Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
 
About the University
About the School
Graduate Admission
Tuition and Fees
Financial Aid
Academic Policies and Procedures
Student Responsibilty to Keep Informed
General Degree Regulations
Registration and Course Information
Class Schedules and Hours
Cancellation of Classes
Grades and Records
Scholastic Standings
Policy on Academic Integrity Summary
University Code of Student Conduct Summary
University Safety and Security
Administrative Procedures for Responding to Disruptions
Policy Prohibiting Harassment
Policy Against Verbal Assault, Defamation, and Harassment
Nondiscrimination Policy
Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act Reports
Student Records and Privacy Rights
Student Residency for Tuition Purposes
Research Policy and Research Centers
Patent Policy
Student Services
Doctoral Program
Public Policy Program
Urban Planning and Policy Development Program
Undergraduate Programs
Additional Degrees: Graduate Public Health
Administration, Centers, and Faculty
Governance of the University
Divisions of the University
Camden Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway
Catalogs
  Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy 2003-2005 Academic Policies and Procedures Administrative Procedures for Responding to Disruptions  

Administrative Procedures for Responding to Disruptions

An academic community, where people assemble to inquire, to learn, to teach, and to reason together, must be protected for those purposes. While all members of the community are encouraged to register their dissent from any decision on any issue and to demonstrate that dissent by orderly means, and while the university commits itself to a continual examination of its policies and practices to ensure that causes of disruption are eliminated, the university cannot tolerate demonstrations that unduly interfere with the freedom of other members of the academic community.

With this in mind, the following administrative procedures have been formulated to guide the implementation of university policy:

1. The president of the university and the university vice president for academic affairs will have the authority throughout the university to declare a particular activity to be disruptive. In the two geographic areas of Camden and Newark, the respective provost will have the same authority. In New Brunswick, the senior vice president and treasurer will have the same authority.

2. Broadly defined, a disruption is any action that significantly or substantially interferes with the rights of members of the academic community to go about their normal business or that otherwise unreasonably interrupts the activities of the university.

3. A statement will be read by the appropriate officers as specified in (1) or by such officers as they may designate for the purpose of such reading and will constitute the official warning that the activity is in violation of university policy, that it must cease within a specified time limit, and where appropriate, that no commitments made by university officials will be honored if those commitments are made under duress.

4. If the activity continues beyond the specified time limit as determined by the official in authority, the authorized officers as specified in (1) will have the discretion to call upon the university police to contain the disruption. Ordinarily, the president of the university alone, or in his or her absence the university vice president for academic affairs, will have the authority to decide that civil authorities beyond the campus are to be called upon to contain those disruptions that the university police are unable to handle. In extraordinary circumstances, where neither the president nor the university vice president for academic affairs is available to make such a decision, the senior vice president and treasurer in New Brunswick and the provosts on the Camden and Newark campuses have the same authority.

5. The deans of students are the chief representatives of the deans of the colleges in all matters of student life. Members of the university community who are aware of potentially disruptive situations are to report this to the deans of students on their respective campuses. In a disruption, the deans of students and their staff members have a twofold responsibility: to protect against personal injury and to aid in providing for the order of the university. In the latter case, the deans of students, as well as other university personnel, may be called upon to coordinate or assist members of the academic community in ending the disruption, directing it to legitimate channels for solution, or identifying those who have violated the rights of others.


 
For additional information, contact RU-info at 732/932-info (4636) or colonel.henry@rutgers.edu.
Comments and corrections to: Campus Information Services.

© 2005 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All rights reserved.