St. John’s is a community of learning. The college expects its members to conform to standards of civility that make communal life and work possible. Foremost among these standards is respect for the person and property of others. Such respect is shown in both speech and action. All members of the community should expect this respect from others and must behave toward others in a way that makes such respect clear. In a community that brings people from diverse backgrounds together this may require a deliberate effort to understand those with whom one is living and working. The college expects this effort from all its members; such an effort is essential to the intellectual enterprise in which we are engaged.
This is followed closely by the obligation to maintain an orderly and reasonably quiet atmosphere conducive to study and reflection, and by the obligation to cooperate with others whose habits differ from one’s own. The college does not tolerate failure to meet this standard, nor does it condone incivility in any form. Failure to abide by decent standards of civility may result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion from the college.
All members of the college community share responsibility for upholding standards of decency and civility and for maintaining living conditions that are conducive to study and learning. The college therefore expects every student to abide by all the rules of residence and to refrain from misbehavior whether or not it is explicitly mentioned in the rules of residence; it expects every student to exhort fellow students to similar behavior. For the good of the community, it also expects all students, regardless of consequences, to report their own misdeeds, to try to persuade others to report their own misdeeds, and to report the misdeeds of those who cannot be persuaded to do so. Failure or refusal to report misbehavior may lead to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
The college expects community members to be honest. The college expects students not to lie and not to withhold information, either about themselves or about their fellow students. Dishonesty may lead to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
Students are obliged to obey all city, state, and federal laws. Being a St. John’s student offers no special immunity to any violator of public laws.
The Undergraduate Student Polity has established certain rules by referendum vote. Both undergraduate and graduate students should conform their behavior to these rules. The rules established by referendum are:
State and local laws generally prohibit individuals from betting, making wagers, or gambling. Thus, a poker game, if played for money, is unlawful. The college does not sponsor or sanction such activities, and no student group may sponsor, organize, or participate in such activities, except as the law allows.
Qualified organizations, including the college, may conduct “gaming events” under certain circumstances. The Director of Student Services must approve any gaming event at St. John’s College. Lola’s is a permitted gaming event, and the college works with students to ensure compliance with the law. Roulette is prohibited, and card or dice games are allowed only if they are played for tokens for which no cash prize is awarded or offered. Under certain circumstances, prizes in money or merchandise may be awarded using a paddle wheel, wheel of fortune, chance book, or bingo. Only individuals who have been members of the college (student, faculty, or staff) for more than 12 months may operate a gaming device.
The college is required to submit a report to the Department of Inspections and Permits for each gaming event (e.g. Lola’s). Student groups coordinating a gaming event will provide the Director of Student Services with the information necessary to make this report.
Copyright law extends to “original works of authorship” (Title 17, United States Code), whether literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, or some other kind of intellectual work. If such a work is copyrighted, there are specific legal limits on who can copy or otherwise use that work. Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. Students are responsible for making sure that their use of copyrighted materials is appropriate and legal. If a student infringes on copyright using College resources, the College may be held liable. If you are interested in copying, showing, or distributing something that is copyrighted, the Library Director is available to give you guidance. In general, the Library Director is available to help you answer questions about appropriate use of copyrighted materials.
Copyright infringement will be treated as a disciplinary matter, subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion. Legal penalties for copyright infringement include both civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. More information can be found on the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at copyright.gov, and their FAQ’s at copyright.gov/help/faq. A copy of the St. John’s College plan to address copyright infringement is available upon request in the IT office.
Honesty, civility, and respect are cornerstones of the college community. In order to ensure that all parties feel free to speak and express themselves openly and without fear of unauthorized or surreptitious recording, audio and video recording and photography of any community member requires express consent, except where taken by the college for identification, security, or other institutional purposes or by a community member for submission to the Campus Safety Alert system. Please note that it is also a violation of Maryland state law to record a conversation without the express consent of all parties.
In their use of social media, students are expected to conform to community standards, such as civility, responsibility, and honesty. All material posted on social media is subject to privacy and copyright laws. Care should be taken to make sure that material posted online is appropriate for public display.
Use of the St. John’s College name, logo, and seal should be reserved for officially affiliated pages only.
The full social media policy can be found here.
The maintenance of standards of civility is essential to the well-being of a community devoted to study; the observation of certain formalities supports those standards. Seminars, lectures, concerts, convocation, and commencement exercises are formal occasions and students should dress appropriately. In tutorials, offices, bookstore, library, coffee shop, and dining hall (other than on the occasions mentioned above), students may dress more informally.
Feet must be shod at all times in the classroom buildings, offices, bookstore, libraries, coffee shop, dining hall, and FSK Auditorium.
Bicycles are to be registered in the Public Safety Office. Students who own bicycles should keep them locked on one of the bicycle racks. The college advises students to use the best quality U-type lock available. Racks are located in front of Paca-Carroll, behind Randall, by the library, and in the basements of Chase-Stone, Gilliam, and Spector. Bicycles must not be left in the halls or common rooms of the dormitories. Unregistered bicycles will be removed from the racks periodically. Advance warning (one week) of removals will be given.
The college walkways are designed for pedestrians. Students who use bicycles or skateboards on campus are responsible for doing so safely and considerately. If, in the judgment of any college official or Public Safety Officer, a bicyclist is endangering or disturbing others, a fine may be imposed and the bicycle or skateboard may be confiscated.
When a student’s name changes, the student must notify the Office of the Registrar and present official documentation of the name change, e.g., a court order or marriage certificate. Alteration of the name on the student’s record and notification to the college community will only be made after these documents have been presented. Students who require a change of name in congruence with their gender identity or expression should contact the Office of the Registrar.
Parties on campus are an important facet of student life and in order to allow them, there are necessary and prudent limitations that must be observed. Most rules that govern parties are devoted to ensuring their future continuation. Since so much is at stake, these rules will be enforced with great strictness. Contact the Community Facilitator for Student Activities and Events to obtain a copy of the event contract and for assistance in coordinating your event.
Two weeks prior to your event, email the details of your event to user.support(at)sjc.edu to request A /V support with microphones, screen projectors, speakers, and so forth.
Contact the Community Facilitator for Student Activities and Events for assistance in obtaining the required film license for any screening taking place outside of a dorm room. We have obtained reduced licensing fees through SWANK to assist your efforts. Any screening that takes place without a film license outside of a private residence qualifies as a public screening and is in violation of copyright law. Violators could face up to five years in prison and fines ranging up to $250,000.
The following items can be requested on the event contract.
A Community Facilitator will need to install the propane tanks for you and remove them at the end of the event. Patio heaters must not be moved while lit, and they cannot be used in a non-ventilated area.
The fire pit must be placed on level, flat ground away from any overhang and should not be moved while the fire is lit. One should not attempt to cook on the lid. The firepit must be doused with water completely at the conclusion of the event, and then returned the next day, once it has cooled, to the seating area adjacent to the Ptolemy Stone.
A bonfire needs to be planned a minimum of 3 weeks in advance in order to obtain the necessary burn permit from the city. You are required to douse the fire at the scheduled conclusion of your event, and Public Safety will likely stop by to make sure this presents no issue. If you are unable to receive the burn permit in advance of your event, you may not proceed. Instructions for obtaining the permit are as follows:
When students gather spontaneously in the college’s public areas (especially the quad and the coffee shop) the gathering may sometimes come to resemble a party even though there are no hosts or organizers. In such cases all college regulations are still to be observed. If, in the judgment of a Public Safety Officer, a Senior Resident, or the Director of Student Services, such a gathering is disturbing others or giving rise to violations of the rules, the gathering may be dispersed and the public area cleared.
Hosts of events with alcohol should understand and uphold the regulations as listed below. A host checklist has also been provided to aid in your coordination efforts and ensure compliance.
Prospective students must obey the same rules as enrolled students. Enrolled students must use discretion in their social contacts with visiting prospective students; those who are irresponsible or exploitative in their relations with prospective students are subject to disciplinary action.
