1.1 VIOLATION OF SINGAPORE LAW

Any behaviours or actions prohibited by Singapore law are prohibited at Yale-NUS College.

2.1 NOISE
Excessive noise or behaviour that disturbs others or endangers the personal safety of others within the Residential College (RC) is prohibited. Using, playing, or operating any sound-amplifying equipment that violates a standard of quiet conducive to study or sleep is prohibited.

2.2 WINDOW PROJECTION
Dropping, throwing, or in any manner permitting objects (e.g., balls, laser lights, etc.) to be projected into or out of RC windows is prohibited.

2.3 BICYCLES AND SKATEBOARDS
The use of bikes, skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, or recreational scooters within Yale-NUS campus is prohibited. Bicycles must be registered with the RC Office and should be stored in designated areas such as bike rooms/bike racks.

2.4 OBSTRUCTION AND INTERFERENCE
Intentional obstruction of, or interference with, any College activities including teaching, research, administration, or public service is prohibited.

2.5 IMPROPER USE OF EMERGENCY RESOURCES
Members of the College community are expected to use emergency resources responsibly and only for their intended purpose. Improper use of emergency resources, including but not limited to the duty phone, is prohibited. Improper use is defined as any action that disrupts or obstructs the proper functioning of emergency services, including, but not limited to:
• Non-Emergency Calls: Initiating communication on the duty phone for nonemergency situations or inquiries that can be appropriately addressed through
regular channels.
• Excessive Use: Repeatedly utilising the duty phone for purposes other than
emergencies, causing undue strain on emergency response resources.

2.6 ALCOHOL IN PUBLIC SPACES
Alcohol cannot be consumed in any public spaces, including courtyards, sky gardens, the Oculus, Café Agora, or any other outdoor area without approval from the Student Affairs Office (SAO).

2.7 STUDENT ORGANISATIONS
The operation of campus or student organisations in a manner that exceeds their mandate is prohibited. See the Student Organisations Policies.

2.8 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Intentionally and substantially interfering with the freedom of expression of others on College premises or at College-sponsored activities is prohibited.

2.9 DISCRIMINATION
Intentionally discriminating against others in the College community on the basis of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, or any other identity group is prohibited.

3.1 ENDANGERING SAFETY

Behavior that endangers or disturbs others’ or one’s own personal safety is prohibited. This includes dangerous situations that could result from overconsumption of alcohol.

3.2 HARASSMENT

Harassing behavior by any group/individual within the College community aimed at any other group/individual is strictly prohibited. Harassing behavior refers to any repeated threatening or abusive action taken or situation created to produce an unsafe or uncomfortable environment. This may include but is not limited to creating mental or physical distress, embarrassment, or ridicule to another individual/group.

3.3 DIGITAL HARASSMENT/HARM

Cyber-bullying and making, recording or disseminating audio/visuals of another person without their consent are prohibited.

3.4 HARM

Threatening or causing physical harm, verbal abuse, intimidation, coercion, retaliation or bullying is prohibited. Any other conduct which threatens or endangers the health, safety, or privacy of any member of the College community, including visitors, is prohibited.

3.5 STALKING/CYBERSTALKING

Stalking is defined as harassing behaviour that is unwelcome, persistent, and repeated, directed toward an individual or group. Such behaviour includes but is not limited to following an individual, making frequent phone calls, sending frequent emails or messages, appearing at an individual’s residence, class, or work.

3.6 UNAUTHORISED ENTRY/USE

Entry into and use of campus spaces outside of their defined opening and closing times (e.g., gym, Library, arts spaces, etc.) is prohibited, unless there is explicit prior written permission and/or staff supervision.

3.7 UNAUTHORISED SUITE ENTRY

Entering any student suite that one does not live in, without express permission of a resident who resides there, is prohibited.

3.8 PUBLIC LEWDNESS/INDECENCY

Acts of public lewdness or indecency are prohibited.This includes public urination, sexual contact, public nudity, voyeurism, and other acts which may be deemed lewd or indecent to others.

3.9 ALCOHOL

Public intoxication and/or the unlawful consumption, possession, sale, attempted sale, manufacture, or distribution of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

Students are encouraged to discuss the following policies as a suite and utilise a Suitemate Agreement form and/or RC staff for support. Any agreement between suitemates regarding guests must comply with the Community Standards.

4.1 VISITORS AND GUESTS
Guests at any time are permitted only with the consent of the suitemates. Guests are any persons (including students) who are not currently assigned to live in the suite in which they are present.

4.2 HOST RESPONSIBILITY
The host is responsible for seeing that guests follow all College regulations and procedures. Each student is personally responsible for the conduct of their guests while on campus, including damage caused by guests.

4.3 RIGHT TO REQUEST VACATION OF PREMISES
The College reserves the right to request guests to leave at any time.

4.4 LENGTH OF STAY
Overnight guests are permitted for a maximum stay of 3 consecutive nights, with permission from suitemates.

4.5 COHABITATION
Cohabitation is prohibited. Cohabitation occurs when a person who is not assigned to a particular room in a suite uses that room as if they were living there.

Examples of cohabitation may include, but are not limited to:
• Accessing the suite/room while the assigned occupants are not present.
• Utilizing another student’s access card to enter a suite/room to which one is not assigned.
• Storing a significant amount of clothing and other personal belongings in the suite/ room as though they lived in that suite/room.
• Sleeping overnight in the room on a regular basis.
• Using the bathroom or shower facilities as though they lived in that suite.

4.6 SUBLEASING
Students may not sublet their room to others, including Yale-NUS students, under any circumstances. Students may not participate in programmes such as CouchSurfing, Airbnb, etc.

4.7 ACCESS FOR GUESTS
Yale-NUS does not provide access cards to visiting guests. Hosts should not loan their matriculation card to their guests and should remain with their guests at all times.

5.1 DOOR PROPPING
The placement of any object in, near, or around the exterior door or gate of Yale-NUS College in an effort to prevent the door/gate from closing or being able to close or lock the door upon closing, is prohibited.

5.2 DOOR TAMPERING
Tampering with, disabling, obstructing, vandalising, or interfering with the normal functioning of any portion of a security monitoring system or monitored door, including but not limited to door alarms, cameras, or card readers, is prohibited.

5.3 TAILGATING
Tailgating to gain entry to any part of Yale-NUS College is prohibited. The term “tailgating” is used to describe the situation where one or more people follow an authorized person through an access-controlled door when the authorized person opens the door legitimately. This can be done either with or without the authorized person’s knowledge and/or consent.

5.4 BUILDING ACCESS RESPONSIBILITY
Students who provide an unauthorised individual or group access to Yale-NUS College are responsible for the actions of those individuals and can be held responsible for damages and conduct violations attributed to the unauthorised individuals. This includes unauthorised individuals who gain access as a result of tailgating or the use of a propped or compromised door.

5.5 BUILDING ACCESS PERMISSION
Individuals authorised to enter RCs are limited to:
• Current students assigned to rooms within the facility.
• Authorized faculty or staff acting within the scope of their role and the immediate performance of their duties.
• Escorted guests of authorized students.

5.6 UNAUTHORISED ACCESS
Unauthorised possession or use of a matriculation card that is not your own Yale-NUS matriculation card is strictly prohibited. Students may not lend their room keys or matriculation cards to guests. Please refer to the Visitors and Guests section for more information.

5.7 MATRICULATION CARD RESPONSIBILITY
Students are responsible for keeping track of their matriculation card and are responsible for any charges necessary to replace lost cards. Students must notify Infrastructure in a timely manner if their matriculation card is lost or destroyed.

5.8 UNAUTHORISED ROOM USAGE
Use of a room that is not the room your matriculation card is assigned to is strictly prohibited. This includes use of an empty room in the suite, taking over the room of a student who has left the College, or swapping rooms without staff approval.

5.9 CAMPUS USE DURING DECEMBER AND SUMMER BREAK PERIODS
During the winter and summer break periods, the campus is closed except for the students who have approval from the College. Students are able to access non-residential campus spaces during office hours, but any student who is not staying on campus during a break period should not be accessing any campus space after-hours, unless previously accorded permission to do so by a staff member. This includes a student’s assigned room, common lounges, butteries, Rector’s Commons, etc. Visiting a friend who is staying on campus is acceptable; however, the person you are visiting must be with you at all times.

6.1 THEFT
Attempted or actual theft or misappropriation of College property or the property of any person on the College campus is prohibited. Contact the Campus Security at 6601 3696 immediately if a theft has occurred.

6.2 DAMAGE
Intentional damage to, misuse, or destruction of College property or the property of any person on the College campus is prohibited.
• Students will be individually responsible for damages they cause to RC property.
• In public or semi-public areas of the RCs, damages occurring are charged to groups or individuals when the responsibility is established.
• Students will also be responsible for any damages caused by their guests.

6.3 VANDALISM
The College defines vandalism as unauthorized marking of any publicly shared spaces of the College that are used by the Yale-NUS community and/or are accessible via a Yale- NUS matriculation card. This includes spaces such as outward and inward facing walls, butteries, Café Agora, library facilities, faculty offices, and laundry rooms.

6.4 TRASH
All trash and debris must be placed in the chutes located on each floor’s utility closet. Glass should be brought down to recycling bins on the first floor of the RCs.

6.5 ROOF OR LEDGE ACCESS
Students are not permitted on the roof or exterior ledge of any building for any unauthorised purpose.

6.6 DECORATIONS
Students are financially responsible for all damages or loss in designated rooms/suites. Students may decorate their rooms with posters and other similar decorations as long as they do not cause damage to or permanently alter the room. No decorations may be affixed, in any way, to the ceiling.

6.7 RESTRICTED AREAS
Certain restricted areas exist within RCs. Students are not allowed in such areas, which include but are not limited to any place that is officially closed, restricted to designated people, or any place where the safety and welfare of the student is endangered.

Examples of restricted areas include designated construction zones, mechanical rooms, and staff-only offices.

6.8 COLLEGE PROPERTY
Unauthorised use of College property or resources for personal gain is prohibited.

6.9 COMPUTING RESOURCES
Misuse of computing resources is prohibited. This includes the following:
• Failure to comply with laws, license agreements, and contracts governing College computer network, software, and hardware use.
• Use of College computing resources for unauthorised commercial purposes or personal gain.
• Breach of computer security, invasion of privacy, or unauthorised access to College computing resources.
• Conduct violating the terms of any disciplinary proceeding disposition.

7.1 TRANSFER OF FURNITURE
RC furniture may not be transferred from one room/suite to another or exchanged between rooms/suites, nor removed or stored elsewhere in the building or off-campus.

7.2 PUBLIC AREA FURNITURE
RC furniture placed in public or semi-public areas is for the comfort and use of all students. Such furniture must remain in the area designated for it and must not be moved into students’ rooms.

7.3 ROOM/SUITE FURNITURE AGREEMENT
Students may arrange furniture that is not permanently affixed in any reasonable manner, as long as damage does not occur.

7.4 PROHIBITED APPLIANCES
Certain types of cooking appliances (e.g., induction cookers, ovens, hot plates, other cooking equipment with open heating elements or exposed coils, etc.) are strictly prohibited.

7.5 ROUTER DEVICES
Any machine or device (e.g., personal routers, wireless printers, mobile hotspots, etc.) that disrupts the normal operation of the Yale-NUS campus network is prohibited.
Any machine with inadequate security that leaves the Yale-NUS network vulnerable is prohibited.

8.1 SALES
No soliciting is permitted on campus or within the RCs by an off-campus salesperson.

8.2 DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES
No door-to-door sales and/or solicitation (including campaigning) is permitted without formal approval from the College.

8.3 RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE CANVASSING
On- and off-campus groups may not canvass or solicit funds, sales, memberships, subscriptions, or distribute literature without special written permission from the College.

8.4 FUNDRAISING
Fundraising events by approved student organisations must obtain advance permission through the RC and SAO.

8.5 VENDORS
No group or individual may act as a vendor, sales agent, or in any way establish a business enterprise in the College which interferes with the normal use of the facility or is not congruent with the educational purpose of the College.

9.1 COMPLIANCE
A student must comply with directions or instructions, written or verbal, issued by College officials acting in performance of their regular or delegated duties. College officials are defined as any staff or faculty member who is employed by the College.

9.2 FALSE INFORMATION
A student may not furnish false or misleading information to College officials or on college records, nor alter or tamper with such records. This includes initiating or causing to be initiated any false report regarding another person. Although it is understood that just because a filed report is not ultimately supported by investigation, the report is not rendered ‘false’ as a result.

9.3 STUDENT MATRICULATION CARD
Students must show their matriculation card upon request to RC staff members and other appropriate College officials performing their duties when enforcing College rules.

9.4 SANCTION ASSIGNMENT
A student can only be assigned a certain sanction once for a given violation of the published rules. However, a student’s record of conduct is cumulative and multiple violations of the same policy will result in increasingly severe disciplinary actions.

9.5 VIOLATION OR NON-COMPLIANCE OF SANCTIONS
Violating the terms or non-completion of any disciplinary sanction may result in further disciplinary action.

9.6 MISUSE OF INFORMATION
Forgery, alteration, fabrication, or misuse of College forms, documents, records, keys, or instruments of identification, including the submission of false information will result in further disciplinary action.

9.7 COMMUNITY STANDARDS HEARINGS
Disrespectful or dishonest participation in any College community standards hearing is prohibited and will result in further sanctions.

9.8 RECORDING
Electronic, photographic, or digital recording that is contrary to College or NUS policy is prohibited.

10.1 DRUGS
The possession, presence, use, sale, manufacture, cultivation, or provision of any type of illegal drug (e.g., barbiturates, opiates, marijuana, amphetamines, hallucinogens, etc.) or aiding in the use of such are not permitted at the College and are violations of Singapore law.

10.2 DRUG PARAPHERNALIA
The possession of drug paraphernalia (e.g., bongs, grinders, pipes, vaporizers, rolling papers, etc.) is not permitted at the College and are violations of Singapore law.

10.3 CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
The misuse of controlled substances, including prescription drugs is prohibited. Controlled substances must be issued in the name of the student and stored in the student’s assigned room when not in the student’s immediate possession.

10.4 SMOKE AND TOBACCO-FREE BUILDINGS
Smoking on the premises of U-Town is strictly prohibited. This includes the Yale-NUS campus and its amenities such as sky gardens, courtyards, rooms/suites, and any other non-designated smoking spaces.

In the event of fire, sound the nearest fire alarm and contact the RCA on duty.

11.1 FALSE ALARM
A student may not set off a fire alarm or use any fire-safety equipment, except with reasonable belief of the need for such alarm or equipment.

11.2 TAMPERING WITH ALARM
A student may not tamper with, disable, or obstruct any fire-safety equipment, including smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and cases, fire sprinklers and associated plumbing, and fire hose connections.

11.3 INTENTIONAL MISUSE OF FIRE EQUIPMENT
Intentional misuse of any College fire alarm or firefighting/safety equipment is prohibited.

11.4 OBSTRUCTING FIRE RESPONSE
Intentionally delaying, obstructing, or resisting any College officer, including RC staff or emergency personnel, in the performance or attempted performance of their duty is prohibited.

11.5 VACATE ON ALARM
A student must promptly vacate any campus facility, including the RCs, when a fire alarm is sounded.

11.6 ARSON
Purposely setting fire to any property of the Yale-NUS campus is prohibited.

11.7 IGNITION SOURCES AND COMBUSTIBLES
Candles, kerosene lamps, incense, space heaters, fog or smoke machines, lighter fluid, or other similar items are not allowed in RCs.

12.1 WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVES
Possession, use, or sale of any incendiary, explosive, or destructive device or any firearm on the College campus and within the RC is not permitted and is a violation of Singapore law.

“Weapon” refers to any object/substances designed to, or could be expected to, inflict physical harm. This includes objects such as BB guns, handguns, knives, tasers, bow & arrows, etc. All weapons are prohibited on campus.

12.2 RIGHTFUL POSSESSION OF WEAPONS
Possession of a weapon used for instructional programmes is not permitted within RCs. This regulation does not apply to law enforcement or College officials acting in performance of their duties.

12.3 FIREWORKS
A student may not possess fireworks on campus or in any campus buildings, including residential facilities.

12.4 FAILURE TO REPORT WEAPONS
Students must report to Campus Security and/or SAO personnel the presence of a weapon, explosive, or incendiary device, when the presence of such weapon or device is known or reasonably suspected.

13.1 PETS
Pets (e.g., fish, turtles, birds, dogs, cats, snakes, small caged animals) are not permitted in any student suite on campus, either on a temporary or permanent basis. An exception can be made for service animals as defined by law.

When a student is found to be allegedly in violation of one of our community standards, the Student Affairs team will begin the community standards process. The person usually in charge of these processes is referred to as the Dispute Resolution Coordinator.

The Yale-NUS process is underpinned by the principles of restorative justice and accountability. Through our process, we aim to help students understand why they engaged in the violation, to proactively take accountability for their actions, and to directly address the harm that might have been caused by the alleged actions.

There are 4 community standards processes at Yale-NUS:

14.1 CONFERENCE

14.1.1 When an incident report is filed or a direct report is made to a staff member, one of the following happens:

14.1.1.1 A meeting request letter is sent to the Responding Party asking them to meet with a facilitator, usually a Residential Life Officer, to discuss the report. This meeting is referred to as a community standards conference.

14.1.1.2 A warning letter is sent to the Responding Party warning them to cease violating our community standards.
14.1.1.3 No follow-up is deemed necessary and there will be no correspondence with the Responding Party.

14.1.2 When a meeting request letter is sent, as per 14.1.1.1, the Responding Party has 3 calendar days to set up a conference with the assigned facilitator. Conferences usually take place within a week of the sending of the meeting request letter.
14.1.3 During the conference, the facilitator will read out the incident report, and ask the Responding Party to share their account of the incident. The facilitator will then question if harm to the community was committed by the Responding Party either through their actions or inactions. If it is determined that harm was caused, the facilitator and the Responding Party will discuss ways in which accountability can be taken to address the harm caused. This discussion on accountability outcomes is meant to be collaborative and students will have an opportunity to decide on what outcomes they feel would best address their past actions.

14.1.4 There are 3 possible outcomes for all community standards conferences:
14.1.4.1 Not responsible: The Responding Party has not violated the community standards.
14.1.4.2 Responsible: The Responding Party has violated the community standards and accountability outcomes will be imposed on the student.
14.1.4.3 Complicit: The Responding Party is not in direct violation of community standards, but there is sufficient proof that the Responding Party has either encouraged and/or allowed a community standards violation to happen.

14.1.5 Responsible outcomes can include (but not limited to):

14.1.5.1 Warning: This shall constitute an internal disciplinary record only.
The Responding Party can accurately represent that they have no disciplinary record when applying for schools, jobs, or other opportunities. However, if the Responding Party is subsequently
found responsible for a subsequent instance of misconduct or sexual misconduct, their internal disciplinary record may factor in future sanctioning.
14.1.5.2 Housing removal (1 semester minimum): This shall constitute an internal disciplinary record only. The Responding Party can accurately represent that they have no disciplinary record when
applying for schools, jobs, or other opportunities. Housing removal will result in the Responding Party being asked to live off campus for the duration of the sanction, but still maintain their academic standing with Yale-NUS College.
14.1.5.3 Disciplinary probation (1 semester minimum): This shall constitute an internal disciplinary record only. The Responding Party can accurately represent that they have no disciplinary record when applying for schools, jobs, or other opportunities. This is an official notice that any further/future violations will likely result in
immediate suspension or dismissal from Yale-NUS College. Students on probation may experience additional restrictions and loss of privileges from varying programmes and events, such as the ability to participate in study abroad or represent the College in an official capacity (e.g., serving on official committees, employment through certain student associate positions, some leadership positions in student organisations).
14.1.5.4 Suspension: This shall constitute a permanent disciplinary record which the Responding Party will need to disclose when applying for schools, jobs, or other opportunities. A suspension will end the
Responding Party’s current semester without the benefit of any final grades or credits being awarded (no matter when in the semester the suspension may occur).

14.1.5.5 Dismissal: This shall constitute a permanent disciplinary record which the Responding Party will need to disclose when applying for schools, jobs, or other opportunities. A Responding Party who is dismissed is not eligible to re-enroll at Yale-NUS College in the future.
14.1.5.6 Restorative-oriented educational outcomes: The conference facilitator may assign educational sanctions to facilitate the Responding Party’s reflection, growth, and development. For example, a student could be assigned to write an essay reflecting on a key theme discussed during the community standards conference, create a helpful infographic that would educate the rest of the
Yale-NUS community to avoid similar violations, and/or attend compulsory counselling sessions to delve deeper into mindsets that allowed for the community standards violations to happen.
14.1.5.7 Additional outcomes: The conference facilitator has the discretion to assign other sanctions as necessary, including transfer of Residential College, altering of class schedules, restrictions on campus leadership opportunities, and no-contact orders, among others.

14.1.6 Outcomes vary depending on the severity of the violation/s and the Responding Party’s attitude towards taking accountability for their actions. In the event that the outcomes imposed include suspension or dismissal:

14.1.6.1 The Responding Party shall vacate the campus immediately, notwithstanding any intention to appeal the facilitator’s decision. If at the end of the appeal timeframe the sanction remains a suspension, the Responding Party shall be escorted by their advisor, Assistant Dean, or by Security, to retrieve any essential belongings from
their room. The Responding Party may make arrangements with their Assistant Dean or other designated staff members to return to campus at a subsequent date/time to pack their room. In certain cases, the Responding Party may need to vacate the campus while awaiting the results of their appeal.
14.1.6.2 The Dispute Resolution Coordinator will inform all relevant campus staff (i.e. Registry, Infrastructure). Details of the case will not be disclosed and the Dispute Resolution Coordinator will only disclose the fact that the Responding Party has been suspended or dismissed.

14.1.7 The Responding Party can appeal conference outcomes within 3 calendar days by sending an email to the Dean of Students. The grounds for an appeal are noted below:

14.1.7.1 procedural error in the community standards process;
14.1.7.2 new evidence coming to light;
14.1.7.3 to contest the severity of the outcomes.

14.2 MEDIATION

14.2.1 The mediation process becomes a community standards process option when two or more parties suffer a breakdown in communication and are unable to overcome their conflict, but still express a desire to work the issue through together. For the mediation process to begin, all parties must agree to participate fully in the mediation process. To initiate the mediation, they will write an email to the Dispute Resolution Coordinator indicating their collective interest to engage in a mediation.

14.2.2 Once the collective agreement to participate has been received, the Dispute Resolution Coordinator will assign a trained facilitator to the group within three business days. This facilitator could be a Residential Life Officer, a Survivor Support Advisor, a Residential College Advisor, or any trained staff member. All participants of the mediation process must agree on the assigned facilitator before the mediation begins. If any one party objects to a facilitator, another facilitator will be assigned instead.

14.2.3 After the collective confirmation of the facilitator, the facilitator will reach out within the next three business days to meet with each party individually to understand their context. These meetings are referred to as pre-mediation
meetings. The purpose of these pre-mediation meetings is to equip the facilitator with a comprehensive picture of the conflict so that they can best prepare questions and strategies to manage the conflict.

14.2.4 These pre-meetings could take anywhere from a week to a few weeks depending on the severity of the conflict, the number of parties involved, and the amount of time needed by the facilitator to be fully up to date with the complexity of the issue.

14.2.5 Once the facilitator is confident that they have understood the full picture and are now ready to move ahead with the actual mediation, they will reach out
to all involved parties to set up a time and venue that suits everyone’s needs and convenience. This process could take between one to three business days
depending on the needs and schedules of the involved parties and the facilitator.

14.2.6 At the agreed upon time and venue, the facilitator will begin the mediation by setting the ground rules for engagement. Some examples of common mediation rules include not interrupting a person who is speaking, not using foul or offensive language, speaking to the other involved party and not to the facilitator, and others. During the ground rule setting stage, each party will also be asked if they have ground rules they want respected, and those additional rules will also be added to the agenda. The mediation process will only move on once everyone agrees on the ground rules and commits to following them. The facilitator will also step in and remind anyone who breaks these ground rules throughout the course of the mediation.

14.2.7 Upon the agreement of the ground rules, the facilitator will officially begin the mediation process by asking one party to share their perspective of the issue without interruption. Once the first party has shared, the next party will then be invited to share their perspective. The facilitator will continue managing this conversation by guiding all parties to speak about the key themes within the conflict, ensure that no one is interrupted, ground rules are being followed, and everyone works towards a resolution. Mediations could take anywhere between one to three hours depending on the severity of the conflict and the level of engagement of the participants. Continual breaking of the ground rules will further delay the mediation process.

14.2.8 Eventually, a successful mediation process will result in all involved parties agreeing upon a set of commitments that will help mitigate their current conflict. All parties will also discuss what repercussions should take place if an agreed upon commitment is broken. At the end of the mediation, the facilitator will note down these agreed upon commitments and repercussions and seek everyone’s agreement to respect these guidelines. Once the facilitator received the collective agreement of everyone involved to follow the guidelines, the in-person mediation process ends.

14.2.9 Within one week after the mediation ended, the facilitator will meet with each party separately to debrief the mediation and to inquire on whether the commitments were being respected and followed by everyone involved. These meetings are referred to as post-mediation meetings. Through these post-
mediation meetings, the facilitator will be able to gauge whether the commitments are being followed and if they are not, the facilitator will then begin initiating the agreed upon repercussions on any parties that are not abiding with the previously agreed upon commitments.

14.2.10 At any point after the conclusion of the post-mediation meetings, any party can reach out to the facilitator or the Dispute Resolution Coordinator to state that a commitment had been broken, and the requisite repercussions will then be enacted. Some examples of repercussions could include initiating a no- contact order, transferring Residential Colleges, or being excluded from student organizations, among others.

14.3. SHUTTLING

14.3.1 The shuttling process becomes a community standards process option when one party files a complaint to the Dispute Resolution Coordinator about another party concerning an interpersonal conflict. The initial complainant will be referred to as the Reporting Party. To adopt a shuttling process, the Reporting Party, besides expressing their frustration at the conflict, must also clarify that they are not interested in meeting the other party and want a third party to speak on their behalf.

14.3.2 Within three business days of receiving the Reporting Party’s complaint, the Dispute Resolution Coordinator will meet with the other party being mentioned (referred to as the Responding Party) to discuss if the Responding Party would be agreeable to engage in the shuttling process.

14.3.3 The Responding Party will be given a maximum of one week to decide if they would like to take part in the shuttling process or decline to participate. Once the Responding Party shares their decision with the Dispute Resolution Coordinator, the Coordinator will then inform the Reporting Party immediately. If the Responding Party declines to participate, the Coordinator will explore other resolution measures with the Reporting Party that could include filing an incident report for follow-up via Conference instead.

14.3.4 Assuming the Responding Party is agreeable to a shuttling process, the Coordinator will assign a trained facilitator within three business days to manage this shuttling. This facilitator could be a Residential Life Officer, a Survivor Support Advisor, a Residential Life Advisor, or any trained staff member. All participants of the shuttling process must agree on the assigned facilitator before the shuttling begins. If any one party objects to a facilitator, another facilitator will be assigned instead.

14.3.5 Once the facilitator has been agreed upon, the facilitator will then organize shuttling meetings between both parties. The reason why this process is called shuttling is because the facilitator is the only person who shuttles information between both parties as the Reporting Party has no desire to meet in-person to resolve this conflict.

14.3.6 At the first shuttling meeting, the facilitator will work with both parties to create agreed upon boundaries that both parties must respect for as long as the shuttling process takes. With the collective agreement of both parties, the facilitator continues with the shuttling process with the end goal of reaching a resolution for the conflict.

14.3.7 Eventually, a successful shuttling process will result in all involved parties agreeing upon a set of commitments that will help mitigate their current conflict. All parties will also discuss what repercussions should take place if an agreed upon commitment is broken. At the end of the shuttling process, the facilitator will note down these agreed upon commitments and repercussions and seek everyone’s agreement to respect these guidelines. Once the facilitator receives the collective agreement of everyone involved to follow the guidelines, the shuttling process ends.

14.3.8 Within one week after the conclusion of the shuttling process, the facilitator will meet with each party separately to debrief the process and to inquire on whether the commitments were being respected and followed by everyone involved.

14.3.9 At any point after the conclusion of the shuttling process, a student can reach out to the facilitator or the Dispute Resolution Coordinator to state that a commitment had been broken, and the requisite repercussions will then be enacted. Some examples of repercussions could include initiating a no-contact order, transferring Residential Colleges, or being excluded from student organizations, among others.

14.4 CIRCLES

14.4.1 The circles process comes from Indigenous peoples around the world, most notably the First Nations peoples of Canada/USA and the Maori of New Zealand. These practices have been ongoing for centuries and only recently brought to a wider audience as an alternative to the criminal justice system.

14.4.2 Circles process involves bringing together harmed and responsible parties, their support folks, and any other affected parties into a community conversation. The focus of the circles process is on those who have been hurt and what can be done to repair the hurt caused rather than the exact rules or law that were broken.

14.4.3 For the circles process to begin, all parties must agree to participate fully in the circles process. To do, they will write an email to the Dispute Resolution
Coordinator indicating their collective interest to engage in a community circle.
If any party declines to participate, the Coordinator will explore other resolution measures with the parties that could include filing an incident report for follow-up via Conference instead.

14.4.4 Once the collective agreement to participate has been received, the Dispute Resolution Coordinator will assign a trained facilitator to the group within three business days. This facilitator could be a Residential Life Officer, a Survivor Support Advisor, a Residential Life Advisor, or any trained staff member. All

participants of the circles process must agree on the assigned facilitator before the circle begins. If any one party objects to a facilitator, another facilitator will be assigned instead.

14.4.5 After the collective confirmation of the facilitator, the facilitator will reach out and meet with each party individually to understand their context within the next three business days. These meetings are referred to as pre-circle meetings. The purpose of these pre-circle meetings is to equip the facilitator with a comprehensive picture of the conflict so that they can best prepare questions to manage the conflict.

14.4.6 These pre-meetings could take anywhere from a week to a few weeks depending on the severity of the conflict, the number of parties involved, and the amount of time needed by the facilitator to be fully up to date with the complexity of the issue.

14.4.7 Once the facilitator is confident that they have understood the full picture and are now ready to move ahead with the actual community circle, they will reach out to all involved parties to set up a time and venue that suits everyone’s needs and convenience. This process could take between one to three business days depending on the needs and schedules of the involved parties and the facilitator.

14.4.8 At the agreed upon time and venue, the facilitator will begin the circle by setting the ground rules for engagement. Some examples of common circles rules include not interrupting a person who is speaking, not using foul or offensive language, listening to and believing in fully when other participants speak. During the ground rule setting stage, each party will also be asked if they have ground rules they want respected, and those additional rules will also be added to the agenda. The circles process will only move on once everyone agrees on the ground rules and commits to following them. The facilitator will also step in and remind anyone who breaks these ground rules throughout the course of the circle meeting.

14.4.9 Upon the agreement of the ground rules, the facilitator will officially begin the circles process by asking one party to share their perspective of the issue without interruption. Once the first party has shared, the next party will then be invited to share their perspective. The facilitator will make sure that every participant can share about how the conflict impacted them, ensure that no one is interrupted, ground rules are being followed, and everyone shares what future steps they would like to happen. Circles could take anywhere between one to three hours depending on the severity of the conflict and the level of engagement of the participants. Continual breaking of the ground rules will further delay the circles process.

14.4.10 Eventually, a successful circles process will result in all involved parties agreeing upon a set of commitments that will help mitigate their current conflict. All parties will also discuss what repercussions should take place if an agreed upon commitment is broken. At the end of the circle, the facilitator will note down these agreed upon commitments and repercussions and seek everyone’s agreement to respect these guidelines. Once the facilitator received the collective agreement of everyone involved to follow the guidelines, the circle meeting ends.

14.4.11 Within one week after the circle meeting ended, the facilitator will meet with each party separately to debrief the circles process and to inquire on whether the commitments were being respected and followed by everyone involved. These meetings are referred to as post-circle meetings. Through these post-circle meetings, the facilitator will be able to gauge whether the commitments are being followed and if they are not, the facilitator will then begin initiating the agreed upon repercussions on any parties that are not abiding with the previously agreed upon commitments.

14.4.12 At any point after the conclusion of the post-circle meetings, a student can reach out to the facilitator or the Dispute Resolution Coordinator to state that a commitment had been broken, and the requisite repercussions will then be enacted. Some examples of repercussions could include initiating a no-contact order, transferring Residential Colleges, or being excluded from student organizations, among others.