Johnson and Wales (Downtown / Washington Park) — Student Code of Conduct

Community Standards and Conduct — PVD Down[town] Campus
Friedman Center, 315 Harborside Blvd., Providence, RI 02905
Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Contact: TBD

Employees, students, and third parties may make a report using one of the following options (24 hours a day, seven days a week):

On-Campus Living Guide

Residents should not deprive others of the following:

• The ability to read and study without interference, unreasonable noise, or other distractions.
• The ability to relax and sleep without unreasonable interference, noise, or distractions and the responsibility to help others have this right.


XIII. Quiet Hours & Courtesy for Others

As members of a residence hall community, residents must understand that the actions of one person can affect the comfort of others in direct and indirect ways. It is the responsibility of every resident to be considerate of those around them.

Quiet hours for all residence halls are as follows:

• Sunday through Wednesday 10:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m.
• Thursday through Saturday, midnight (12:00 a.m.) – 8:00 a.m.
• 24-hour quiet periods are in effect during the examination period of each semester and at other times as announced.

During quiet hours, sound must not be audible beyond the limits of any individual room, hallway, or common area.

Moreover, as also discussed elsewhere herein, any time during the day or night, residents must be respectful of one another and maintain a community that does not interfere with anyone’s ability to study, relax, sleep, and enjoy other appropriate activities. Residents should, at all times:

• Avoid slamming doors
• Be cautious of [stereo] speakers / TV volume
• Keep voices at an acceptable level. This includes in your room and in common areas such as hallways, the lobby, building entrances, common rooms, stairways, and elevators.
• For those with parking privileges on site, set the volume of your car stereo at a reasonable level.

If residents or guests in your hall are making enough noise to bother you, you have the right (at any time of day or night) to politely ask them to be quieter. If the issue persists, please contact a Residential Life staff member to help address the noise.

Off-campus policies

“Student Affairs oversees the relationship between JWU and local citizens in the neighborhoods and districts where students live and spend time. Working with government officials, community organizations, civic leaders, property owners, and residents, the office serves as a liaison between the university community and local community on matters involving JWU students off campus.”

“When you live off campus as a JWU student, you’re actually part of two communities: JWU, and the neighborhood in which you live. Being a good citizen of both is a major responsibility you undertake when you decide to live off-campus. Furthermore, it’s important to realize that the JWU Student Code of Conduct extends to your behavior off campus. Living off campus carries certain responsibilities.”

Key Reminders

  • Exercise good judgment and be sensitive to the needs of your neighbors
  • Keep a professional and positive relationship with your landlord
  • As a social host, you assume all risks associated with state and local laws regulating drinking age, noise and public safety when you host a party at your apartment or home.
Good Neighbor Policy

Off-campus students must understand and appreciate that residents of a particular community have made a long-term commitment to their neighborhood; students are transient members of the community and usually remain only for the duration of their academic tenure. The quality of life and the overall character of a neighborhood can be greatly influenced by the behavior exercised by student residents. Displaying a respectful and courteous attitude may make the neighborhood a more pleasant place to live.

Families and individuals living in the neighborhoods around campus have the right to enjoy a reasonable level of peace and quiet. Students’ academic and personal schedules often conflict with the more routine schedules of families. Students are expected to exercise good judgment and be sensitive to the needs of their neighbors.

Rowdiness, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and people partying outside with loud music or other noise is inconsistent with the university’s behavioral expectations.

Johnson & Wales University Campus Safety & Security will respond to complaints from neighbors and others when behavior occurs off-campus that is inconsistent with the behavioral expectations of the university, and students will be subject to the University’s Conduct Review Process and resulting sanctions when a violation of the Student Code of Conduct occurs. The university may find student tenants of an off-campus residence responsible for a violation of the Good Neighbor Policy that occurs at their address, regardless of their presence at the time of the incident.

The following are some examples of the behavioral expectations of the university with regard to off-campus living:

Noise

Music and general noise should be maintained at reasonable levels and in accordance with relevant laws and ordinances. Music should be directed toward the interior of the residence. Students should remind visitors to exercise common courtesy when visiting, to refrain from excessive shouting between the street and the house, and to limit vehicle noise whenever possible.

Responsibility and the Social Host

When entertaining guests, students must understand that ... [they] may also be subject to civil and criminal liability if their guests act irresponsibly. As a social host, a student assumes significant risks associated with state and local laws regulating drinking age, noise, and public safety when the student hosts a party.

JWU’s Providence off-campus living page also includes more specific information about noise that inexplicably not part of its Good Neighbor Policy:

Noise

Providence’s noise ordinance states that citizens (your neighbors) have a right to enjoy a reasonable level of peace and quiet, free of unnecessary, excessive or annoying noise.

Reduce noise levels between 8:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (including weekends).

This includes but is not limited to loud gatherings, stereo or TV noise, instruments, machinery, dogs barking, etc. Providence Police enforce this law and will respond to violations and complaints.

The off-campus housing page also includes an embedded video about student conduct.

Policy Governing Reporting of Misconduct

General Policy

Johnson & Wales University is committed to fostering a culture of compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, ethical standards, and university policies and procedures … JWU’s continued success in fulfilling its mission requires its employees and students to conduct themselves in accordance with this culture of compliance.

Who Should Report and What to Report

Employees, students, and third parties (defined as including but not limited to contractors, customers, parents, vendors, volunteers, etc) are encouraged to report all known or suspected violations. Employees have a special duty to recognize and to report all known or suspected violations without unreasonable delay. Doubts about whether to report should be resolved in favor of reporting.

Reports should be made as soon as possible. When making a report, the reporter should provide as much relevant detail as possible, indicate whether the report is confidential, and, if comfortable doing so, provide a name and contact information (address, e-mail address, telephone number, etc) and indicate preferred times and methods of communication. Including details is important, as a meaningful investigation may not be possible if a report is unduly vague or general and follow-up is not feasible (because, for example, the report was made anonymously).

University Review and Investigation

The university will review all reports. On request of the reporter, the university will confirm receipt of the report. If the reporter includes contact information, the university may contact the reporter to request additional information. The university … will take appropriate corrective action when warranted by the results of the investigation.