APPENDIX I

LAFAYETTE COLLEGE POLICY ON STUDENT RECORDS AND THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)

Introduction: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also known as the “Buckley Amendment”) is a federal law regarding the privacy of student records and obligations of the institution, primarily in the areas of release of the records and the access provided to these records. Any educational institution that receives funds under any program administered by the U.S. Secretary of Education is bound by FERPA requirements.

Under federal law, students have the right to obtain access to their education records and to prevent disclosure of records to third parties without authorization. In accordance with FERPA, Lafayette College will permit students to have access to specified records and will prevent release of records to third parties without personal authorization from the student except as noted in the regulations.

Policy on Student Records: Lafayette College seeks to teach students to become mature, reasoned, educated adults capable of defining and realizing their academic and personal developmental goals. To that end, the College practice is to regard students as the primary contact for interaction regarding information contained in student education records and to respect the confidentiality of that information. The College encourages students to act responsibly by communicating directly with their parents.

Under federal law, if College personnel determine that it is in the best interest of the student to disclose to a student’s parent(s) information from that student’s education record, the College may elect to do so after receiving proof of the student’s financial dependency on their parent(s) for federal income tax purposes. In these rare cases, the College practice is to communicate first, when possible, with the student regarding a parental request for information.

Students who are not dependent on their parent(s) for federal income tax purposes, and students who are dependent but wish to provide their parent(s) general access to their education record, may allow College personnel to share education record information with their parent(s) by signing a waiver. Waivers can be found on the registrar’s website or picked up in the Offices of the Registrar or the Office of Advising and Co-curricular Programs.

Students also may elect to have information from their education record shared with graduate schools, potential employers, or other third parties by signing a release that can be found on the registrar’s website or picked up in the Office of the Registrar or the Office of Advising and Co-curricular Programs.

Annual Notification: FERPA requires that the College provide notification annually to students of their rights under FERPA. The College provides this notification each semester through its publication of the course schedule that is distributed to all students. The annual notification includes the rights outlined below:

FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access.
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
  3. The right to provide written consent before the College discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
  4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920

Definition of Education Records: Under FERPA, education records are defined as records that are directly related to a student and are maintained by an education agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution. Education records can exist in any medium, including: typed, computer generated, videotape, audiotape, film, microfiche, and email, among others.

Education records do not include such things as sole possession records or notes, information obtained through personal knowledge that is not recorded, law enforcement records, employment records (when the student is also an employee), medical treatment records, or alumni records.

At Lafayette, the individuals or offices responsible for maintaining education records include the following: 

  • Registrar—Permanent transcript: Includes dates of attendance, course of study, grades, and official action of the College relating to probation, dismissal, etc.
  • Dean of Advising and Co-curricular Programs—Individual student file: Includes application for admission, test scores, grades, student biographical form, copies of correspondence with or about student, notation of official disciplinary actions, petitions to Academic Progress Committee, and copies of letters of recommendation.
  • Controller—Business records.
  • Adviser—Advising files: Includes grades, copies of petitions, and adviser’s notes and correspondence with student.
  • Communications—Public information file: Includes copies of Lafayette College Student Biographical Form and news releases about students.
  • Health Professions Adviser—Health Professions Advisory Committee file: Includes the student’s transcript, medical aptitude scores, faculty evaluation, and correspondence on professional school admission.

Obtaining Access to Your Education Record: Students who wish to obtain access to their student record should submit to the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official a written request that identifies the record the student wishes to inspect. Within a reasonable amount of time, but no later than 45 days, the College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

Students may not see letters of reference or recommendations for which they have waived their rights of review.

Students’ Rights to Amend Records: A student who wishes to ask the College to amend a record should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the portion of the record that the student would like changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested, the College will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

It is appropriate to seek amendment of information that is inaccurate or misleading. This is not a grade grievance mechanism. For example, a student could question whether a grade has been entered incorrectly, but not the legitimacy of the grade itself.

Disclosure of Educational Records to School Officials: The College discloses information from the education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities for the College.

Upon request, the College also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

Disclosure of Directory Information: FERPA specifically identifies certain information called “directory information” that may be disclosed by the College without the consent of the student. Lafayette College considers the following to be directory information: Student’s name, College and home address and phone numbers, P.O. box number, email address, date of birth, photograph, dates of attendance, class year, degree program and major, adviser’s name, degrees and awards received, participation in College activities, and the weight and height of members of athletic teams.

Although this information is public in nature, students may request that their directory information be withheld and released only upon written authorization by completing the required form and submitting it annually to the Office of the Registrar.

Disclosure of Non-Directory Information: The College may, in specific instances and under strict limitations, release information from education records to individuals and/or agencies without the written consent of the students. Such persons are:

  1. College personnel with legitimate educational interests. College personnel includes all employees or agencies contracting with the College to perform service on its behalf.
  2. Officials of educational institutions in which the student seeks to enroll, provided that the student is notified of the release, receives a copy of the record if desired, and has an opportunity to challenge the factual content of the record. The procedure for challenging records is outlined below.
  3. Authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States; the Secretary of the Department of Education; the Attorney General of the United States, Veterans Administration officials, and state educational authorities.
  4. Persons requiring information in connection with a student’s financial aid.
  5. State and local officials to whom the College must report pursuant to a state statute adopted before Nov. 19, 1974.
  6. Officials of organizations that conduct studies for educational agencies or institutions provided that personally identifiable data is available only to officers of such organizations and that such information will be destroyed when no longer needed for purposes of the study.
  7. Officials of accrediting organizations.

Parents of dependent students as defined in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

  1. Parents of dependent students under the age of 21 who violate the College’s alcohol or drug policies.
  2. Persons authorized to receive such data through judicial order or pursuant to a subpoena. In such cases, when allowed, the College will attempt to notify the student before its compliance with such orders.
  3. Individuals who require information in connection with an emergency that threatens the health and safety of the student or other persons.

Lafayette also may release, without restriction, information that cannot be identified with particular students. An example of such data would be statistical information abstracted from education records. The College reserves the right not to provide copies of third-party documents.

APPENDIX II

HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM ON WRITING PROJECTS

The following guidelines encourage practices that will help you avoid plagiarism when working on writing projects. Many college assignments require that you draw on outside sources to build your argument, establish your credibility, and demonstrate your knowledge of the subject. Using these outside sources correctly requires careful attention to how you are appropriating them from the original source and how you are integrating them into your own work. The following tips will help you write plagiarism-free papers in which all of your sources are acknowledged.

Procrastination Can Lead to Plagiarism: Waiting until the last minute to write a document will increase the likelihood that you do not cite sources in an acceptable manner. It might also increase the temptation to lift material from others and claim it as your own in a last-ditch effort to finish the assignment. Avoiding procrastination is key to avoiding plagiarism. If you do not think you will finish an assignment by the due date, contact your professor. It is far better to be penalized on a single project than it is to engage in a last-minute act of academic dishonesty in hopes of completing an assignment, an act that could ultimately result in expulsion from Lafayette. Assistance and strategies to effectively deal with procrastination are available through the College Counseling Center as well as the Academic Tutoring and Training Information Center (ATTIC).

Take Meticulous Notes: As you read material to prepare for writing, take meticulous notes and record where the notes came from as you work. This will decrease the likelihood that you inadvertently use the ideas from something you have read and then forget to cite them. Careful note taking means recording full bibliographic information for the source and noting whether the copied material is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. If you copy and paste material directly, it needs to be quoted, and you need to include all of the relevant bibliographic information.

Use the Appropriate Citation System: While many students learned the MLA citation style in high school English class (the citation system of the Modern Language Association), in college you will often be expected to use a different citation system depending on the discipline for which you are writing. For example, you may be expected to use APA style for a psychology course or Chicago style for a history course. Each citation system has its own guidelines for citing material. You will need to consult the appropriate style guide to learn the system, and they are available in the library.

Follow a Key Guideline to Avoid Plagiarism: Although citation systems differ, there is one principle to which all systems adhere: You must write in a way so that your reader always knows when she is reading your ideas and when she is reading the ideas of others that you have appropriated
to complete your paper.

  1. Do Not Wait until the Last Draft of the Paper to Place Your Citations in the Text: Students will sometimes wait until they have finished a draft of an assignment and then return to place the citations in the text. This will increase the probability that you forget to include a citation.
  2. Learn the Differences Among Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation: When you appropriate the writings or ideas of others, there will be times when you need to summarize their material and times when you need to quote their material. This sometimes depends on the discipline. Scientists, for example, rarely use quotations in their work. You can learn the difference among summary, paraphrase, and quotation by consulting the appropriate style guide.
  3. Know that “Patch Writing” Is a Form of Plagiarism: According to Rebecca Moore Howard, “patch writing” is a form of dubious or sloppy paraphrasing. It happens when you borrow the sentences of others and then change just a few words without fundamentally changing the structure of the sentence. You can avoid this by changing the sentence fundamentally (paraphrasing) or by using the sentence exactly as it was written with quotation marks around it.
  4. Use Campus Resources: If you are having difficulty with a project, visit your professor, consult a research librarian in Skillman Library, meet with a faculty member or writing associate in the College Writing Center or talk with your class instructor. There are resources on campus to help you learn how to cite material correctly. Using them, however, takes careful planning. This is one more good reason to avoid procrastination!

APPENDIX III

UNDERGRADUATE MOTOR VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

REGULATIONS

The operation of motor vehicles on campus roadways and the registering of motor vehicles for the purpose of obtaining parking permits to park in College-controlled parking lots are to be considered privileges and not rights of individuals. Lafayette College reserves the right to deny or revoke such privileges at any time to any and all persons who fail to adhere to these regulations.

PURPOSES

The purposes of the Lafayette College Motor Vehicle and Traffic Regulations are:

  1. to assure maximum safety and protection of life and property on Lafayette College roads and walkways;
  2. to assure maximum use of campus roadways and parking facilities for Lafayette College students, staff, and visitors;
  3. to assure access to all parts of the campus for service and emergency vehicles.

OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES ON CAMPUS

  1. Students are reminded of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle laws regarding pedestrians and crosswalks. Specifically, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing a roadway within any marked crosswalks or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Also, whenever any vehicle is stopped at any crosswalk at an intersection or any other marked crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross a roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.
  2. Students also are reminded that a pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a crosswalk, at an intersection or any marked crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
  3. Students are reminded that state law indicates that where a sidewalk is provided it is unlawful for any pedestrian to walk upon the roadway.
  4. Students are reminded that operation of a motor vehicle on campus in a careless or reckless manner will result in severe disciplinary action as well as the possibility of citations being issued.

MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION

  1. All students who have possession of a motor vehicle while attending Lafayette must register that vehicle with the Office of Public Safety regardless of where it will be parked. Having possession of a motor vehicle is interpreted as extending from the time the student arrives in the Easton area for the purpose of assuming student status until he or she legally becomes the responsibility of their parents or guardian after leaving the campus. Students are only permitted to register vehicles owned or licensed to themselves or members of the student’s immediate family.
  2. Students owning/operating motor vehicles at the College shall register online. Registration and proper displaying of parking permit is required of all students, both resident and non-resident.
  3. Special consideration will be given to those students demonstrating a need for use of a motor vehicle at the College and who normally are prohibited from maintaining a vehicle at the College. Medical approvals shall be granted by the College physician. Regular fees still apply.
  4. The fee charged for registration and a parking assignment on Lafayette College property is $440 per academic year. This fee applies to full-time commuting students as well. Those students assigned to McKelvy House and Hamilton House lots will not have the privilege of driving to campus and parking on campus lots from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Commuting students will be assigned to Markle Parking Deck or Leopard Parking Deck. Students residing one or more miles from campus are considered commuting students. Those students assigned to off-campus parking also will not have the privilege of parking on campus between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or during restricted periods (e.g., football games, large campus-wide events).
  5. Students residing in off-campus housing units, both College-owned or privately owned housing, who must park on city streets or in off street parking also are required to register their motor vehicles online. Students must pick up their sticker at the Office of Public Safety and display it on the left section of the rear bumper by Sept. 13, 2019. Failure to do so will result in being charged $50 for failure to register and properly display your parking sticker on your vehicle. This fine will automatically be billed to your account.
  6. Individually numbered parking stickers will be issued to each approved applicant. Stickers are to be affixed to the left section of the rear bumper. Replacement stickers will be issued free of charge.
  7. All parking stickers remain the property of Lafayette College. Acceptance of stickers from the College acknowledges an understanding of the Motor Vehicle Regulations and the registrant’s responsibility for adherence thereto.
  8. No person shall falsely apply for a motor vehicle parking assignment at the College. Such false application will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct for further investigation and disciplinary action.
  9. Failure to register a motor vehicle at the College is a violation of College regulations for which the fine is $50. Also, failure to display the College-issued parking sticker properly is a violation of College regulations for which the fine is $50.
  10. Students who are not eligible to bring motor vehicles to the Easton area will be subject to fines and disciplinary action if they bring motor vehicles to the area.
  11. Lafayette College remains free of all liability for loss of the vehicle registered or any of its contents and for damages to the vehicle except that caused by Lafayette College equipment under the direct control of Lafayette College agents and employees.
  12. All students will be held responsible for the violations of any vehicle registered to any members of their immediate families or their guests. Overnight visitors must have their host obtain a temporary parking pass online from the Public Safety website under Forms. Daytime visitors may use Markle Parking Deck.

PARKING

  1. Parking assignments are controlled Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and each registrant is expected to park where they are assigned. If the student’s assigned lot is full, the student should use Markle Parking Deck or Leopard Road Parking Deck and report the condition immediately to the Office of Public Safety. Two- or three-wheeled motorized vehicles may be parked only in specific parking areas on campus and may be driven only on specific campus roads.
  2. At no time may vehicles be parked in unauthorized and prohibited areas such as red tow-away zones; yellow no parking zones; on lawns and walkways; or in a manner that constitutes double parking, blocking of walkways, roadways, fire hydrants, etc. No parking in a handicapped space without a state-issued handicapped license plate or state-issued current handicapped placard.
  3. At no time may vehicles park in faculty residence spaces. Also, vehicles may not park in spaces reserved for Bailey Health Center staff as those areas are reserved at all times.
  4. Lafayette College reserves the right to alter parking assignments on a permanent or temporary basis when new construction, major repairs, and emergency situations require such changes.
  5. No persons shall abandon a motor vehicle of any kind on College property. Should any vehicle parked on campus become disabled, the owner/driver of that vehicle shall report the condition to the Office of Public Safety immediately. Vehicles requiring repairs shall be tended to by the owner/driver within 24 hours. Vehicles parked under the above-stated regulations for more than 48 hours will be towed away and stored at the expense of the owner/driver.

ENFORCEMENT: FINES

  1. The Department of Public Safety is responsible for the enforcement of Lafayette College Motor Vehicle and Traffic Regulations. Such enforcement is in effect 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
  2. All persons operating motor vehicles on campus are expected to cooperate with officers employed by the College whose duties include traffic and parking control.
  3. Parking summons tickets will be issued to vehicles illegally or improperly parked. The owner/operator of a ticketed vehicle is responsible for its disposition as directed on the reverse side of the copy. Failure to properly dispose of violation tickets will result in disciplinary action taken; i.e., the withholding of grades or transcripts, denial of registration for classes, etc. Any student who accumulates three or more tickets during any school year may be subject to having their vehicle towed by the Department of Public Safety. The fine is $50. The vehicle will be towed to an off-campus impound yard. The vehicle owner will be responsible to pay towing fees plus daily impound storage fees to be determined by the private towing service that has towed and impounded the vehicle. Additionally, there will be referrals to the Office of Student Conduct for:
  4. Any student who is cited for parking on campus without having registered their vehicle
  5. Any student who accumulates three or more unpaid tickets. When a student receives five or more tickets in a semester, the student and parents will be notified in writing. If the student subsequently receives additional tickets during that semester, parking privileges may be revoked for the following semester. Continuing to receive tickets after being revoked may result in immediate revocation of parking privileges and escalating probation.
  6. Any student who is cited for illegally parking in an accessible parking space two or more times.
  7. If the student continues to incur parking violations after being notified in writing, the student will be referred to the assistant dean of students.
  8. Students who wish to appeal parking citations (tickets) must do so by appearing at the Department of Public Safety or online within five business days of the issuance of the citation. Failure to appeal the citation within the above time period may result in loss of the right of appeal. All appeals must be filed prior to the start of year-end finals. Note: “Red Tow-Away Zone” and “Faculty Reserved Spaces” violations are not appealable.
  9. Vehicles bearing state-issued accessible license plates/hang tags may use accessible spaces without prior authorization from the college physician at the Bailey Health Center. Students seeking an accessible parking assignment must apply at Bailey Health Center. Only after authorization is given by the college physician and the Department of Public Safety issues a special permit, would you be allowed to park in an accessible space. Parking in an accessible parking space is not appealable unless the above criteria are met.
  10. Unidentified violator’s vehicles license plates will be traced to determine ownership. Owners/drivers in violation will be contacted and held responsible for payments of initial fines, plus tracing cost.
  11. Tow-Away Policy: Vehicles parked in “Red Tow-Away Zones” will be ticketed, and an automatic fine of $50 plus towing cost and daily storage cost will be assessed. Also, any vehicle that is parked in such a manner as to obstruct campus roadways or sidewalks may be towed. Any vehicle parked on campus in a manner that creates a hazard or impedes traffic flow may be towed at the discretion of the Department of Public Safety. Abandoned vehicles may be towed at the discretion of the Department of Public Safety. Owners/ operators of illegally parked vehicles towed from campus are responsible for payment of towing fees and storage fees.
  12. In the event your vehicle is towed from campus, you should contact the Department of Public Safety to obtain information regarding its recovery. The tow-away policy is in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Violation Fines

  • Parking Violations (General/Misc.) $20
  • Red Tow-Away Zone $50 (plus towing and daily storage costs)
  • Failure to register or display sticker properly $50
  • Careless/Reckless Driving $50
  • Handicap Area $100
  • No Parking Zone (yellow) $25

APPENDIX IV

OFFICE OF RESIDENCE LIFE
TERMS OF CONTRACT FOR COLLEGE-OWNED OFF-CAMPUS RESIDENCES 

As a residential college, Lafayette believes in the value of students living and learning together for all years of their enrollment. All students are required to live in College-owned or affiliated campus housing unless approved to reside in private off-campus housing or commute from their parent/guardian’s home.

Housing contracts for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Residence Life’s website, here.

APPENDIX VI

CONSTITUTION OF THE LAFAYETTE COLLEGE STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Easton, Pennsylvania

PREAMBLE

The Student Government of Lafayette College operates under the authority and through the recognition of the faculty.  The Student Government shall operate in ways consistent with the basic delegation of faculty responsibility and in ways consistent with the Charter of the College, the Statutes of the College, and with such other controlling documents such as the Statement on the Rights and Responsibilities of Students.

The Student Government shall provide a forum for the voicing of student concerns on matters related to the welfare of the College in general and to the welfare of the student body in particular. The Student Government shall serve as the official medium of communication between the student body and the other constituencies of the College on matters which, in the opinion of the Student Government, should receive the attention of the Faculty, Administration, the Board of Trustees, or any combination thereof.

ARTICLE I: NAME

This organization shall be known as the Student Government of Lafayette College.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

The Student Government is the representative governing body of the undergraduates of Lafayette College.  In addition to providing a forum for the free exchange of ideas on matters of general concern to the College community and to communicate such concerns as the Student Government deems desirable to appropriate College agencies, the Student Government shall:

  1. Supervise the co-curricular life of the Student Body to the extent that the Faculty has itself been delegated authority to do so;
  2. Supervise the general operation of student organizations by:
  3. Granting recognition to organizations whose purposes are in accordance the Statement on Rights and Responsibilities of Students and the Student Code of Conduct in the Lafayette College Student Handbook and whose College resource requirements can be met within the facilities of the College and budget limitations of the Student Government;
  4. Apportioning, to recognized organizations, funds allocated for that purpose by the College budget;
  5. Superintending the dissolution of organizations when the need arises.
  6. Supervise student elections;
  7. Nominate or choose student members of standing committees of the Board of Trustees or of the Faculty in ways acceptable to the parent bodies;
  8. Enforce the rules which it enacts and other College regulations which are explicitly within its jurisdiction;
  9. Represent the student body to outside agencies;
  10. Have authority to:
  11. Initiate and enact changes in the Code of Conduct for implementation after review by the Faculty and the Board of Trustees;
  12. Propose amendments to the Statement on Rights and Responsibilities of Students for concurring action by the Faculty and the Board of Trustees;
  13. Establish committees, assign their responsibilities, appoint their membership and create whatever other internal organization it deems necessary for carrying out the purpose stated in this Constitution;
  14. Make recommendations to appropriate deciding bodies on any matter relating to the general welfare of the student body;
  15. And recall student members of Faculty Committees if they have an unsatisfactory attendance record at their respective Faculty Committee meetings.
Section 1: Suspension of Student Government Action
  1. The Faculty may suspend any action of the Student Government which it judges to lie outside the authority of that organization or to be detrimental to the best interests of the College.  Suspended actions shall be returned to the Student Government for reconsideration.
  2. To carry out the provisions of Article III, Section 1A, the Dean of Students (or designee) shall act as the agent of the Faculty, reviewing all actions of the Student Government and deciding whether any should be suspended or reviewed by the entire Faculty.   They shall report actions of the Student Government to the Faculty when appropriate, and they shall report actions which have been suspended to the next regular meeting of the Faculty for suitable action at that meeting or the next regular meeting.
Section 2: Instructions to Committees
  1. The Student Government or its Executive Committee shall have the right to ask the Faculty to direct any of its committees to provide information, undertake studies, prepare recommendations, or perform other appropriate duties.
  2. The Faculty or its Clerk shall have the right to ask the Student Government to direct any of its committees to provide information, undertake studies, prepare recommendations, or perform other appropriate duties.
Section 3: Joint Committees

The Student Government and the Faculty may, at such time that it is acceptable to both bodies, establish joint committees of the Student Government and the Faculty. The composition and mission of such committees shall be determined jointly by the Student Government and the Faculty.

ARTICLE IV: ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURES

Section 1:  Meetings
  1. General Body meetings of the Student Government shall be held every week throughout the College year. A General Body meeting may be cancelled provided a motion from a General Body member is passed by two-thirds of the Student Government present and voting at a General Body meeting.
  2. Special meetings may be called by the President or one-third of the General Body members petitioning the President in writing.
Section 2: Quorum

A majority of the General Body members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business of the Student Government.

Section 3: Parliamentary Procedure

The rules contained in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern all actions of the Student Government.

Section 4:  By-Laws

The Student Government shall have the power to write By-laws to effect the purposes of the Constitution.

Section 5:  Legislative Functions

A motion involving change in established policy or of significance to the Student Government shall not be voted on until a meeting held at least 24 hours following that meeting at which the motion is presented or unless notice of intent to propose such a motion is made at least four days before the meeting, in writing, to each General Body member.  This rule may be suspended by the unanimous vote of the Student Government present and voting.

ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP

The Student Government shall have up to 46 General Body members. All Executive Officers will be elected from the full-time students of Lafayette College.  All of the General Body members shall have the right to vote on matters of the Student Government with the exception of budgets, which will be voted on weekly by the Executive Committee. Voting procedures for Constitutional Amendments are outlined in Article IX.

ARTICLE VI: ELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1:  Eligibility

All full-time enrolled students who are not on academic or disciplinary probation, and who are not graduating in the year that the election is occurring shall be eligible to run for any Executive Officer position besides the President. Only full-time enrolled students who are not on academic or disciplinary probation, are not graduating in the year that the election is occurring, and who have previously served as General Body members shall be eligible to become candidates for the President of Student Government. Exceptions could be made based on a petition process, with a successful petition being voted on by a majority of the General Body.

Section 2: Time and Election of Executive Officers

Election of the President and Vice President shall take place in March on dates to be determined by the Student Government. Election of the other Directors of the Committees shall take place in April on dates to be determined by the Student Government.

Section 3: Transition Period

After the election and appointment of the new Student Government in the second semester of an academic year, the previous Student Government Representatives shall retain their positions until the end of the second semester, during which two regular meetings must be held. Within the course of these meetings, the newly elected and appointed Representatives shall become familiar with the procedure and organization of the Student Government. With the beginning of the fall semester, the new Student Government Representatives will assume their positions.

Section 4: Term

The term of office shall extend to the end of the transition period in the fall spring semester of the following academic year.

Section 5: Vacancies and Succession
  1. Should the office of the President be vacant, the Vice President shall become the President and assume all of the responsibilities of that office.
  2. Should the office of any of the remaining Executive Officers become vacant, the Student Government shall fill that office with a member of that committee, by majority vote. Should there be no candidate up for vote, or if the vote does not pass, then a school-wide special election shall be run.

ARTICLE VII:  APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Section 1: Eligibility

All full-time enrolled students who are not on academic or disciplinary probation shall be eligible to become candidates for Chair of a Student Government committee.

Section 2: Time and Appointment of Committee Chairs

An open application for chair positions on all the standing Student Government Committees shall be released following the election of the Executive Officers, on a date determined by the newly elected Executive Committee.

The number of chairs appointed to each committee shall be determined at the discretion of the Executive Committee. The number of chairs appointed must total no more than 36 when added with the number of Executive Committee members.

Section 3: Vacancies and Succession

Should a chairperson vacate their office, an application for the position shall be created and administered at the discretion of the Executive Committee.  All full-time enrolled students who are not on academic or disciplinary probation shall be eligible to become candidates for Chair of a Student Government committee.

ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES

Section 1: Standing Committees

The Student Government may form standing committees, as provided in the By-laws, to aid in the effective workings of the Student Government.

Section 2: Executive Committee

The Student Government Executive Committee shall be directed by the President, and meet at least once each week during the academic school year. The members of the Executive Committee will vote each week on the budget recommendations put forward by the Budget Committee. Additionally, the Executive Committee will draft the agenda for the General Body meetings, and perform any other functions as outlined in the By-laws.

Section 3: Ad-hoc Committees

The President may appoint such ad-hoc committees for a specific purpose as necessary.

ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS

Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by a Representative of the Student Government at a regular meeting using the following procedure:

  1. At the meeting where the amendment is proposed a period of discussion shall follow;
  2. The amendment shall be referred to the appropriate committee for study;
  3. At the next regular meeting, following the meeting where the amendment was proposed, the committee shall present the amendment with the committee’s recommendations.  A period of general discussion shall follow, after which the amendment shall lay over until the next regular meeting;
  4. At the next regular meeting, the second meeting from that at which the amendment was originally proposed, a discussion period shall be followed by a vote of the Executive Officers;
  5. And, to be immediately passed, an amendment shall require three-fourths affirmative vote of all the Executive Officers of the Student Government. If three-fourths of the Executive Officers do not affirmatively vote for the amendment, it will be voted on by the General Body at the same meeting, following discussion. An amendment shall require two-thirds affirmative vote of the General Body. Whether the amendment is passed by vote of the Executive Officers alone or the General Body as a whole, it shall require approval of the Faculty for it to be enacted.

ARTICLE X: RATIFICATION

This Constitution shall be adopted by the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the General Body members of the Student Government and the affirmative vote of the faculty of Lafayette College.

The Student Government constitution, including bylaws, also can be found on studentgovernment.lafayette.edu.

APPENDIX VII

POLICY ON SOLICITATION
  1. Solicitation on the Lafayette College campus by College and non-College-related vendors is regulated.
  2. All vendors, including both College-related student vendors (currently enrolled students, officially recognized College organizations) and non-College-related vendors (businesses or corporations, including private sellers) must receive approval to be able to solicit on campus. To receive approval to solicit on campus, the student or organization must provide the following information:
  3. The date, time and location of event, as well as the sponsoring group.
  4. Proof that solicitors are authorized to represent the company.
  5. Demonstration that products or services are of a high quality and produced by a company that abides by the College’s standards of ethical and nondiscriminatory policies.
  6. The sale of products or services, including method of sale, must be consistent with standards, practices, and policies of Lafayette College and work to further the educational goals of Lafayette as an academic and residential community.
  7. Products or services should be different from, or an improvement upon, the products and services already offered by the College or currently registered vendors.
  8. The proposed method of solicitation must not be disruptive to campus life or College activities.

Vendors wishing to solicit in Farinon College Center or in partnership with a student organization should contact the Office of Student Involvement.  Vendors wishing to solicit in academic buildings, on campus grounds, or anywhere else on campus should contact the dean of students.

III. The dean of students or his representative maintains sole discretion of providing approval to vendors. The following criteria will serve in part as a basis for this decision:

  1. The sale of products or services, including method of sale, must be consistent with standards, practices, and policies of Lafayette College and work to further the educational goals of Lafayette as an academic and residential community.
  2. Products or services should be different from, or an improvement upon, the products and services already offered by the College or currently registered vendors.
  3. The proposed method of solicitation must not be disruptive to campus life or College activities.

The following guidelines for solicitation will be in effect for all registered vendors:

  1. Solicitation is limited to the hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, unless a special exemption is granted due to the nature of the business. Ordinarily, Saturday and Sunday solicitation is prohibited.
  2. No solicitation may occur during final examination periods
    nor reading days.
  3. If the salesperson is, in any way, causing a disruption to students anywhere on campus, a student may file a written complaint with the vice president of Campus Life/dean of students, and the approval to solicit may be revoked.
  4. Solicitation may be further limited with regard to hours, locations, services, products, or in any other way deemed desirable by the dean of students or designee. The approval to solicit by a College-related vendor should not imply College approval, endorsement, or guarantee of the solicitor or the products or services.
  5. Certain non-College-related vendors may be permitted to solicit in fraternity or sorority living groups. These vendors (e.g., stationery, fraternity paraphernalia, etc.) must first obtain a written permit from the Office of Residence Life before any solicitation occurs, even if the solicitation is carried out by a student.

The above guidelines also apply to all non-College-related vendors with permits.

APPENDIX VII

POLICY ON DISTRIBUTION OF LITERATURE

The following regulations govern the distribution of literature (including posting of fliers, advertisements, announcements and other signs) by members of the Lafayette community:

General Conditions for All Temporary Signage

Distribution of literature must not interfere with the educational mission or activities of Lafayette College or result in interference with the programs of the College.

The dean of students or representative may limit the time, place, or manner for distribution of literature and will work to ensure the protection of free speech.

All posters, advertisements, announcements and other signs must include the date of the program or a remove-by date.  Postings without such a date will be removed immediately.

Signs may not advertise alcohol or illegal substances.

Postings must not obscure pre-existing postings.

All advertisements on campus must include identifying information of the sponsoring organization (i.e. logo, name, etc).  Event advertisements must include date, time, and location of the event.

All advertisements should be removed within 24 hours of their expiration.

All off-campus, non-College job postings must be directed to the Office of Career Services.

Signs must be attached using materials that will not damage property and in concert with any building-specific policies (e.g., Farinon College Center or Residence Life posting policies).

All advertisements must comply with the College non-discrimination policy.

Postings (of any kind) are not permitted on:

  • external building surfaces
  • outdoor furniture or fixtures (e.g., benches, statues, etc.)
  • wood trim
  • entry and exit doors of buildings
  • windows
  • glass doors
  • painted or acoustical surfaces
  • elevators, both inside and outside
  • concrete walkways
  • stair risers

Staff in Public Safety, Facilities, and Campus Life, as well as other officials of the College have authority to remove signs in violation of Lafayette posting procedures and to remove expired signs. On-going program flyers are permitted to remain on the bulletin boards until the program is completed or the end of an academic semester, whichever is first.

The form and content of publicity will not be restricted, unless the material is illegal or obscene in content, or does not adhere to College policies on protected speech. Improper postings may result in loss of posting privilege and/or responsibility for damages. The distribution of literature on College property by outside individuals or entities is prohibited unless advance permission is granted by the dean of students.

The stipulations above are not intended to prohibit the distribution of information by Lafayette College. Requests for permission to distribute literature on campus should be directed to the dean of students.

Farinon College Center Posting Policy

Requests for permission to distribute literature within Farinon College Center should be directed to the director of Student Involvement.

Within Farinon College Center:

  • All advertisements and promotions (posters, banners, displays, chalking, etc.) must be approved by the Office of Student Involvement staff through the Farinon Promotion Request From on OurCampus, prior to posting.
  •  All advertisements MUST contain the Student Involvement stamp. Any materials not approved will be removed.
  •  All advertising should include the date, time, and location of the event, as well as the sponsoring group and contact information.
  • Advertising is limited to the promotion of student organization and department events, activities, and causes. Business and commercial advertising is not permitted, except on the designated community bulletin board.
  •  Advertising, except for banners and easel displays, may not exceed 11” x 17”.
  •  All advertisements, announcements, and signs are permitted in designated areas only.
  • No posting/signage may be secured to walls inside the lobbies, doors, windows, stairwells, hallways, tables or coffee tables, or any other area than designated bulletin boards.
  • All advertisements may be hung for one (1) week or until the occurrence of the event, whichever is first. Extended time may be granted by the Office of Student Involvement on a case by case basis. Outdated materials will be removed.
  • No advertising or posting for any event, program, or service is permitted on the exterior of the facilities. (exception: see chalking policy).
  • All advertising must comply with all college policies and should be educational, informational, or culturally enriching in nature.
  • The Office of Student Involvement reserves the right to refuse to post or distribute any material which violates the College’s student code of conduct or College policies.