The Council on Student Affairs, with a membership of six students, three faculty members, and three administrators, reviews all out-of-class student matters and recommends policies. This committee has provided the framework within which living groups have studied and created rules and regulations. Among the general policies stated by the committee are these: 1) students are held individually responsible for maintaining standards of conduct that meet the requirements of decency, the rights of others, the behavior patterns of a democratic society, and the particular needs of the Whitman community; 2) social regulations of whatever origin should ensure adequate consideration for the rights of individual students to privacy and the preservation of individual dignity and comfort, and an atmosphere consistent with, and in furtherance of, the primary educational purpose of the college; 3) all members of the community have the responsibility for adherence to local, state, and federal laws; and 4) residence hall staff members are available to mediate disputes and enforce residence hall regulations.
The Dean of Students Office, through the powers delegated to it by the president and faculty of Whitman College, may make such requirements explicit with specific regulations to whatever extent is considered necessary. The college also reserves the right to change its regulations affecting the student body at any time; such changes apply to all students, including prospective students, those currently enrolled, and former students returning to college.
Students and their parents should realize that the college does not act in loco parentis. Even though regulations exist to assure that all members of the college community may participate in their academic pursuits with a minimum amount of hindrance, the college does not control students’ lives. In all of their interactions with the college, students are assumed to be responsible for themselves. While striving to maintain as secure an environment as possible, the college cannot guarantee the safety of its students.
Regulations
Each living group is responsible for adequate guarantees of the primary use of residence halls and fraternity houses for study and sleeping and of the fundamental right of each resident to reasonable privacy.
The Board of Trustees has approved several policies – including, but not limited to, policies on alcohol use, drug use, filing a grievance, and incidents of sex- or gender-based harassment, discrimination, or violence – intended to ensure that Whitman College remains an environment based on consideration and respect for the rights of others and designed to support the college’s academic mission. These policies are available in the Whitman College Student Handbook, which is published annually and also available on the Whitman College website: www.whitman.edu/dean-of-students/student-handbook.
Student Right to Know Information
Whitman College has included information that you need to know concerning the campus and its policies at www.whitman.edu/dean-of-students/right-to-know. This information includes institutional information, alcohol policies, graduation rates, FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), services available to students with disabilities, institutional security policies and crime statistics, and other information that you might find helpful. A printed copy of this information is available upon request from Bridget Jacobson in the Dean of Students’ Office, Memorial Building 325.
Title IX – a Short and Simple Law
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Any person in the campus community who believes that they or another person has been subjected to sex-or gender-based harassment, discrimination or violence should discuss their concerns with the Director of Equity and Compliance/Title IX Coordinator Cassandre Beccai, beccaic@whitman.edu. See also the Title IX Policy: www.whitman.edu/campus-life/diversity/title-ix-and-sexual-misconduct.