation at the time.
5. Exceeding the allowed number of overnight residence hall visits, as described under “Guest Policies”

H. Disorderly or obscene conduct.

I. Sports or related activities in the residence halls.

J. Abuse of the judicial system including, but not limited to:

1. Failure to obey the summons of a judicial body or University official.
2. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in or use of the judicial system.
3. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a judicial body prior to, and/or during the course of, the judicial proceeding.
4. Harassment and/or intimidation of a member of a judicial body prior to, during, and/or after a judicial proceeding.
5. Failure to comply with a sanction imposed by the Judicial System.
6. Influencing, or attempting to influence, another person to commit an abuse of the judicial system.

K. Failure to comply with the directives of a University official who is attempting to enforce the policies and procedures of the University. University officials include, but are not limited to, the following:

University Administrators      University Police         Honor Council
Residence Life Staff               Faculty                Judicial Review Board

L. Unauthorized presence on balconies, roofs, or ledges of any University building.

M. Entering a residence hall building during official University breaks.

N. Unauthorized entry/exit.

O. Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys to any University premises.

P. Abuse of computer time, including, but not limited to:

1. Unauthorized entry into a file for any purpose.
2. Unauthorized transfer of a file.
3. Unauthorized use of another individual’s identification and password.
4. Use of computing facilities to interfere with the work of another student, faculty member, or University official.
5. Use of computing facilities to interfere with the normal operating procedures of the University computing system.
6. Use of computing facilities to make copies of, or make avail
able to others, copyrighted material without authorization.
7. Abuse of computer time, including, but not limited to use of computing facilities to send obscene or abusive messages.

Q. Misuse of a telephone on campus including but not limited to:

1. Unauthorized entry into an individual’s phone mail to listen to the contents or for any other purpose.
2. Unauthorized use of another person’s passcode.
3. Use of a telephone on campus to relay obscene or abusive messages.

R. Other prohibited items and activities.

S. Responsibility for guests.

T. Housing or hosting in a residence hall any animal which could reasonably be described as a pet (exception—aquarium fish).

U. Violation of Motor Vehicle Policy and Regulations.

1. Bringing a vehicle to campus without authorization. (First-year residential students are not permitted to bring cars to campus.)
2. Failing to register a vehicle with University Police.
3. Transferring a University-issued parking decal without authorization.
4. Other.

V. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

W. Violation of published University policies, rules or regulations (e.g., Housing and Dining Services Contract, Network and Computer Use Policy).

NOTE: Violations of a serious nature or any pattern of the preceding violations may result in direct referral to the Office of Judicial Affairs and Community Responsibility, the Dean of Student Life, or the Vice President for Student Affairs.

NOTE: Several violations of policy may be considered cumulatively in the judicial process.

III. Adjudicated by the Student Conduct Hearing Board

A. Sexual misconduct as outlined in the “Sexual Misconduct Policy.” Sexual misconduct includes sexual harassment, non-consensual sexual intercourse, non-consensual sexual contact, and sexual exploitation.

IV. Adjudicated by the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Student Life, or designee

            Violations of a serious nature, including but not limited to those described above, or any pattern of such violations, may result in referral to the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Student Life, or designee for adjudication.

Also, if the Judicial Review Board or Student Conduct Hearing Board cannot be convened for a hearing (for example, at the end of the semester, or during summer sessions), the University reserves the right to adjudicate alleged violations administratively, e.g., through the Director of Judicial Affairs and Community Responsibility, Dean of Student Life, or Vice President for Student Affairs. This option may be used when a student is graduating, is not anticipated to return the following semester, or when the alleged violation is of a serious nature.