Policies & Guidelines
On This Page
About University Alcohol and Drug Policies
Role of Residence Education Staff
Code of Student Conduct
Guest Policy
Harassment Policy
Hazing Policy
Links and Information
University Alcohol and Drug Policies
Code
of Student Conduct
Academic
Regulations
Residence Hall Policies
Your room on campus is a base of operations
from which you are entitled to come and go as you please; a home away
from home where your personal belongings are secure and respected;
a sanctuary for reading and writing and preparing for classes without
distractions or loud noise; a place where you can kick back and relax
with your own thoughts and dreams, visit confidentially with friends,
or just plain “be.”
Your room is a private space and may not
be entered by anyone without your consent or proper legal documentation,
except for reasons of maintenance, health, and safety.
Neither you nor any other member of the
residential community need justify a desire for safety, cleanliness,
quiet, or privacy. These are the rights of every member of the community,
which means they are both your rights and your responsibilities.
Taking responsibility for your own actions
and for the well-being of your fellow residents is the spirit of the
community and, when it comes right down to it, the rule of the University
of Massachusetts Amherst. Residential rights are protected along with
your right to redress grievances without fear of intimidation or retaliation
within the community.
Infringement upon your rights or the rights
of any other member of the community by you or others will not be tolerated
and will be dealt with by your peers along with members of the Residence Education staff according to the University of Massachusetts Amherst disciplinary
procedures. Resident Assistants
and Apartment Living Advisors are not expected to give warnings before
reporting policy violations to the Residence Directors, Assistant Residence
Directors, Apartment Complex Coordinator and/or Apartment Manager.
University Alcohol and Drug Policies
Substance abuse and its related consequences undermine the University of Massachusetts Amherst's goals of academic success and civility. For this reason, the university has established policies and regulations pertaining to the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages and the possession, use, distribution and sale of illicit drugs, and paraphernalia. These standards conform to state and federal laws, and enhance the health, safety, property and educational interests of all members of the university community.
Health risks associated with alcohol and other drug consumption include impaired judgment, vision, speech, coordination, memory, sensation and perception. Long-term use of alcohol and other drugs can negatively impact many of the body's systems, and cause physical and psychological dependence.
In accordance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, Amendments of 1989 (PL101-226 20 U.S.C. sec. 1145g), university regulations and laws pertaining to alcoholic beverages and the possession, use, distribution and sale of illicit drugs shall be strictly and consistently enforced. Any violation of the university's Code of Student Conduct or violation of federal, state or local laws shall subject the offender to the university disciplinary process and/or criminal prosecution.
This policy pertains to alcohol and other drug use behaviors in residence halls and university apartments. All members of the university community, including students not residing on campus, are responsible for obtaining and adhering to this policy while in university-approved housing. Go to www.umass.edu/uhs/cadap/policies/ for information on the Alcohol and Drug policy.
Role of Residence Education Staff
Residence hall staff are responsible for
the dissemination, education and enforcement of the University Alcohol and Drug Policy.
The Residence Director, Apartment Complex
Coordinator and Apartment Manager's role is to:
- Inform all students in her/his cluster of the rules and regulations
regarding alcohol consumption and transportation.
- Supervise the Resident Assistants/Apartment
Living Advisors in the enforcement of the rules and regulations of
the policy.
- Educate the student governance bodies about their role in informing
residents about the policy and enforcing the policy at sponsored
events.
- Apply the appropriate disciplinary procedures to any violator
of the policy.
The Resident Assistant and Apartment Living
Advisor's role is to:
- Inform students of the University Alcohol and Drug Policy.
- Report all violations of the policy
to the appropriate University staff.
Residence hall staff and student governance groups
may work together to establish University Alcohol and Drug Policy regulations and procedures
that take into account the needs of their specific hall community.
These regulations must be consistent with all related federal, state,
local, and University policies.
Guest Policy
Common sense and common courtesy apply when you want
friends to visit your room, whether they are UMass Amherst students
or not. Before inviting guests, check with your roommate. If he or
she is writing a paper or studying for an exam, the distraction of
others in the room may not be welcome.
Roommates have the right to refuse
their roommate’s guest(s)
or to ask the guest(s) to leave for reasonable cause. Interference
with a roommate’s right to occupy a room violates the Residence
Hall Regulations.
You may sign in a maximum of four guests for
an evening. A maximum of ten persons (including residents) may
be in a room or suite at any given time.
North residents may sign in a maximum of ten
guests per apartment for an evening. A maximum of fourteen persons
(including residents) may be in an apartment at any given time.
Overnight guests are limited to two per room.
To apply for an exemption to these policies,
see your Residence Education staff.
The guest policy may be adjusted
in unusual circumstances for the safety and security of residents.
Students will be notified
of changes.
Guests can affect other residents besides your
roommate. If guests violate the Code of Student Conduct, residents
may
ask
residence
hall staff or University Police to mediate with the offenders
or remove unauthorized visitors from the premises. Security
or hall staff also have the right to refuse entry to guests.
The
policies that follow apply to hosts and their guests.
Hosts are responsible for:
Harassment Policy
Harassment is a form of violence that consists
of verbal and/or written invasion/violation of another person's rights.
It can be racial, sexual, or personal in nature and may be expressed
through graffiti, obscene telephone calls, or other means.
All students
and staff members who live and work in the residence hall system
deserve to remain free from harassment,
including lewd or indecent behavior. This type of behavior interferes
with the University's primary educational responsibility and its
duty to protect the health and safety of all members of the University
community.
If you experience harassment in person or
over the phone, report the incident to the residential staff and University
Police at 413-545-2121.
If you engage in harassment or physically
assault another resident, you will be removed from the residence hall
system. Where appropriate, you may be suspended from the University
and/or you may be subjected to legal action through the courts. The
influence of drugs or alcoholic beverages does not mitigate the consequences
of this type of behavior or limit your responsibility. It may, in fact,
increase the seriousness of the offense.
Hazing Policy
You have the right to be free from the humiliation
and danger of hazing. The University unconditionally opposes any situation
intentionally created to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment,
harassment, or ridicule. The University fully endorses and upholds
the Commonwealth law prohibiting any and all forms of hazing and supports
the pursuit of legal penalties for violations.
This prohibition applies to all students
within the residence halls as well as fraternity and sorority
members. Every year each fraternity and sorority member must
sign an acknowledgment
of understanding and a pledge of conformance to the Massachusetts
law against hazing. You can obtain a copy of the hazing law from
the Office
of Fraternities and Sororities, 413-545-2711.
