Updates to campus-wide policies and procedures

On Monday Oct. 17, Dean of Students and Director of Center for Community Leonard Sancilio sent an email to all Geneseo students describing several updates on college-wide policies and procedures. The email pertained mainly to policies and amendments surrounding campus safety, more specifically the Student Code of Conduct, the SUNY Geneseo Hazing Policy, the SUNY Geneseo Policy on Alcohol and Illicit Drugs, and the SUNY Geneseo Academic Dishonesty Policy, as well as SUNY Geneseo policies on sexual misconduct and Title IX policies and procedures.

In addition to outlining some of the basic updates of these policies, Sancilio applied the function of these updates to what they will mean for Geneseo students and daily operations. In his email, Sancilio indicated updates on Geneseo’s implementation of SUNY policy on felony convictions and Geneseo’s response to changing state laws, using recently amended state legislation about recreational marijuana as an example of differentiating SUNY policy and local regulations.

“As there is some confusion of state law versus College policy, also included are the updated state marijuana laws,” the email said. “It is important to note that even though state law allows for marijuana to be consumed in New York, federal law prevents all consumption of cannabis, including medicinal use, on college campuses (including Geneseo).”

Sancilio’s email went on to describe some of the content available in these newly published updates, which can be found in University Police’s safety brochures.

“A summary of SUNY Geneseo’s Safety and Security Policy, as well as criminal offenses reported to campus authorities or local police agencies, arrests and conduct actions or conduct referrals for liquor, drug and weapons violations, are compiled and available for all students,” Sancilio said via email. “[These] report[s] include statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred in the residence halls; on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by SUNY Geneseo; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.”

Sancilio addressed the role of personal privacy and student safety in obtaining these reports and releasing information.

“In terms of personal privacy, there is certain directory information which the College may release to others without the student’s permission: the student’s name, local address, electronic mail (e-mail) address, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, photographs and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. However, a student may prevent the release of such information by writing the Dean of Students before the first Friday of each semester.”

At the end of the email, Sancilio outlined the responsibility of all students in understanding their rights and safety on SUNY Geneseo’s campus; while the Office of the Dean of Students and the Division of Student and Campus Life are responsible for publishing these policies and procedures, “It is the responsibility of each student to become familiar with the College’s policies.”

Descriptions of these policies, procedures, and disclosures can be found online in the Student Handbook, as well as in the recently published “Update 2022-2023 PDF” attached in Sancilio’s email.