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Student GuideCommunity ExpectationsSexual Morality Houghton College stands firmly against sexual behaviors that violate scriptural principles and encourages wholesome interaction between the sexes. Sexual relations outside of marriage (this includes, but is not limited to, intercourse) and homosexual practices are not appropriate for members of the Houghton College community. Use of force for sexual gratification (i.e. assault or rape) will result in immediate dismissal from the college. Pornography Pornographic materials are prohibited on campus or in off-campus residences of students. These include, but are not limited to, pornographic magazines, books, posters, photos, CD Rom, computer games and Web sites. Students who are in violation of this policy will face disciplinary procedures. Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment in any form is reprehensible. The college affirms that its students, faculty, administration, and staff have a right to freedom from sex discrimination in the form of sexual harassment by any member of the academic community. As such, the college has a well established policy addressing the definition of sexual harassment which outlines specific procedures for resolving situations involving harassment and filing complaints of harassment when conventional methods of resolution fail. The administration considers sexual harassment a very serious offense and, if it is not resolved quickly, a violator may be liable to strict sanctions including loss of employment of student status. The complete policy on
Sexual Harassment is distributed to each new student every fall semester.
Printed copies are also available in the Counseling Center, at Information Desk,
or they may be obtained from the Sexual Harassment Officer of the college
located in the Department of Human Resources on the first floor of Luckey
Building. An online version of the policy is also available at
http://campus.houghton.edu/orgs/human_resources/sexualharassment.asp Sexual Assault Sex offenses range from inappropriate touch to forcible rape. These offenses are in direct conflict with biblical standards and are a violation of state law. Penalties for these can be up to a 25-year prison sentence per offense, depending on the offense. The New York State Penal Law can be found at the following site for further information on these crimes.
http://wings.buffalo.edu/law/bclc/web/NewYork/nyart130.htm#tny130_00 Students can report an assault to Safety & Security or go to the Counseling Center to discuss options with a counselor. Drugs and Alcohol Houghton College complies with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act. While every violation of the Statement of Community Responsibilities is considered individually, the following general guidelines serve as a general guide for the implementation of community standards and accountability. The normal sanction for a first offense involving purchase, distribution, possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages is disciplinary probation. A second offense normally involves suspension from the college. The normal sanction for a first offense involving purchase, distribution, possession or use of illegal drugs or abuse of any drug is suspension from the college. The college will cooperate with law enforcement agencies in dealing with drug or alcohol issues. Because of the significant health risks associated with drugs or alcohol, the college chooses to take a strong stand against their improper use (see Statement of Community Responsibilities). For students who have a drug or alcohol related problem that may be alleviated through counseling, the college will deal with students through the counseling process rather than through disciplinary processes if the student comes for help voluntarily. A more detailed statement of college policy on this matter is available through the Counseling Center. Tobacco Houghton College is a smoke free environment. The use of tobacco by Houghton College students is prohibited. A smoking cessation program is provided for those students interested in stopping a smoking habit. Please contact the Health Center for information about smoking cessation. Smoking by a student may result in disciplinary action. Personal Appearance Houghton College has adopted standards of personal appearance with which each student is expected to comply. Modesty in dress is the overriding principle. These are not standards for which the college will maintain a specific scriptural basis in every case but are more accurately seen as reflecting the purpose and mission of the institution. Every Houghton College student is expected to display the maturity necessary to comply with a style of dress that is consistent with the values of the college. Dress which is sexually provocative, too revealing, or displays advertisements or language that violate or encourage the violation of community standards is unacceptable and may result in disciplinary action. Sunday Observance On Sunday, intercollegiate or intramural athletic events or practices are prohibited. The library, classrooms, laboratories and music practice rooms are closed. These guidelines are established with the expressed purpose of giving primary attention to worship, rest, fellowship, and service. Dance With regard to dance for the aesthetic pleasure or entertainment of an audience, the Student Life Council will determine if and when art dance will be permitted in public performance of any type. Each instance must come to the Student Life Council for decision at least two weeks in advance. Contact the Student Life Office for information on when the Student Life Council meets and to have your request put on the agenda. Video Policy This policy statement governs the use of copyrighted, rented or privately owned videos on campus. Recognizing our rural locale, we wish to help students make positive use of the home video market. Any campus use of video entertainment, however, needs to fall within the legal guidelines for video use and within our community standards for acceptable entertainment. The Legal Question: The copyright law concerning home video forbids 'performing the copyrighted work publicly' and defines “publicly” as: to perform or display at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered. The Motion Picture Association would like to define this to include all college residence halls; however, this view has not prevailed in the courts. Many colleges and universities are continuing to define their residence halls as a home. Based upon the advice of a spokesperson for the National Association of Campus Activities, Houghton College will allow controlled use of videos in floor lounges. At such a time as litigation modifies college or university use, Houghton College will comply with the decision of the courts. Video Usage in the Residence Halls and College Owned Houses: We consider our campus residences to be both a family environment and the home of our students. As a result, we feel it appropriate that a random group of friends or floor-mates should be allowed to come together to rent and watch a video in the hall or house. Several legal guidelines, however, must apply: 1. The event must be spontaneous, not a regularly scheduled or programmed event. 2. No organization may plan or sponsor a video event for entertainment purposes. 3. The event may not be advertised in the residence halls or on campus. 4. No admission fee may be charged. In addition, in order to be sensitive to the various members of our community and to accommodate the legal need for the spontaneous nature of the video event, it is determined that we will be guided by the national rating system. * Students may only show movies rated G, PG, or PG-13 in the lounges of any hall or house. * Students may make their own decisions about R rated movies. If they choose to watch these, they may do so only in their private rooms, not in a common living area. * NC-17 and X rated movies are not appropriate to be viewed anywhere on campus or in college approved housing. Video Usage Elsewhere on Campus: The unlicensed use of copyrighted videotapes in any other campus entertainment settings is not legal. This falls under the jurisdiction of the Director of Student Programs. [Note: separate laws and campus policies govern the use of videos for educational purposes] Additional Notes: -The RA or RD has the authority to limit or reject any video event, either in a lounge or private room. -Any group wanting to show a video for educational purposes should refer to the film review policy and direct any legal questions to the Director of Student Programs. -Any group wanting to obtain a public exhibition license for an advertised video event and/or an event with an admission fee, can do so by contacting one of our movie rental agencies through the Student Programs office or CAB. These films would fall under the guidelines for the Film Review and Video Policies. -It is considered inappropriate to show a movie in the residence hall that is concurrently being shown by CAB. The Resident Director will prohibit such showings. -Violations of this video policy may result in sanctions by the Office of Student Life Language Houghton College students are expected to honor God in both speech and lifestyle. The taking of God’s name in vain or the use of offensive, abusive, profane, crude, racist, sexist, or obscene language is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action. Language should also reflect sensitivity to cultural diversity. Appropriate Use of Technology The acceptable use of the Houghton College network is detailed at the site below: http://campus.houghton.edu/orgs/techserv/Policies/ComputerUse.htm Internet Piracy The College presents for your use many programs and data which have been obtained under contracts or licenses stating that they may be used but not copied, cross-assembled, or reverse-compiled. In addition, other institutions and individuals on attached networks make software or digital media available under similar conditions. You are responsible for determining that programs or data are not restricted in this manner before sharing them, copying them in any form, or before reverse-assembling engineering them in whole or in any part. If it is unclear whether you have permission to copy or share such software or not, assume that you may not do so. Peer-to-peer filesharing of copyrighted materials without permission from copyright holder is strictly prohibited via the Houghton College network, or any and all of its resources. Any individual found sharing copyrighted materials using Houghton College resources within our local area network, wide-area network or the Internet will be found in violation of this policy and will be subject to those consequences named in this policy. Hazing Policy Hazing of students will not be tolerated by Houghton College under any circumstances. Hazing is defined as the intentional or reckless act on or off the campus of Houghton College by one student or a group of students that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of another student or which induces or coerces a student to endanger such student’s mental or physical health or safety. This applies to any actions that may be taken in connection with initiation into or affiliation with any student organization, group, club, or team. Altercations Aggressive, violent and threatening behavior will not be tolerated and will lead to disciplinary measures, including the possibility of suspension or dismissal. |
