Students' Rights and Responsibilities Statement Preamble St. Catherine University is a supportive, academic community, existing for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth and the development of students. Free inquiry, free expression and responsibly free activity in concert with the teachings of the Catholic Church are indispensable to these goals.The freedom to teach and the freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The responsibility to secure and to respect general conditions conducive to the freedom to teach and to learn is shared by the university with all members of the academic community. The university is responsible for the development and implementation to exercise that freedom with responsibility, within the guidelines of the college policies. Although this statement is not intended as a contract, it attempts to outline the general rights and responsibilities of students as members of St. Catherine's academic community. I. Access to Higher Education St. Catherine University is open to all students who, according to its standards, are qualified for admission. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other basis as defined by applicable federal, state or local law The facilities and services of the institution are open to all its students consistent with the requirements of their individual academic program or sanctioned co-curricular activity. The university provides a variety of financial aid through scholarships, grants-in-aid, work opportunities and loans in order to meet the financial needs of students. II. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS A. Access to Information St. Catherine students are entitled to full and accurate information concerning the academic program and reasonable access to academic advisers concerning regulations and requirements of the academic program. Students have the responsibility to acquaint themselves fully with the academic regulations, to fulfill them, and when in doubt, to seek out the appropriate adviser for consultation. B. Freedom of Expression Learning and scholarship are at once individual and collective. Students enjoy the collective assurance and protection of free inquiry and open exchange of facts, ideas and openness. Students are free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment on debatable issues. This free exchange in no way diminishes the responsibility of the student for learning the content of a course. C. Academic Evaluation While students are responsible for maintaining the standards of academic performance as established in each course, the students who believe that they have been subjected to arbitrary or discriminating academic evaluation are guaranteed the right to appeal. III. STUDENT LIFE A. Freedom of Association Students bring to our campuses a variety of interests previously acquired and develop new interests as members of this university community. They shall be free to organize and join associations to promote their common interests within the boundaries of the mission of the university. 1. Student organizations, including those with extramural affiliations, shall be open to all students of St. Catherine University. 2. The membership, policies and actions of a student organization shall be determined by members of that organization within the policies of the institution as well as state and federal statutes. 3. Affiliation with an extramural organization shall not of itself disqualify a student organization from official institutional recognition. 4. Each organization must have a faculty/staff adviser. Advisers shall not have the authority to control the policy, procedures or actions of a student organization. 5. Student organizations are required to submit a constitution including a statement of purpose, criteria for membership, a list of rules (policies and procedures for that organization) and a current list of officers; but they shall not be required to submit a list of members in order to receive or maintain official recognition. In order to be officially recognized as student organizations, student organizations shall be required to submit their constitutions to the student Senate for review. Official status shall be granted by the dean of students upon the recommendation of University Association Governing Board. (UAGB). B. Freedom of Expression* Whereas St. Catherine University provides an atmosphere of intellectual openness in which students can refine their abilities to evaluate alternatives faced in a pluralistic society; And whereas the university, as a liberal arts institution, upholds the academic principle of responsible inquiry and the constitutional right of free speech; And whereas the St. Catherine University, a Roman Catholic institution, recognizes and respects the official teaching of the Church; And whereas the university recognizes legitimate plurality of opinion in some areas of Church teaching; Be it resolved that the university sees it as consistent with its mission to provide a forum for the free and responsible exchange of ideas. Be if further resolved that this policy will be implemented by the dean of students under the authority of the president of the university. *As adopted by the Board of Trustees, 1980 C. Student Governance As members of the St. Catherine community, students are free, individually and collectively, to express their views on institutional policy. Students are allowed participation in decisions that affect their interests. The University Association Governing Board, The Graduate Student Advisory Board, and Weekend College Advisory Board are recognized as the premiere forums for student opinion and influence within the college. D. Student Media Student media are valuable aids in establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion. They are a means of focusing and highlighting student concerns as well as a valuable tool in the formulation of student opinion. By the delegation of responsibility to students, St. Catherine provides sufficient editorial freedom and financial autonomy for its student media to maintain their integrity as vehicles for free inquiry and free expression. St. Catherine's administrators, in consultation with students and faculty, shall provide clarification of the role of the student media, the standards to be used in their evaluation, and the limitations on external and administrative control of the publication. At the same time, the editorial freedom of student editors and managers entails corollary responsibilities to be governed by the canons of responsible journalism: avoidance of libel, indecency, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity and techniques of harassment and innuendo. As safeguards for the editorial freedom of student publications, the following provisions are necessary: 1. Student media shall be free of censorship and advance approval of copy, but consistent with St. Catherine University policy. Student editors and managers shall be free to develop their own editorial policies and news or feature coverage. 2. Editors and managers of student media shall be protected from arbitrary suspension and removal because of student, staff, faculty, administrative or public disapproval of editorial policy or content. Student editors and managers shall be subject to removal only for proper and stated causes that are presented through established and orderly procedures covered in the Code of Conduct. E. Chalking Policy In an effort to respond to the difficulties resulting from "chalking" and "counter-chalking" at St. Catherine, the following policy has been developed by students and staff at the university. The purpose of this policy is to provide a more effective way to express ideas and opinions by being more specific with the university community about when and where chalking is allowed. By providing a space for chalking we hope to preserve the central tenant of our academic community — open and free exchange of ideas. It is our intention to treat this policy as a work in progress and we encourage community feedback on this policy. Chalking is allowed. Officially recognized St. Catherine student organizations, departments, individuals (student, faculty or staff) can register to chalk. The university designates the sidewalks north of Coeur de Catherine including the following: going north from the northeast entrance (by the mailroom) of Coeur de Catherine to the Quad and from that T-intersection east to the first intersection. The chalking space continues south down the sidewalk west of Fontbonne Hall and back toward the northeast entrance to Coeur de Catherine. NO chalking is allowed on steps or non-sidewalk surface, any building or any other university property along the above route. All other chalking will be washed immediately at the expense of the individual(s) responsible for the chalking. No individual or groups external to the university are allowed to chalk. Sponsoring of external groups is not allowed. Content of Chalking. Approval of the content of chalking is not required. It is expected that all chalking will be consistent with university policy. Chalking must not include hateful or derogatory messages or symbols. If elements of the chalking represent a message(s) which violate university policy (e.g., negatively targeting individuals or groups of people with the appearance of intending to inflict physical or psychological harm) the chalking will be immediately washed by the university at the expense of the individual(s) responsible. Formal action may be taken by the university trough the Student Code of Conduct. All chalk must be removed within one week of the first day the chalking is visible. Students or student groups are responsible for removing chalking and can request to have Environmental Services remove the chalking for a charge. Counter-chalking NOT allowed. After the chalking is complete, the college will make a reasonable effort to prevent "counter-chalking". Counter-chalking is defined as chalking that occurs either directly on original chalking or in proximity to original chalking and represents an opposing viewpoint. The college respects and defends the right of all individuals or groups to express opposing viewpoints and therefore encourages those who oppose chalking messages to express their views at the corresponding Listening Table, Community Forums, or by contacting the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Academic Affairs or other offices as appropriate. The university community does not tolerate behavior that discriminates on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, disability, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in state or local commission, and sex in educational polices, programs and services. Register to Chalk. To register the chalking space, complete a "Request to Chalk" form, which can be received from the Office of Student Affairs and/or the Student Life Office, and submit the form to the Office of Student Affairs no less than one week before the requested date of chalking. The request will be approved within two working days by the dean of student affairs and enrollment management or the associate deans in student affairs. Listening Table Required. Every approved request to chalk shall be accompanied by a Listening Table the day before the chalking and/or the first day the chalking is visible continuing for three days between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The sponsoring individual or student organization is responsible for staffing the Listening Table . Faculty, staff and students not affiliated with the chalking are all welcome to attend the Listening Table and/or be at the Listening Table on behalf of the sponsoring organization. As a part of a Listening Table, information on resources for where community members can go to further discuss ideas and concerns must be made available. The purpose of the Listening Table is to provide a consistent and respectful forum for students to engage the St. Catherine community in discussion about the purpose and content of the chalking. The listening table should be one of the tables available for groups to use in the Coeur de Catherine Atrium. The sponsoring individual or student organization is responsible for reserving the Listening Table through Student Center Activities Office, Room 270 Coeur de Catherine. All questions regarding the policy should be directed to the Office of Student Affairs, which is located in 306 Derham Hall, (651) 690.6778. F. St. Catherine Political Activity Policy September 1, 2008 (revised) St. Catherine is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization and will not participate or intervene in political campaign activity in support of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. IRS rules and regulations prohibit St. Catherine from endorsing candidates, making campaign contributions, engaging in fundraising, making statements of position, verbal or written, made on behalf of the institution in favor or opposition to any candidate, becoming involved in any other activity that might be beneficial or detrimental to any candidate, including activities encouraging an individual to vote for or against a candidate based on partisan criteria or host a debate of forum showing preference for or against a certain candidate. Section 501(c) (3) contains an absolute prohibition on participation or intervention in political campaign activities in support or in opposition to candidates. Violating this prohibition subjects St. Catherine to revocation of its tax exempt status and the imposition of excise tax penalties. For this policy, a candidate is defined as an individual who offers herself or himself as a contestant for an elective public office, whether such office is national, State or local. Section 501(c)(3) defines participation in a political campaign as including the publishing or distribution of statements. Permissible Political Activities Some activities are permissible under Section 501(c)(3) as “educational” activities. The regulations allow activities to occur if they present a “sufficiently full and fair exposition of the pertinent facts.” The presentation of information must not be biased and must “permit an individual or the public to form an independent opinion or conclusion.” Examples of permissible activities include: Candidate Debates and Forums St. Catherine may provide forums for candidate debates. In general, a fair and neutral forum must be provided including equal time to all qualified candidates. The following factors should be considered in determining whether a debate is a permissible political activity: (1) The debate should include all legally qualified candidates for the contested office. If the candidate is unavailable, the student/campus organization must provide the view of any candidates unable to participate. That information should be gathered from unbiased sources. (2) The debate topics should cover a broad range of issues, including those issues of importance to the organization sponsoring the debate. (3) The questions presented to the candidates should be composed by an independent, non- partisan group. (4) A moderator should be selected by the sponsoring organization and his or her role should be limited to ensuring that the debate ground rules are followed. The moderator should refrain from commenting on the candidates’ statements in a way that demonstrates approval or disapproval of their ideas. (5) The debate should begin and end with a clear statement to the effect that the views presented are those of the candidates and not of the sponsoring organization. Use of Institutional Facilities Candidates for public office may be invited to, or may seek permission to visit, the campus to make public appearances in connection with their campaigns. If a candidate uses a campus visit as an occasion to make a campaign speech, the campus organization hosting the event should make it clear that the institution does not support or oppose the candidate in all promotional materials related to the event, and state the following: “Views expressed by political candidates are not endorsed by St. Catherine University.” This disclaimer must be stated again when introducing the candidate at a public forum as well as at the close of the forum. Absolutely no political fund-raising is allowed. Candidates for public office, who also happen to be alumnae/i, may also be invited to speak at either campus in their individual capacities. For example, an incumbent state governor running for re-election, who is also an alumna, may be invited to speak in her capacity as an alumnae without the activity constituting an impermissible political activity. During the speech, no reference should be made to the governor’s status as a candidate for public office nor should any campaign activity occur in concurrence with the speech. Any promotional material related to the speech should make clear that the governor is appearing in her capacity as an alumna, without any mention of her candidacy for re-election. St. Catherine may make facilities available to individuals or groups who wish to use them to conduct political campaign activities. The institution should ensure that all facilities are made available to political groups on the same basis as to other non-political groups or individuals. If fees are normally charged, they should also be charged to the political group or candidate. No preferential treatment should be given. Voter Registration on Campus Allowing or conducting voter registration on campus does not constitute impermissible political campaign activities so long as the activity is conducted in a non-partisan and fair manner. The Federal Election Commission has provided guidance on how to conduct a nonpartisan voter registration campaign. Its regulations require that either all candidates or no candidates be named, that all or no party affiliations be given, and all persons interested in registering be permitted to do so regardless of their party preference. The organization conducting voter registration must be a college office, a college department, or a chartered student organization. The organization must use the required process to reserve space/table. The organization must conduct voter registration in a non-partisan manner. Attribution of Individual Activities to Section 501(c)(3) Organizations Faculty and staff members may serve as advisors to candidates, and may even run for office themselves. Where such participation is undertaken solely in an individual capacity, without making any use of the resources of the institution, the activity should not be attributed to the institution for purposes of the prohibition on political campaign participation. Guidelines for Political Candidates Appearing on Campus to Campaign The St. Catherine community supports civic engagement, in part, by providing access to our campuses for political candidates. For the purpose of these guidelines, a candidate is defined as the individual running for public office and does not include staff of the candidate. Candidates running for public office, including, but not limited to Congress, the governor’s office, or Minnesota Legislature, may want to make appearances at St. Kate’s. Candidates may want to walk around our campuses or enter our facilities. Candidates seeking access to St. Catherine property are required to make an appointment 48 hours prior to the visit. Candidates who want to visit either campus must contact the Office of Student Affairs (651.690.6778) to submit their request. Once an appointment is scheduled, candidates will be allowed to distribute campaign literature in the atrium of Coeur de Catherine (St. Paul campus), the Deli (Minneapolis campus) or in designated public spaces outside. Candidates are only allowed to enter classrooms if the approved appointment explicitly identifies the classroom and if the faculty member, of record, has agreed. Candidates are allowed to enter residence halls and apartments, with approval, but are limited to only the designated lobby or commons area. Candidates are explicitly prohibited from entering the personal dwelling unit of all residence halls and apartments. IV. STUDENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS 1. St. Catherine's students are both members of the academic community and the larger society. As citizens, they enjoy the same freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and right of petition as other citizens. As members of the St. Catherine's academic community, students are subject to the accompanying obligations of this membership. 2. If students incur penalties prescribed by civil authorities, they will not be subject to further discipline by university judicial systems unless there are clear and distinct college community interests involved. If students are charged with violation of federal, state or local law, the college has no responsibility to assist them. 3. St. Catherine University has the duty and therefore, the corollary disciplinary powers to protect its educational purpose, the well-being of the community and the well-being of its members by setting standards of scholarships and conduct for the students who enroll. These standards are first articulated within the Code of Conduct and subsequently by all other college policies and procedures. In the event of student violations of these codes or policies, a systematic process shall be utilized. See the Community Expectations and Student Code of Conduct on LeGuide. 4. St. Catherine's students accept full responsibility for their own actions under federal, state and local laws. While reserving the right to protest policies, students recognize the rule of law and expect no special immunity on account of their student status. Within the college community, students acknowledge the duly constituted role of trustees, administrators, faculty and student organizations in the processes of the college, accept its regulations and abide by the decisions of its judicial bodies. revised 8/03