Statement of rights and responsibilities of students

The College prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military or veteran status, marital or familial status, pregnancy, genetic information, and any other characteristic protected by law. (Refer to the Lafayette College Nondiscrimination Notice). By matriculating at Lafayette, the student signifies willingness to contribute to the learning of others, to promote the welfare of the College, and to adhere to the regulations established by the College. The facilities and services of the College are available to all Lafayette students.

At Lafayette, students are encouraged to engage in classroom discussion, inquiry, and expression. Student performance is evaluated on academic achievement, including adherence to the traditional canons of scholarly honesty and integrity. While they are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled, students have the right to be informed of the procedures or standards by which they are to be graded. Students who believe that they have been subjected to prejudice or capricious academic evaluation may ask a professor to explain any grade and, if they remain dissatisfied, may appeal for a review of their performance and grade to the head of the department in which the course is given. If they are still dissatisfied, students may then appeal to the Student Affairs Committee (in order to do so, contact the Office of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs). In appealing, students may enlist the aid of any faculty member willing to serve as an adviser during the appeals process.

Students who cheat on examinations, plagiarize, or are otherwise dishonest, or who help others to do so, are subject to disciplinary action, in accordance with the College’s Academic Integrity Policies.

Students are free to organize and join associations to promote their common interests, and student organizations may be accorded use of College facilities and resources when available so long as such interests and use are compatible with the purposes and function of the College and all College policies. Such associations and extracurricular organizations must be approved by the student government and the College. All extracurricular organizations are required to seek the advice of faculty and/or staff members, and student living groups must have faculty advisers elected by their members. All student organizations must have constitutions and must adhere to their stated purposes. If student organizations are affiliated with organizations outside Lafayette College, the relationships must not interfere with objectives and activities of the College, and the outside organization must not maintain membership policies which are non-compatible with the College’s non-discrimination policies. Any organization that recruits or selects students for its membership must not be operating in violation of any College policy, including the Policy Prohibiting On-Campus Student Participation in Unrecognized Greek Organizations.

No campus organization may discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Social fraternities and sororities and athletic teams, consistent with federal Title IX regulations, may restrict participation based on sex.

Students and student organizations may examine and discuss questions of interest to them and express opinions publicly and privately. Student organizations should engage in orderly means that do not disrupt College operations and are consistent with College policies. 

Actions by individuals or groups to prevent speakers invited to the campus from speaking, to disrupt the operations of the College, or to obstruct and restrain other members of the College community and/or campus visitors by physical force, or otherwise in violation of College policies, are destructive of the pursuit of learning and of a free society. All members of the Lafayette College community are under a strong obligation to protect its processes from these tactics and failure to do so may result in discipline, organizational and/or individual, as appropriate.

Recognized student organizations may invite speakers, performers, groups, and guests to campus, and the College supports the rights of student organizations to engage with a broad range of ideas and viewpoints, including those that may be controversial or unpopular.

The invitation by a student organization does not constitute endorsement of an individual’s or group’s views by the organization, the College, or any College employee, trustee, or representative. Student organizations hosting individuals or groups are responsible for ensuring that promotional materials and event communications clearly indicate that the views expressed are those solely of the individual or group and not necessarily those of the College.

Student organizations must conduct events in a manner consistent with the College’s policies and values, as well as all applicable policies and procedures, including respect for the rights, dignity, and safety of others. Organizations must make reasonable efforts to foster an environment that supports inquiry, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas.

The College may restrict invitations to individuals or groups if it is in the best interests of the College and the College community. The College reserves the right to impose restrictions and take appropriate measures to address legitimate safety, operational, legal, or other concerns relating to an individual or group invited to campus.

Student organizations, like members of the academic community, enjoy broad freedom to explore ideas and engage in public discourse. In exercising that freedom, organizations should recognize that members of the public may associate campus-sponsored events with the College and should therefore strive for accuracy in their communications, exercise appropriate responsibility in event planning, and clearly distinguish the views of invited speakers from those of the institution.

Students may, as individuals and as groups, express their views on matters of College policy and on other issues of interest to them. The student government, the campus newspaper, and other organizations provide forums for discussion and orderly means for the communication of opinion to College authorities. Students are encouraged to use those methods for discussion and communication. For other avenues for expression and communication, students should connect with the dean of students as the need arises.

The Student Government constitution, including bylaws, can also be found on https://studentgovernment.lafayette.edu/student-government/constitution-and-by-laws/.

Lafayette College regards student publications as valuable aids in establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion and of intellectual exploration on the campus. They are a means of bringing student concerns to the attention of the College community and of formulating student opinions on campus issues and world affairs.

Since Lafayette meets this commitment by providing funds and facilities for these activities, it may have to bear legal and financial responsibility for the content and operation of the publications. Within the limits imposed by this responsibility, Lafayette is committed to freedom of expression in order that student publications may maintain their integrity of purpose.

The freedom of student editors and managers entails corollary responsibilities to be governed by the canons of responsible journalism, such as the avoidance of libel, slander, obscenity, undocumented allegations, and the techniques of harassment and innuendo. All student publications must explicitly state on the editorial page that the opinions there expressed are not necessarily those of the College or student body. For the protection of the editorial freedom of student publications, the College subscribes to the following safeguards:

The student press is free of censorship, subject to the foregoing, and advance approval of copy, and its editors and managers are free to develop their own editorial policies and news coverage.

Editors and managers of student publications are protected from arbitrary suspension and removal because of student, faculty, administrative, or public disapproval of editorial policy or content. Only for the aforementioned causes, or other violations of College policies, are editors and managers subject to removal and then by orderly procedure.

When students violate the law and incur civil or criminal penalties, College officials are unable to provide legal counsel. When violation of the law by a student may adversely affect the interests of the College, the College may take disciplinary action. When the authority of the College is so asserted, the student is entitled to proceed through the College’s disciplinary process, as contained in this document.

Students are representatives of Lafayette College, and conduct away from campus can reflect upon Lafayette as well as upon the individual.

The process below was approved by the Board of Trustees on Jan. 27, 2007.

When members of the Lafayette community believe that matters of grave moral or social concern exist that warrant an institutional response, they may bring these matters to the attention of the Board of Trustees pursuant to the following procedures.

Faculty members may bring such issues to the faculty through a designated faculty committee, or may ask for faculty action directly by calling for a vote of the full faculty (during a faculty meeting). Students may bring such issues forward through a process identified by the student government. Administrators and staff members may bring such issues forward through a designated administrative officer. If the faculty, student government, or administrative officer concludes that the issue is of grave moral or social concern to warrant an institutional response, they shall forward such recommendation to the president who shall convene a College-wide ad hoc committee to consider the issue.

The College-wide committee shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, two faculty members identified in advance by the faculty to serve on this committee, the president of student government, the general counsel, the chaplain (or other members of the community to be identified as we refine this process). The committee will consider whether the issue presented meets the threshold of “grave moral or social concern that warrants an institutional response.” If the committee concludes that the issue meets that threshold, the committee will forward its recommendation to the president.

Upon receiving the recommendation of the College-wide committee, the president will consider whether he/she believes that the concern at issue is sufficiently grave and is one that warrants an institutional response. The president will then forward his/her recommendation in writing to the Board of Trustees.

The chairman of the board may form an ad hoc committee of the Board of Trustees to determine whether the issue is sufficiently grave and is one that warrants an institutional response and, if so, to recommend to the Board of Trustees appropriate institutional action.

The Registrar’s Office maintains the integrity and security of permanent academic records in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and upholds the College’s policies, procedures, and guidelines related to academic records and course registration. Additionally resources related to academic records and course registration include the following:

• Banner Self-Service Portal: provides a variety of links relevant to course schedules and registration, grades, transcripts, and degree audits
• Registrar’s Office Website: contains course registration announcements, final exam schedules, and petition forms
• College Catalog: includes college academic policies, course descriptions, and degree/major requirements