Student Activities Student Organization Policies and Disciplinary Process
Bowdoin Student Activities encourages student participation in clubs and organizations. These programs can enrich a student’s college experience and contribute to a student’s development. The College and Student Activities expects that student leaders and members will uphold all aspects of the Code of Community Standards (CCS) and other Student Activities policies when they are acting in their capacity as a member or leader of a student group.
Group membership and the benefits it confers on participants is a privilege, not a right. All students are expected to respect this privilege and abide by College principles and community values.
Student Activities will work with the Student Organization Oversight Committee when deemed necessary to review the conduct of a student organization. Nothing in this policy shall prevent the College from referring individual members of a student group to the Student Disciplinary Process for parallel individual disciplinary action.
Scope
Student Activities holds students accountable for their actions on and off-campus and has the discretion to address minor violations of College policy, without referring the student group to the Student Group Disciplinary Process. Including violating rules outlined in the Club Leader Manual which includes (but not limited to the following below):
Overspending SAFC Accounts
Intentionally overspending or spending SAFC funds without submitting an SAFC request may result in the loss of future access to SAFC funds.
Reimbursements
Failure to properly log purchases and submitting receipts including cash advances in a timely manner may result in the loss of future access to SAFC funds.
Off Campus Bank Accounts
Organizations are not allowed to have off campus bank accounts. Any organization that is found to have an account will be asked to close the account and transfer all funds into their Bowdoin Student Activities account immediately.
Fundraising Policy
The College benefits greatly from the ongoing generosity of Bowdoin alumni and parents, who provide significant monetary support for student-related programs and services on an annual basis. The Development Office coordinates all fund-raising efforts on behalf of the College. Students, student organizations, and athletic teams are not permitted to solicit alumni or parents for monetary support.
Gift cards must be purchased, not requested from local businesses.
Student Enterpreneur Policy
Any student(s) interested in pursuing entrepreneurship on campus must follow the policies linked above.
Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy for Student Organizations and Club Sport Teams while Traveling
Regardless of age, members of Student Organizations and Club Sports are not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages or use illegal drugs at any time while traveling on behalf of the College.
Solicitation
Bowdoin College discourages aggressive solicitation of students, faculty, and staff on campus. These activities often disrupt campus routine, offend segments of the College community, and imply endorsement by the College of particular products, ideas, or positions. No outside organization may proselytize, distribute, or sell products without direct sponsorship of a student organization recognized by the Bowdoin Student Government or an administrative office.
Accidents involving Bowdoin Vehicles
When damage does occur to a Bowdoin vehicle, the cost to repair the vehicle will be charged to the student organization’s account and paid for by the SAFC. If a Bowdoin vehicle is in an accident that involves a parked automobile. Drivers are strongly encouraged to find parking away from other vehicles and use spotters.
Parking Tickets
All parking tickets will need to be paid by the driver who was authorized to drive the vehicle.
Contracts
Students are not allowed to enter into contract negotiation or agreements on behalf of Bowdoin College. To be valid, all contracts need to be signed by a Bowdoin Administrator.
Student Conduct
Violations can include but are not limited to: disregarding a directive from a College official or group advisor; hosting, assisting, facilitating, or participating in the planning or concealing of acts that violate Bowdoin policies, failure to be forthcoming and truthful to any College official on matters related to the activities of the organization or its members, actions that result in damage to or destruction of private or public property, disrupting College events or programs.
Process
All students are individually responsible for adhering to the CCS and other College policies during their time at Bowdoin. Student groups may be held collectively accountable for violating any College policies as a result of the conduct or actions of individual members who act in concert with or as representing the group, even if not all members participated.
Individual members can be held accountable for their specific behavior as part of a group if it is in violation of College Policy.
Students participating in groups that have been banned or previously removed from campus (e.g., fraternities, organizations that have lost a charter, etc.) will be referred to the Student Disciplinary Process.
Sanctions and Outcomes
If the Director of Student Activities, or designee, finds the student group responsible for violation(s) of College policy, or if the student group takes responsibility, the Director will determine an appropriate sanction.
In determining sanctions, consideration will be given to the context and seriousness of the violations, the willing to be forthright and truthful, and acceptance of responsibility. Sanctions specific to group or organizational misconduct may include one or more of the following:
- Official Reprimand: Written notice that continuation or repetition of the behavior found to be in violation of College policy will lead to more severe consequences.
- Loss of Privileges: This may include one or more of the following:
- Loss of College and SAFC funding;
- Loss of season(s) or contest(s);
- Membership restrictions for a specified period of time;
- Loss of leadership positions and/or from participation in specified organizational programs and activities for a designated period of time to represent the College in any capacity;
- Exclusion from specific areas of campus or from official College functions;
- Loss of privileges and exclusion from activities; or
- Inability to host events for a specified period of time.
- Restorative and Rehabilitative Outcomes:
- Referral to the Program for Nonviolence and Conflict Resolution (PNVCR);
- Community Service;
- Restitution;
- Participation in designated educational programs, services, or activities;
- Letter of Apology;
- Defined plan to allow the student group to take steps to rehabilitate its standing.
- Temporary Loss of College Recognition: This may include suspension of a group’s charter or recognition. The sanction letter will specify the amount of time, which can range from one semester to 10 (ten) years.
- Permanent Revocation of College Recognition: This will result in a permanent ban of the student group from the College.
Failure to comply with any conditions imposed may subject the student group to additional disciplinary action.
Because action is taken against a student group, and not an individual student, Bowdoin does not consider disciplinary action against a student group to be reportable.
Appeals
Student Organizations can appeal to the Dean of Students and participate in the Student Group Disciplinary Process.