Skidmore Students' Bill of Rights
Skidmore Students' Bill of Rights | Administrative Complaints |Procedures for Filing Administrative Complaints
History
The Student Government Association, working with faculty and administration, developed the Student Bill of Rights. Formally adopted in 2003, the Student Bill of Rights elaborates the rights to freedom of speech and inquiry, assembly, press, religion, and privacy essential in an academic community. It complements the responsibilities outlined in the Honor Code and guides administrative policy and practice.
Preamble
We, the students of Skidmore College, recognize that this academic institution exists for the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and individual development. Free inquiry and free speech are indispensable to the attainment of these goals. As members of the Skidmore community, we have the responsibility to contribute to an environment of trust that protects the freedom of all to exchange and develop ideas; only in such trust and freedom is it possible for students to live together and learn from the faculty and one another.
Any violation of the principles embodied in this document, the Skidmore College Catalog, or other documents pertaining to student rights that have been ratified by the student body, should be handled in a manner that protects the rights of all parties involved. The following rights are inalienable and belong to the students of Skidmore College:
I. Rights of Citizenship
As members of the Skidmore community, students enjoy freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, the press, and religion, and the right to petition, limited only by protection of property, safety, and mutual respect. Students' personal mail or electronic mail cannot be opened or read by others without their expressed permission. Students expect to be treated fairly and with respect by all members of the Skidmore community.
II. Rights in Academic Affairs
Skidmore College affirms the following principles outlined in the American Association of University Professors' Statement of Professional Ethics:
As teachers, professors encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students. They hold before them the best scholarly and ethical standards of their discipline. Professors demonstrate respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual guides and counselors. Professors make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to ensure that their evaluations of students reflect each student's true merit. They respect the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student. They avoid any exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of students. They acknowledge significant academic or scholarly assistance from them. They protect their academic freedom. Their primary responsibility to their subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty.
III. Rights in Student Affairs
A. Freedom of Association
1. Students have the right to participate in the formulation of College policy by serving as members of appropriate committees as described in the Faculty Handbook, SGA Constitution, and Student Handbook.
2. Students are free to organize and join associations to promote their common interests.
3. Membership in all SGA clubs and committees, including those affiliated with outside organizations, must be open to students who meet the criteria set forth in the respective charters.
4. Students who are members of the SGA, and who meet the criteria set forth in the SGA Handbook, may hold any elected or willingness-to-serve position.
B. Freedom of Inquiry and Speech
1. Students, independently and collectively, are free to examine and discuss all questions of interest. Students are free to support all causes through peaceful means and to debate opinions both publicly and privately.
2. Skidmore students may invite and hear the views and ideas of any person as long as the safety of all parties is ensured.
3. The institutional control of campus facilities cannot be used as a device of censorship.
IV. Rights in Disciplinary Proceedings
A. Students have the right to be informed of the College's expectations for student behavior, both inside and outside of the classroom. Actions violating stated rules and regulations in the Handbook will not be excused with pleas of ignorance. If the Handbook seems unclear, students are encouraged to contact the Dean of Student Affairs for clarification.
B. Students' personal possessions or residences can only be searched as agreed upon in the Room and Board Policy.
C. Any student charged with violating College policy has the right to receive a fair hearing. All disciplinary procedures must be clearly formulated, promulgated, and consistent. Students must be informed of the nature of the charges against them and given a fair opportunity to respond to them.
V. Community Accountability
If administrators, faculty, students, or other community members violate the Skidmore College Honor Code and/or other College regulations, including this Students' Bill of Rights, students may pursue appropriate recourse as outlined in College Policy, utilizing the appropriate student conduct process or officer.
VI. Amendments and Changes
The procedure for the amendment of this Students' Bill of Rights shall be:
Any matters deemed to affect the faculty, administration, and students, or any grouping of the above, will be referred to the All College Council (ACC). Any matters deemed to affect SGA solely will be handled by steps 1-5 below.
1. A recommendation from any member or division of the SGA to the Senate.
2. The study and approval of two-thirds of the Senate.
3. The presentation of the proposed amendment to the student body.
4. The approval by the students, as constituted by a majority of the votes cast voting yes for passage.
5. The presentation of proposed changes to ACC by a member of SGA.
This document, like all others at Skidmore College, is subject to changes in federal, state, and local law and shall be altered accordingly in the event of a modification to such law.
Administrative Complaints
Student Affairs views Skidmore students as emerging adults responsible for managing, with our support and guidance, their academic and personal affairs. While we are often inclined toward solving problems for our students, we try instead to help them acquire the information and strategies that they need to explore possible remedies for their concerns. We ask parents to trust this educational effort whenever possible, rather than intervene with an office or program on behalf of students.
When students have questions about college policy or practice, we expect them to review the appropriate policies and handbooks and to pursue their concerns directly with the appropriate office or program. As examples, students should direct questions about housing to the Office of Residential Life and questions related to financial aid to the staff of Financial Aid Office. Student Affairs staff are available to advise students about appropriate offices and best strategies in most circumstances.
If a student remains dissatisfied with the decision of an office or program, the student can ask the dean or vice president responsible for the area of concern to review the decision or policy. However, the dean or vice president will not change a decision that seems consistent with general principles of fairness, equity, and College policy. In the majority of academic situations, moreover, the faculty exercise final authority for decisions regarding the classroom, course requirements, and academic standards and expectations.
In most complaint-resolution cases, the dean's or vice president's decision is final. If students or parents remain dissatisfied with the decision, they may ask the president to review the practice or policy. Students and parents should write to the president, explaining the circumstances and describing the conversations that have taken place with other College staff. If the appropriate dean or vice president has not yet reviewed the decision, the president's office will generally direct students and parents to the campus office most directly responsible for the area of concern. The president only reviews situations or problems of substantial consequence to students or parents and of broad concern to the College.
Procedures for Filing Administrative Complaints
The College provides a variety of avenues for students and parents to follow should they experience difficulty getting their needs met. Typically, these needs involve issues of student residence and student life, finance, academic requirements, parking, etc. Whenever students and parents have questions about College policy or practice regarding these and other issues, the best course of action is to pursue conversations with the appropriate offices. For example, student housing and student life questions are best directed to the Office of Student Affairs, working with staff first and, if students and parents are not satisfied, progressing to a conversation with the Dean of Student Affairs. The same pertains to questions involving finance: The Office of Financial Services and the Office of Financial Aid are the first points of contact.
However, should students and parents find that their concerns have not been adequately addressed, they have recourse with the President's Office via the Executive Director of the Office of the President. Students and parents should call or write the president, explaining the circumstances and describing the conversations that have taken place with other College staff. (If the President's Office is the first point of contact, students and parents will be directed to the appropriate campus office for resolution.) The Executive Director of the Office of the President, and the President if necessary, will assess cases and then respond to the student or parent in written correspondence, with a phone call, or both. Neither the President nor his staff is prepared to change policy, but contact with the President's Office may help facilitate resolution in difficult cases.
