THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

I. PURPOSE. To establish general principles to serve as guidelines for all members of the University community in the conduct of matters pertaining to student life.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION. The Student Senate of the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming has recommended the adoption of a statement setting forth basic rights of students, and the University Faculty Senate has also endorsed the principles of a joint statement on rights and freedoms of students which differs from Student Senate statement. It appears to be in the best interests of the University that a statement of principles of student life be promulgated for the guidance of all during the oncoming academic year. The provisions of the following statement shall be effective immediately. However, it is recognized that participation by concerned segments of the University in a review of this statement has been limited. Recommended changes from the Faculty Senate and the Student Senate would be welcomed and should be submitted to the President prior to March 1, 1971.

III. STATEMENT:

PRINCIPLES OF STUDENT LIFE: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Introduction

The University of Wyoming is an institution of learning established by the Constitution and Laws of the State of Wyoming. The governance of the University is vested in the Trustees of the University which is authorized to adopt such rules and regulations as necessary to its various functions, including the exercise of discipline for the good order of the institution. Bylaws and Regulations of the Trustees provide for the delegation of various ministerial functions and regulation‑making authority to academic units, academic officers, and principal administrative officers of the University.

The University exists for the transmission and advancement of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, and the development of those characteristics which will benefit students as individuals and as citizens of the State and the Nation. The student is the central concern of the aims and programs of the University. However, the University involves a number of people on and off campus who have interests in the institution and without whom the University could not exist and function: the Trustees of the University, the administration, the faculty, employees, parents, and the local community. In addition, the University has commitments to the state and national governments, and therefore, while endeavoring to maximize student opportunities and benefits, the University must strive to achieve that balance between maximum freedom and necessary order which will provide an environment most conducive to fulfilling all of its responsibilities.

Recognizing that freedom of individuals is never absolute but is subject to reasonable restrictions, this statement is intended to set forth general principles of rights and responsibilities of the student in relation to the University. Such principles shall serve as guidelines for all members of the University community in the conduct of matters pertaining to student life.

General Principles

I. ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY AND ITS PROGRAMS.

A. Race, sex, religious creed, or political belief shall not be a factor in the determination of admission of persons to the University or in the determination of eligibility of students for any of the University academic programs, recognized or sponsored activities, employment, housing or other benefits.

B. Enrollment in the University and in a specific college, or in any other University program, organization or activity, is deemed to be the choice of any qualified student who assumes the responsibility for meeting the requirements involved for continued participation.

II. GENERAL CONDUCT.

A. All members of the University community share a common and heavy responsibility to maintain a climate suitable to a community of scholars and to refrain from conduct which obstructs the work of the University, interferes with the lawful exercise of rights by other persons, endangers the safety or security of other persons or their property, prevents the proper use of the facilities of the University, or impairs the maintenance of that kind of an environment which is essential to the operation of an institution of higher learning.

B. The University has a duty and the corollary disciplinary powers to protect its educational purposes through the regulation of the use of facilities and through the establishment of standards of scholarship and conduct for the students who attend the University. Disciplinary proceedings should play a role substantially secondary to example, counseling, guidance and admonition. When the preferred means fail to resolve problems of student conduct, proper procedural safeguards should be observed to protect the student from the unfair imposition of serious penalties for violation of University rules.

C. The University shall strive to assure that all requirements, standards, policies, and regulations that are considered essential to the University's educational mission and which vitally affect students in general are clarified and published or otherwise made known to the affected persons.

D. Students are required to comply with regulations and procedures directed by authorized persons pertaining to their admission and continued enrollment, including the payment of regularly assessed fees or other sums of money owed the University.

E. Whenever student conduct constitutes a violation of federal, state or municipal law as well as a University rule, the University may institute its own disciplinary proceedings against the offender for the preservation of University interests.

III. THE CLASSROOM. The instructor in the classroom and in conference should encourage relevant discussion, inquiry, and expression. Student performance should be evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on opinions or conduct unrelated to academic matters.

A. Students shall be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion, but they shall be responsible for learning the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled.

B. Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation. At the same time, they shall be responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled.

C. Students have a right to expect a competent and conscientious effort from their instructors. At the beginning of each course, the instructor shall provide the student, in writing, statements of:

(i) Purpose, scope, and content of the course

(ii) Expectations of student performance, and

(iii) How grades are determined

D. A student has obligations as well as rights in the classroom. He has no right to impinge on the instructor's freedom to teach or the right of other students to learn. The instructor shall establish reasonable standards of conduct for each class which should be made known at the outset of the class, and the instructor may, through orderly procedures, dismiss any student who violates such standards.

IV. STUDENT RECORDS.

A. Individuals applying for admission to the University and students enrolled in the University have an obligation to provide to designated persons such information as is required for University purposes. The University shall establish and maintain specific regulations as to the use and disclosure of such information.

B. Such regulations shall be in accord with the following:

1. Description shall be provided as to what information shall be maintained as a part of a student's permanent record and the conditions of its disclosure.

2. Transcripts of academic records shall contain only information about academic status, but may include notation as to any suspension or expulsion from the University. Transcripts and grades shall be available only to persons within the University who demonstrate a need to know such information and to such other persons designated by the students or University regulations.

3. Information given in confidence to the counseling center, placement service or health service shall be treated as confidential and shall not be available to any persons without the express consent of the individual involved, except under legal compulsion or in cases where the safety of persons or property is involved.

4. Records pertaining to discipline and other matters pertaining to citizenship shall be maintained separately from academic records. Those records which relate to disciplinary actions may be released by officials of the University only (1) upon the consent of the student concerned, or (2) pursuant to one of the enumerated exceptions to the general rule requiring student consent as set forth in University Regulation 243, as amended. Extreme care should be exercised that citizenship records reflect accurate information and that they be restricted to student activities as a member of the University community. No record of political activities or beliefs shall be maintained except such matters a may be of public record as holding office in campus organizations. Such record shall be open to inspection by the student.

5. Provision should be made for the destruction of non-current records which are not necessary to the permanent academic record of the student.

V. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES.

A. Students are free to organize and join associations to promote their common interests. However, University facilities and services shall be afforded only to those student organizations recognized by the University in accordance with procedures established by the University.

1. Recognition of an organization shall be withheld or withdrawn if an organization's avowed purposes or activities are or become illegal or a violation of University regulations. The activities of organizations may be suspended if under existing circumstances a clear and present danger exists that such activities may disrupt the educational process or endanger or destroy property or create a condition that is dangerous to the safety of individuals.

2. Membership, policies, and actions of a student organization will be determined by vote of only those persons who hold bona fide membership in the college or university community.

3. Affiliation with an extramural organization shall not in itself disqualify a student organization from institutional recognition.

4. Membership in campus organizations shall not be denied students due to race, creed, or national origin except for religious qualifications which may be required by organizations whose aims are primarily sectarian.

5. Student organizations shall be required to submit a statement of purpose, criteria for membership, rules of procedures, and a current list of officers. A list of the membership may be required when necessary to determine requests for facilities use, financial assistance, responsibility for actions, or in similar cases.

B. Students shall be free to examine and to discuss all questions of interest to them and to express opinions publicly and privately. They shall always be free to support causes by legal and orderly means which do not disrupt or interfere with the operation of the University. It should be made clear to the academic and the larger community that in their public expressions or demonstrations, students or student organizations speak only for themselves.

C. Pursuant to established procedures, students may invite and hear speakers of their choice on subjects of their choice, and University control of facilities or approval by University Officers shall not be used for the purpose of censorship. It should be made clear to the academic and larger community that sponsorship of guest speakers does not imply approval or endorsement by the University or the sponsoring group of the views expressed by the speaker.

VI. STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT.

A. The University shall maintain clearly defined procedures for the consideration of student views in the formulation or review of University policies affecting academic and student affairs, understanding that the final decision‑making authority is vested in the Trustees.

B. The role of student government, its responsibilities and authority, shall be defined by constitutions approved by the President of the University.

VII. STUDENT PUBLICATIONS.

Student publications distributed on the University campus shall be published in accordance with written policies, which shall provide sufficient editorial freedom for the student publications to maintain their integrity of purpose as vehicles for free inquiry and free expression in an academic community. At the same time the editorial freedom of student editors entails corollary responsibilities to be governed by the canons of responsible journalism, such as the avoidance of libel, indecency, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity, and the techniques of harassment and innuendo. The following safeguards for editorial freedom shall be observed:

A. The student press shall be free of censorship, and its editors shall be free to develop their own editorial policies and news coverage.

B. Editors of student publications shall be protected from arbitrary suspension and removal because of student, faculty, administrative, or public disapproval of editorial policy or content. Only for proper and stated causes shall editors be subject to removal and then by orderly and prescribed procedures. The agency responsible for the appointment of editors shall be the agency responsible for their removal.

C. Student publications shall not bar the name of the University of Wyoming or purport to represent the University without University approval.

D. All publications distributed on campus shall bear the name of the publisher and editor.

VIII. PROCEDURAL STANDARDS IN DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS.

A. The administration of discipline shall guarantee procedural fairness to an accused student. The jurisdiction of faculty and/or student judicial bodies or other regularly established judicial bodies, the disciplinary procedures, including the student's right to appeal a decision, shall be clearly formulated and communicated. In all situations, procedural fair play require that the student shall be informed of the nature of the charges against him, and that he shall be given a fair opportunity to refute them, and that there shall be provision for appeal of a decision.

B. Incident to investigation of student conduct, University personnel shall not conduct searches of student rooms in residence halls, fraternities or sororities, unless appropriate authorization has been obtained from a designated University official. Applications for searches shall normally specify the reasons for the search and the objects or information sought and authority for the search shall be granted only if there is reasonable cause to believe that a student is using his room for an illegal purpose or one which would seriously interfere with campus discipline. Such rooms may be entered by a University official in charge of the facility whenever he has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of University rules is in fact occurring in the room. Inspection of such rooms may also be conducted for purposes of health, safety, and maintenance. The student should be present during any search.

C. Pending final University action, the status of a student shall not be altered, or his right to be present on the campus and to attend classes suspended, except for reasons relating to his physical or emotional safety and well‑being; reasons relating to the safety and well‑being of other persons or to University property.

IX. TERMS OF ENROLLMENT.

By his voluntary entrance into the University, a student assumes obligations of performance and behavior reasonably imposed by the University relevant to its lawful missions, processes and functions. These obligations are in addition to those imposed on all citizens by the civil or criminal law. Within limitations of due process, the University may discipline students as a teaching method or sever the student from the academic community. Disciplinary sanctions and their mode of imposition shall be clearly formulated and published. Termination of continued enrollment may take the form of:

1. Academic suspension for failure to maintain minimum academic standards.

2. Suspension or expulsion for violation of University regulations.

3. Cancellation of registration when admission is found to have been based upon incomplete or false information provided by a student, or when proper payment of registration fees has not been made.

4. Suspension for mental or physical conditions which are determined to pose a threat to the health or safety of the individual or other persons, or which results in disruption of normal University activities.

5. Re-enrollment, diplomas, and transcripts may be denied to a student if he has failed to fulfill all University obligations.

6. Sanctions of lesser severity may be imposed when determined to be appropriate and which are considered to be effective in implementing the goals and functions of the University. Such sanctions and their use should be defined and published by appropriate University officials.

Approved: October 8, 1997

Philip L. Dubois
President