General College Policies & Procedures

Students and institutional personnel may address formal complaints to any Officer of the College. A student may also address any formal complaint to the Senior Vice President for Administration and Business, Lentz Hall 434. The Senior Vice President for Administration and Business will then forward the complaint to the appropriate Officer. All complaints will be investigated and acted on in a timely manner. While we will ensure the anonymity of complainants, Carthage must share information about complaints with our accreditor, although individual identities will be shielded in that case.

Health and safety laws require that shirts and shoes be worn in the dining halls, Todd Wehr Center, and all classroom buildings.

The College reserves the right of the Office of Student Life to take appropriate action to protect the physical health, welfare, and safety of the members of the Carthage College community. This includes the right of the College to restrict campus access of any member of the campus community for public health reasons. When actions or conditions exist that might result in bodily injury, damage to public or private property, or interference with essential operations of the College, officials reserve the right to use all reasonable power, including civil police officers, necessary to eliminate the danger and reduce the emergency. Emergency ambulatory transportation to local hospitals is available to all Carthage students.

The Office of Student Life may require a mandatory medical/psychological assessment if a student’s condition renders him/her unable to function in the College community without harming himself/herself or others and/or disrupting the educational mission of the institution. In such a situation, the College reserves the right to place students on involuntary medical leave of absence.

Students are expected to use reasonable care for themselves. A student shall take no action that threatens or endangers his or her own safety, health, or life, nor shall a student make any verbal threat of such action. This includes such behavior as suicide attempts, cutting, refusing treatment for life-threatening illnesses or conditions (e.g., eating disorders). This policy provides another mechanism for the college to guide students to various sources of assistance along with helping them understand the impact of their behavior on others.

If a student living in a residence hall is making suicidal statements or attempts suicide, as a matter of policy, the student’s family or emergency contact persons will be contacted and so informed. This contact will be made in addition to the conditions, sanctions, and agreements made with the student involved.

All students are expected to be aware of, and abide by, the policies of each building. In particular, food and drink are prohibited and/or limited in certain facilities. Students are responsible for following those policies as posted.

The purpose of these policies is to promote and ensure fair, equitable, and safe use of Carthage College facilities and physical assets. Use of Carthage facilities should be in support of the College’s academic and co-curricular goals.

Reservations by Faculty, Staff, and Students

Carthage facilities are available through a reservation process to all currently enrolled students, recognized student organizations, and employed part-time and full-time faculty and staff of Carthage.

For more information on reservations, policies, catering, and parking, visit the Conference Services website.

Reservations by Members of the Public

Carthage facilities are also available for use by the general public. See more information on our Conference Services website.

Carthage College regularly publicizes news of College programs, events, and individual and group achievements. Such publicity may include student names, graduation year, major(s), and other information relevant to educational and co-curricular experiences on campus. Photographs, videos, and audio recordings may be taken for communication and marketing purposes.

Expected uses of news articles, photography, video, and audio include, but are not limited to, external media outlets such as newspapers and television stations, and officially recognized College-published materials such as websites, brochures, social media accounts, news articles, news releases, displays, and email communications.

By enrolling at Carthage and accepting the Community Code, you agree that Carthage may use photographs, videos, audio recordings, and descriptions of you as described above. Should you wish to opt-out or revoke this consent, you may contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at communications@carthage.edu, or notify the writer/photographer/videographer directly.

Any publicity material to be posted or distributed on the campus must be approved and stamped by the Office of Student Life, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Allow at least 24 hours for a posting to be approved. Publicity may be posted only in approved areas. Campus posting sites are maintained as a community announcement forum. These sites are not intended to be discussion or opinion forums the Office of Student Life reserves the right to limit or refuse any material considered inappropriate, offensive, inflammatory, or of no interest to the campus community. Postings include but are not limited to flyers, posters, banners, and e-mail.

Specific points

• Each piece must contain an original approval stamp. Once a poster is approved, the organization is responsible for stamping each item.
• All postings must contain the name of the sponsoring organization on the face of the advertisement.
• All forms of advertisement must be removed by the sponsoring group within three days after the event.
• Organizations advertising for an on campus activity are not permitted to advertise these events off campus without the approval of the Director of Student Activities and the advice and consent of the Office of Communications.
• All campus publications, items produced for distribution or postings, may not contain alcoholic beverages, other drugs or sexual paraphernalia explicitly or implicitly. Brand names associated with alcohol or other drugs, including logos, symbols, graphics, etc., will not be approved.
• Reference to a bar or tavern will be permitted only in the event that the consumption of alcohol is not implied (i.e. Tickets for the dance can be purchased at Ron’s Place).
• Postings deemed by the Office of Student Life to be offensive or inconsistent with the mission of engendering constructive development within the College community will not be approved.
• Postings may not deface College property.
• Distributing flyers, placing materials under residence hall room doors or posting flyers on automobiles without permission from the Office of Student Life is prohibited. Door hangers may be permitted with prior approval.
• Novelty items sold or given away, e-mail messages or other forms of campus announcements that cannot be stamped must conform to the posting policy.
• Table tents or other forms of advertising to be placed in the dining halls must be stamped in the Office of Student Life and be approved by Sodhexo’s on-site manager.
• Any items posted on the cafeteria stairwell must be hung with ticky-tack or masking tape. Any items posted on kiosks or bulletin boards must be hung with thumbtacks or staples.
• Carthage organizations may use the Lentz Hall lobby display case with the approval of the Office of College Relations. Contents of the case are subject to the guidelines of the posting policy.
• Signs must not be attached to sidewalks, trees, light posts, doors, glass, painted surfaces, sides of buildings, trash cans, fences, or any other non-approved posting area. Postings in violation will be removed. The sponsoring group may be charged for any damage done to these areas.
• Off-campus advertisers/solicitors are subject to all guidelines of this policy. Under no circumstances is door-to-door solicitation by off-campus groups or individuals permitted.
• Removing an authorized posting in an authorized area before the end of the event is an act of vandalism and will be treated as such via the disciplinary system.
• Any college official may remove a posting that does not adhere to these policies.
• Failure to comply with the posting policy may result in sanctions for individuals or groups including but not limited to removal of posting, written warnings, fines, or loss of posting privileges.
• Chalk decorations are permitted on sidewalks provided that they are in good taste and in an uncovered area to permit rain washout. Chalking is not permitted on buildings, streets, or other outdoor surfaces.
• Posting is not permitted on bulletin boards that have been designated for Resident Assistant use.
• Special requests for posting in an area that is not listed may be submitted to the Director of Student Activities for consideration.
• Any items not covered under this policy should be presented to the Director of Student Activities for review on a case-by-case basis.
• Unsolicited mass e-mails, unless approved by the message center or another authorized College office, are prohibited.

Approved posting areas

• Kiosks
• Stairwell leading to Dining Commons
• Bulletin boards:
• Denhart Hall — one in A-wing basement, one in the lobby, one on each wing, one at northeast entrance.
• Johnson Hall — one in A-wing basement, one in the lobby, one on each wing.
• Madrigrano Family Residence Hall — one in the lobby, one on each wing.
• Swenson Hall — two in the lobby.
• Tarble Hall — one in the lobby, one on each wing, one at the south entrance.
• Oaks — one on the first floor of each building.
• TWC — one between restrooms, one in the lobby.
• JAC — one next to men’s restroom first floor and second floors, one near the band and choral room hallway.
• Lentz Hall — one between second and third floors and one between third and fourth floors of north and south stairwell entrances. One on each second-floor landing in north and south stairwells, one near each second floor north and south stairwell doors within the corridor, one in the vending lounge, one in the faculty lounge.
• Straz Center — one at the south entrance and one in the basement lounge.
• Hedberg Library — one in Donna’s Bytes, near the fireplace.

Carthage College is not responsible for damage, loss, or theft of personal property. Personal property includes but is not limited to any items for which the student has possession (examples: bedding, textbooks, academic supplies, electronic devices, clothing, jewelry, recreational equipment, and more).

It is strongly recommended that students review any insurance policies they or their families/guardians, maintain to determine if personal belongings are covered under the policy. If not, Carthage encourages families to consider purchasing a renters insurance policy to cover their belongings from damage, loss, or theft.

PROCEDURE

If an incident occurs in a residential facility that threatens to damage personal belongings, the threat should be immediately reported to a Residential Life staff member or public safety officer to engage maintenance or environmental services (EVS) to assist with remediation (may include third-party vendor as part of remediation). Examples of damages that can impact personal property might include water entering the room or fire. In either case, the first action is to report what has occurred to address the issue creating the damage immediately.

As a part of the remediation, the Residential Life staff will collaborate with Public Safety and Operations on any investigation in the incident, assist with any third party remediation involvement, collect information from the students, and assist with any relocations required during the remediation process.

Information that may be collected from the student may include:

• Timeline of impact from the threat impacting the room
• Location of area of impact in the room
• List of any personal items affected and have them available for inspection/evaluation (students required to maintain receipts to evidence loss)
• Photos of area and personal items impacted After the investigation, if it is determined that a student(s) has caused the threat that created damage in the room or to personal belongings, the individuals will be forwarded to student conduct.

Operations will address remediation and repairs in any room, while residential life will assist with communications related to support of students impacted, including records related to damaged personal belongings.

2 points *

* Student Conduct Point System: Students and organizations are assessed points and sanctions for violations of Carthage policies. The point system is divided into three categories, based on the degree of severity of the infraction. Read more about the Student Conduct Point System

In general, the College prohibits unauthorized solicitation on the Carthage campus. The following statements govern individuals, groups, and outside organizations which wish to solicit students and/or employees, sell products and/or services and promote these products and services.

Off-Campus Representatives

• Off-campus individuals or companies wishing to distribute or to sell their services or products must be authorized to do so by the Senior Vice President for Business and Administration.
• A company representative, seeking students for employment part-time or full-time, can learn more about opportunities for recruitment by visiting The Aspire Center.

On-Campus Organizations

• Selling, soliciting, or promotion of services or product sales must be coordinated with the Director of Student Activities.
• Selling or soliciting by recognized Carthage organizations must occur only in campus building lobbies or the Todd Wehr Center and does not include residence halls. Door-to-door selling in any campus building is prohibited.

Individual Selling

Individual students selling services or products cannot sell door-to-door in any campus building, or set up displays for individual gain. Acceptable notices (posters, newspaper ads) may be used to promote sales. Posters must be approved in the Office of Student Life. Carthage College resources (i.e. residence hall rooms, campus network resources) cannot be used for commercial selling or solicitation. Any questions concerning the above policy should be directed to the Office of Student Life.

Carthage College recognizes that any policy statement in this area involves affirming academic freedom as well as institutional and personal responsibility. Therefore, regarding to speakers invited to campus, Carthage College recognizes that:

• Affording members of the College the privilege of inviting representative speakers to address them is sound and should be encouraged. Furthermore, since free inquiry and free discussion are essential to educational development, a recognized College organization or committee may invite any speaker to speak on campus. Before an invitation is extended, the advisor(s) of the respective organization must be consulted; however, advisors shall not have the power of veto over the invitation. Also, before the invitation is extended, the inviting committee or organization must register the proposed event with the Director of Student Activities. If, in the light of this speaker policy statement, the Director of Student Activities feels the proposed event should be considered further, he/she may refer the matter to the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students shall strive to see that there is an overall balance in the variety of speakers presented, and to ensure that those who hear a speaker have the right to expect from a responsible presentation of an issue.
• Sponsoring guest speakers does not imply approval or endorsement by the College of the views expressed by the speaker. Furthermore, speakers should always appear within the context of the total educational program of the College and their appearance should help develop mature, thinking persons who are aware, also, of the Christian dimension applicable in each situation. Because speakers do appear within the context of the total educational program and because in some instances it is crucially important to remain within that context, the Dean of Students may consider it wise and appropriate to open some programs only to the College.
• All contracts made with outside speakers must be signed by the advisor of the organization responsible for bringing the speaker to campus and the Director of Student Activities.

Carthage College recognizes that students should be afforded the opportunity to respond to any speaker or event. Students, groups, or organizations may respond in the following manner:

• The group/organization will respond in a manner within the context of the total educational program of the College and their response should contribute to the development of mature, thinking persons, in accordance with the principles above.
• The responding group will be able to respond in a public location identified by the Office of Student Life.
• The responding group will be responsible for complying with the directions of college officials as they work to maintain effective college operations.

In organizing such a response, students can work with the appropriate Office of Student Life staff with the final approval coming from the Dean of Students.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) became effective November 19, 1974. Carthage College implemented the following procedures to comply with the intent of the Act.

Students have the right to review and inspect substantially all of their education records maintained by or at the institution. A written request must be made to the Office of the Registrar or the Office of Student Life stating the specific record that the student wishes to examine. After receiving the written request, an appointment will be scheduled within a reasonable amount of time, but in no case, more than 45 days after the request has been made. Review and inspection of the student records will be made in the presence of staff.

Information that is public includes name, address, enrollment in a course and/or program, year in school, and telephone number. Non-public (personally identifiable) information will not be released from an education record without the prior written consent of the student except under one or more of the conditions listed below:

• The disclosure is to a parent or legal guardian of a student under the age of 21 of information regarding any violation of any federal, state or local law or of any rule or policy of the College governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the College has determined that the student has committed a disciplinary violation with respect to such use or possession.
• The disclosure is of the final results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the College against a student who is an alleged perpetrator of any crime of violence (as that term is defined in Section 16 of Title 18, United States Code) or a non-forcible sex offense, if the College determines as a result of the disciplinary proceeding that the student committed a violation of the institution’s rules or policies with respect to such crime or offense. The information shall include only the name of the student, the violation committed and any sanctions imposed by the College on the student. The College may include the name of any other student such as a victim or witness, only with the written consent of that other student. The College will notify victims of sexual assault of the outcome of any disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator.
• Student grades, disciplinary letters, and other informational correspondence will be sent to the parents unless a student is classified as an independent student.
• Carthage College reserves the right to share educational information with succeeding institutions as allowed by current legal provisions. Carthage destroys disciplinary records 5 years after a student leaves the College.
• The FERPA regulations allow for non-public student information to be shared with faculty, advisors, coaches and other staff on a need-to-know basis.

The Carthage College name may only be used in an official context for College business. To avoid misrepresentation of Carthage College, do not use the Carthage College name or any symbol, graphic, text, or logo associated with Carthage College in a manner implying endorsement of any political, social, or commercial activity or in a context that implies official endorsement by the College without prior written approval of the Office of Student Life or other appropriate College authority.