This document governs the behavior of all students and student organizations on and off University premises.  The University will address behavior when it adversely affects the University community and/or the pursuit of the University’s objectives.  Students and student organizations attending functions on or off campus as representatives of the University are subject to disciplinary sanctions for violations of the Code of Conduct.  Students and student organizations are expected to comply with the statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, federal laws, and Slippery Rock Borough ordinances and may be charged under this Code for violations of state or federal law or Slippery Rock Borough ordinances wherever those offenses occur.  

 

Should actions violate both University regulations and public law, this may result in the application of University disciplinary proceedings in addition to any criminal proceedings. 

 

A student organization and its members are subject to charges under this Code when one or more of the following is true:

 

• the alleged violation is committed by one or more members of the organization and, either implicitly or explicitly, the violation is permitted to occur with the knowledge of an officer of that organization;

• organizational funds are used to finance the alleged violation;

• the organization chooses to protect one or more individual offenders who are members or guests of the organization.  That is, representatives of the organization have knowledge of individual offenders and refuse to provide information about those individuals or otherwise refuse to cooperate in disciplinary proceedings.

• the alleged violation occurs as a result of an organization-sponsored function;

• the  alleged infraction is a violation of the organization's constitution, bylaws, or policies including, but not limited to, national policies and insurance provisions.

 

A case may be determined by its nature to be an organizational act.  Some organizational issues are not easily quantified.  No specific number of members is required to establish an event as an organizational activity.  Further, simply declaring that an activity is not an organizationally planned or sponsored event may not alter the responsibility of the organization for that event.  Factors to be considered in determining organizational responsibility include, but are not limited to, the number of members involved in the activity, the manner in which the activity was planned and financed, the manner in which the activity was publicized, and the unique details of what transpired during the event that may clarify the role of the organization and its members.

 

Both the student organization and individual student members of the organization may be charged under this Code for an incident of misconduct.  Separate notices of charges will be sent to each student and organization implicated.