CMU COMMUNITY STANDARDS

It is impossible to role model or enforce the Carnegie Mellon community standards, if you do not know them. The best places for information are the Student Handbook, the Residence Halls Handbook located in The Word. You should familiarize yourself with all three documents. For your convenience, some of the most relevant sections are highlighted below.

Carnegie Mellon is a private university incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Carnegie Mellon Code

Students at Carnegie Mellon, because they are members of an academic community dedicated to the achievement of excellence, are expected to meet the highest standards of personal, ethical and moral conduct possible.

These standards require personal integrity, a commitment to honesty without compromise, as well as truth without equivocation, and a willingness to place the good of the community above the good of the self. Obligations once undertaken must be met, commitments kept.

Rarely can the life of a student in an academic community be so private that it will not affect the community as a whole or that the standards above do not apply.

The discovery, advancement, and communication of knowledge are not possible without a commitment to these standards. Creativity cannot exist without acknowledgment of the creativity of others. New knowledge cannot be developed without credit for prior knowledge. Without the ability to trust that these principles will be observed, an academic community cannot exist.

The commitment of its faculty, staff and students to these standards contributes to the high respect in which the Carnegie Mellon degree is held. Students must not destroy that respect by their failure to meet these standards. Students who cannot meet them should voluntarily withdraw from the university. (From the CMU Student Handbook, p. 4)

Resident Student Code of Conduct

Responsibility for student discipline at Carnegie Mellon is delegated by the President to the Dean of Student Affairs. Disciplinary regulations of the Carnegie Mellon residence community exist to serve as a guide for each student and to ensure the proper atmosphere necessary for the academic and social life of each student. The Student Life Office reserves the right to discipline any resident student accused of violating a university regulation pertaining to life in the residence halls. All students will be afforded the elements of due process in such disciplinary matters.

Students are expected to respect the rights of all members of the university community. In order to protect these rights, the following regulations have been established. Any violation will subject a student to disciplinary action. According to the gravity of such violations, sanctions up to and including the loss of campus residency may be imposed by the Student Life Office.

1. In the university community, every student must carry an identification (ID) card issued by Carnegie Mellon. Upon request, students must surrender the ID card to authorized personnel (security guards, RAs, etc.) and comply with the directives of such officials. All students are obliged to cooperate with the university officials in the performance of their duties.
2. Actions or behavior, including threats, which endanger the safety of others or which cause injury to another person on university property are prohibited. This prohibition is intended to cover any assaults on university property or fighting among students.
3. Hazing, intimidation, or harassment (including phone harassment) as well as the unauthorized entrance into the rooms of other students is prohibited.
4. Disorderly or indecent conduct on university property is prohibited.
5. The stealing, damaging, defacing, or deliberate destruction of property is prohibited.
6. Tampering with or misusing fire alarms or fire fighting equipment is an offense which jeopardizes the safety of members of the community and is prohibited
7. Forgery, alteration, or use of university documents, records, or other means of identification with intent to defraud is prohibited.
8. The unauthorized entry into or use of university facilities as well as the illegal possession, duplication, or unauthorized use of keys to any university facility is prohibited.
9. The sale, possession, production, purchase, or use of any explosives, fireworks, incendiary devices, lethal weapons, or dangerous chemicals on university property is prohibited.
10. The sale, possession, production, purchase, or use of marijuana, habit-forming barbiturates, amphetamines, hallucinogens, or other addictive or illegal drugs on university property is prohibited
11. The possession, purchase, consumption, or transportation of alcoholic beverages by any person under 21 years of age is illegal under Pennsylvania state law. Students who are 21 years of age or older are permitted to consume alcoholic beverages in moderate quantities in residence hall rooms; however, students are not permitted to consume alcoholic beverages in public places or to dispense alcoholic beverages at functions without the express approval of the appropriate university office. Abuse of alcoholic beverages will be considered a violation of university policy, and will not be construed as a mitigating factor when students are involved in other violations of university regulations. (A separated section concerning the use of alcoholic beverages in resident areas is included under Residence Halls Policies and Procedures.)
12. The appropriation of any university property such as lounge furniture, dining room equipment, laboratory equipment, etc., for private use is prohibited.
13. The tampering with any vending or game machines or action which could cause damage to such machines is prohibited.

1. All residents have the right to achieve their goals and maintain their living arrangements without interruption by excessive noise from other areas of the community.
2. All residents have the right to determine the private activity which takes place in their assigned rooms. Members of the floor also have the right to determine community standards of the floor. Roommates have equal voice in determining the private activities of the room, but one roommate's rights must not infringe upon the others.
3. All residents may have guests and visitors provided that no rights of another resident are infringed upon. Each resident is responsible for the actions of his or her guest or visitor.
4. All residents have the responsibility to adhere to the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and United States of America concerning alcohol beverages or other drugs.
5. All residents have the right to live in an area which is clean, properly maintained and free from damage. Each resident shares equally the responsibility for maintaining the conditions.
6. In conjunction with the regulations and policies governing life in the resident community as outlined in the residence Halls Handbook, residents have the obligations and responsibilities which are defined in the Student Handbook.
7. Students have the obligations and responsibility to protect their own rights and those of others. Students should report any violations to the RA or another Housing staff member. Students are obligated to follow all rules and regulations of the university and residence halls. (Residence Halls Handbook, 89-93)

Specific Policies

The following are some specific policies that you may find come in handy on the job.

Alcoholic Beverages

The law of the state of Pennsylvania concerning the use of alcoholic beverages reads as follows:

Section 675.1 Prohibiting the purchase, consumption, possession or transportation of Intoxicating Liquors or Malt or Brewed Beverages by minors.

It shall be unlawful for a person less than 21 years of age to attempt to purchase, consume, possess or transport any alcohol or malt or brewed beverage within the Commonwealth.

Any person violating the provisions of this section shall upon conviction in a summary proceeding be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100 and costs of persecution or undergo imprisonment for a term not exceeding 30 days or both

In addition to the above -mentioned university-wide regulation concerning the use of alcoholic beverages on campus, there is a special concern for the use of alcoholic beverages in any residential area.

Individual resident students are expected to be aware of and abide by the laws of the State of Pennsylvania. With the regard to the use of alcoholic beverages in student rooms, the approach can only be to encourage self-discipline and individual responsibility. Among other concerns, the use and abuse of alcohol are important subjects for serious attention within the university setting. Any misuse of alcohol will be viewed as a serious problem and will be dealt with as such. Disorderly conduct due to inebriation is a violation of university policy and will result in disciplinary action. (Residence Halls Handbook, p. 99)

Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly Conduct is ordinarily defined as the use of abusive or obscene language or gestures to a member of the academic community, public intoxicated behavior, or a persistence after a request to desist in behavior which inconveniences or impedes other members of the campus community in their proper use of or passage through the campus area (e.g., snowball battles which disrupt traffic). It constitutes a basis for disciplinary action. (Student Handbook pg. 57)

Drugs

The medically unsupervised use or distribution of potentially harmful drugs such as marijuana, hallucinogens, amphetamines, barbiturates and opiates is illegal and subject to very harsh penalties. Although the university does not assume the responsibility of acting as an arm of the law, members of the academic community have no immunity from enforcement of the law. Use of many of these drugs may threaten the physical and mental health of the user. Use by one student may also threaten the welfare of other students. Distribution by any student clearly threatens the welfare of the academic community. (Student Handbook pg. 50)

Guests and Visitation 

All visitors or guests to a room are subject to the approval of all room residents.
Overnight guests are not permitted for more then two consecutive nights.
Overnight guests who are not university residents should register at the Student Life Office to ensure knowledge of their presence in case emergency situations arise.
The actions of guests are the responsibility of the resident host. If the guests are Carnegie Mellon students, then they concurrently accept responsibility for their actions.

Responsibility for Guests 

Resident students are personally responsible for any damages caused by them or their guests or visitors to university property or the property of other members of the community. Residents are encouraged to inform any guest or visitor of university regulations and expectations and to exercise concerned supervision over anyone for whom they may be held responsible.
(From "Residents' Rights", Residence Halls Handbook, p. 93, 99)

Visitation

Residence Hall regulations permit visitors in the residence halls throughout the 24-hour day. This privilege is intended to permit students to meet for group study and the conduct of business of organizations at times convenient to them. It recognizes that occasional use of that privilege will be for social purposes, but not for parties otherwise inappropriate to the time or setting. Students utilizing this privilege must respect the rights of other residents to privacy, to freedom from interference with normal activity as occupants of a residence hall and to reasonable quiet during late hours. The admission of a visitor to a residence hall and the conduct of the visitor are the responsibility of the residence hall occupant.
(Residence Halls Handbook, p. 101)

Harassment 

Carnegie Mellon is firmly committed to intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and expression and respect for the dignity of the individual. Acts of harassment or intimidation of any member of the community are inconsistent with this commitment and will not be tolerated. Such act may include, but are not limited to cases involving race, ancestry, color, national origin, gender, handicap, religion, creed, belief, age, veteran status or sexual orientation. Any such harassment or intimidation of a student should be referred to the dean of student affairs for resolution. Acts of harassment of intimidation may be referred by the dean of student affairs to the Human Relations Committee or the University Committee on Discipline.

If someone thinks that they have been harassed, he or she should contact the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs. Yet, contacting Student Affairs does not obligate the person to take further action. Student Affairs staff provided initial and on-going support, whether or not you decide to file formal charges. If you do decide to file formal charges, the Student Affairs professional will outline the process.
(Student Handbook, p.51)

For more information on Harassment see the Student Handbook and/or the CMU Harassment pamphlet . The pamphlet is available in the Student Life Office and the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs.

Pets

Pets such as dogs and cats are not permitted in university housing. Out of concern for the animals themselves, it should be clear that residence halls are not conducive to humane pet care. In addition, there is a concern for maintenance and sanitation problems which pets may create. Thirdly, there is often a healthy or safety factor involved with pets which may be the carriers of disease or pests. Finally, there is the concern for the inconvenience to the other resident students caused by pets left alone in individual rooms. For these reasons, all pets, except for tropical fish, are not permitted in the residence halls, including both student rooms and public areas. This prohibition includes "residing" as well as "visiting" pets in the residence halls. In cases of violations of this policy, all the residents in a particular room are in violation of the policy and are each subject to disciplinary action, regardless of who may claim ownership of the pet.

(Residence Halls Handbook, p. 98)

Quiet Hours

Quiet hours should serve three primary functions: to fit the needs of each individual student by having a quiet atmosphere needed for general living conditions during certain times; to create a residential environment which would enhance an atmosphere conducive to study; and to help create a residential living program which would supplement each student's academic success. The following guidelines exist for quiet hours within each residence hall.

Weekdays: 8 p.m. - 8 a.m.
Weekends: 2 a.m. - 9 a.m.

On long vacation weekends, the weekend hours will be in effect until the night before classes begin.

"Quiet" may be defined during quiet hours as being unable to hear any noise from a room with a t closed door 10 feel away, above and below. Courtesy hours exist at all other times which means that noise is that which is a disturbance to others who are 50 feet away. Clearly, courtesy should be given to any individual bothered by any resident's noise at any time.

The above stated quiet hours are minimal for each living unit. If residents within any living unit believe that quiet hours should be extended, the RA or SDC representative within that unit may take a vote of all residents who will be affected by any change. According to majority vote, extended quiet hours may be implemented, or minimal quiet hours will be retained in that particular unit.

Sound equipment(such as stereos, radios, TV's, etc.) and group activities may be played only if they do not infringe upon the rights of the other residents. RAs should use their discretion in determining if noise levels are too high, regardless of whether or not a complaint comes from another resident.

Quiet hours dictate that residents should be sensitive to the needs of others within the living unit. This sensitivity should be demonstrated when, for example, one resident asks another to turn down his or her stereo. For effective implementation of quiet hours, it should be remembered that an open communication must exist between student and staff as well as between individual residents in the same area. While the RA will act as the primary enforcement agent having direct authority to deal with the infractions, individual residents share in the responsibility to remind other residents of problems involving such disturbance.
(Residence Halls Handbook, p. 98)

Sexual Assault

The Carnegie Mellon University community is committed to the standard that all members of the community shall be able to pursue their interests free from non-consensual sexual contact. Therefore, it is a violation of Carnegie Mellon community standards to have sexual contact with any member of the community without the clear, freely chosen consent of those involved.
(Student Handbook, p. 68)

Solicitation and Sales in the Residence Halls 

"Solicitation" is defined to mean any effort to ask for donations or contributions of money, goods or services. "Sales" are defined to mean any activity of offering a product or services in return for money, goods and other services.

As a rule, because of the private nature of our residences, individuals and groups are not permitted to be in the residence halls for the purpose of solicitation or sales. Door to door sales and/or solicitation is expressly prohibited in any residence area. Those recognized groups which receive permission to be in the residence halls for such purposes will be restricted to tables especially reserved for such purpose in public areas or lobbies.

Any individual or group seeking permission to be in resident areas for purposes of solicitation or sales much receive an expressed, written authorization from the Director of Student Life.
(Residence Halls Handbook, p. 98)

Additional policy information on keys, bulletin board use, judicial board procedures, privacy, lofts, etc. can be found in the Residence Halls Handbook section of The Word. 

Another essential aspect of role modeling is confronting and enforcing violations of community standards. As a RA it is both your job and your responsibility to confront and enforce community standards.

Successful confrontations take skill. Here are a few tips on confronting the types of issues you may come across on the job. If you are ever unsure about what to do, seek the advice of your CA, Co-RAs and CR.

Confrontation Skills

1. Before you confront someone's behavior:

Gather the facts. What exactly is the situation? Why is it a problem?
Know what immediate behavior you want the student to change. Are you going to ask them to turn the music down, or stop throwing kegs out the window?
Decide whether or not to involve another staff person. Do you want to bring another RA with you? Do you need to call security?
2. Confronting the Student:

Make sure the student knows who you are.
Remove the student from the situation. Ask him/her to step out into the hallway, away from other people, before you address the problem.
Address the behaviors being displayed. Remember, you're there to get the student to stop disrupting the hall community at the moment it's happening, not to argue about past mistakes or violations.
3. After Confronting the Student

Document the event after you have gotten things under control. Write it in the RA duty log if you were on duty. You should keep a journal of all floor incidents; you may need a written account later on for disciplinary reasons.
Touch base with the student a day or so later. Engage them in a conversation about his or her behavior. If appropriate, let them know that you documented the incident.
Finally, let the student know that although you needed to address his or her behavior, that you separate behavior from the person. Assure the student that you still "like them" and want to continue to have a relationship outside of the incident.

Alcohol affects a person's judgment, coordination, and inhibitions. As a result, a student under the influence is likely to be louder and more aggressive than usual. When confronting an intoxicated person, follow the above guidelines, but factor the potential problems caused by alcohol into the your decision making process.

Harassment

Confronting issues such as Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Anti-Semitism, is often quite different than confronting other violations of community standards. Although many of the above guidelines are relevant, such as gathering the facts. This type of confrontation requires you utilize your counseling skills, such as Messaging and Active Listening. Sometimes with these issues the violation is less clear cut. For example, it is easy to state that CMU is committed to a harassment free environment, but what does that mean exactly? Where does free speech end and harassment begin? Who decides whether the first or the fifth amendment applies to each situation you come across? These are extremely complicate issues, and there isn't always an easy answer. Ideally a confrontation about these type of issues should be more of a discussion, a place to share view points. Let someone know if they have offended you and why. This type of confrontation is difficult, but remember that not confronting a racist joke or sexist comment sends as much of a message as confronting it. Always keep in mind the type of community you are trying to create, a place where all your residents feel comfortable and safe.

Documentation

Documentation is an essential part of confronting and enforcing university standards. Lack of documentation greatly limits the number of options that CMU can take as a response to a violation. Good, clear, neat, organized documentation is guaranteed to save you from many hassles, especially if an incident goes to a disciplinary board.

The Student Life Office encourages the Staff to utilize two methods of documentation. 

There are numerous successful methods of keeping your own records. One way of documenting is to keep a journal of all floor/area incidents. Another option is simply to keep an index card for each resident and write on the student's card each time you must take disciplinary action. Use any method that works for you keeping in mind the following list of personal record keeping tips.

• Be neat
• Be organized (by room, date, or name, etc.).
• Be thorough (don't let things slide without writing them down)
• Be consistent (don't let some get away with things other might not)

Incident Reports are really "information reports." Their primary purpose is to inform your Coordinator and CA about incidents in your area. It is essential that your Coordinator know what goes on in your area because this will allow him or her to do a better more efficient job as a CR. Submitting an incident report does not automatically result in disciplinary action. We encourage you to utilize incident reports freely. When in doubt, write it up. If you think one particular approach for dealing with the situation would be especially successful, let your HF or CA know by either attaching a note or talking to them in person. Remember your opinion is extremely important, because you are probably the one who knows the most about the situation. If a situation does warrant a response from the Student Life Office, then you will be contacted about what will happen.

Student Life Judicial Board (J-Board) and University Disciplinary Council (UDC)

Occasionally, an incident or a conflict will warrant the attention of a J-Board or UDC. If this does occur, you will not be alone. Your HF and CA will assist and inform you and your resident throughout the entire process. The following flow chart explains the J-Board and UDC processes.