Appendix B: Select College Policies

Good Samaritan Policy

In order to ensure that students receive prompt and appropriate attention for alcohol intoxication or drug impairment and to minimize barriers to seeking such assistance, the College has a Good Samaritan policy.

In those instances in which a student calls the Office of Campus Safety or another College office for assistance with an intoxicated or impaired student, neither the individual calling nor the student in need of assistance will be charged with violations of the College’s code of conduct policies on alcohol and other illegal drugs. The Good Samaritan Policy does not preclude disciplinary action regarding other student code of conduct violations, such as failure to comply, causing or threatening physical harm, damage to property, harassment, or hazing, nor can the College ensure that local law enforcement will not issue citations if summoned to campus by emergency medical personnel.

Due to concerns about the health and safety of students who utilize the Good Samaritan Policy, students who were significantly intoxicated or impaired will be required to meet with a licensed substance abuse counselor to discuss their actions, reflect on the ways that their actions impacted the Kenyon Community, and develop strategies to avoid similar incidents in the future.

This policy is designed to save lives. The spirit of the Good Samaritan is that we all have an ethical responsibility to help people in need. There is an expectation that students will take active steps to protect the safety and well-being of our community.

Alcohol

Kenyon College’s alcohol policy reflects its intention to adhere to state and local laws governing the use, distribution and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Kenyon is subject to these laws and administers all policies in accordance with their current interpretation. Thus, Kenyon’s specific alcoholic beverage regulations are designed to encourage responsible drinking and behavior by clearly stating what is expected of those who choose to consume or serve alcohol. 

If alcohol is found in a shared living space where all residents are under the legal drinking age of twenty-one (21), all residents may be held accountable for this policy violation. 

Violations of these regulations will result in disciplinary action.

Drugs

When illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia are found, Campus Safety will be notified and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office may be contacted.

If drugs or drug paraphernalia are found in a shared living space, or if drugs are being distributed from said living space, all residents may be held accountable.

Students found responsible for manufacture and/or distribution of drugs may be dismissed and/or referred to appropriate legal authorities.

Hazing

The College prohibits hazing on the part of any individual, organization, group or team. Hazing, for purposes of College policy, is defined as any action or situation, regardless of intention, whether on or off Kenyon premises, that results in or has the potential of resulting in physical, mental or emotional harm; discomfort; embarrassment; harassment; or distress to a group’s members or prospective members.

Furthermore, being a member or prospective member of any student organization, group, sports team or activity does not excuse hazing in any form. It is not a defense to a hazing charge that the person against whom the hazing was directed consented to or acquiesced in the hazing activity. Forms of hazing include, but are not limited to: personal servitude; tests of physical endurance; kidnapping, transporting or stranding anyone; private or public skits; loss of personal dignity or self-worth; activities or attitudes that breach reasonable standards of mutual respect; lowering of one’s personal standards; exposure to the elements without appropriate protection; sleep deprivation and creation of excessive fatigue; consumption of a food, liquid, alcohol, drug or other substance; social isolation; expecting certain items to always be in one’s possession; restrictions on personal hygiene; calisthenics; academic dishonesty; threats or implied threats; destroying or removing public or private property; behaviors which emphasize a power imbalance; wearing of any public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; activities which are not consistent with personal growth and academic achievement; and violations of federal, state or local laws. The College will treat the hazing action of even one member of a group as constituting hazing by the group.

Individuals or groups believed to be in violation of this policy will be subject to Kenyon disciplinary action. An individual commits an offense if the person: engages in hazing; solicits, encourages, directs, aids or attempts to aid another in engaging in hazing; recklessly permits hazing to occur; or has firsthand knowledge of the planning of a specific hazing incident or has firsthand knowledge that a specific hazing incident has occurred and knowingly fails to report that knowledge through the Report of Concern (found on the Office of Student Engagement website) or an appropriate official of the institution. Individuals who are found to be responsible for hazing face sanctions up to and including suspension or dismissal from the College. An organization commits an offense if the organization condones or encourages hazing or if an officer or any combination of members, pledges, or alumni(ae) of the organization commits or assists in the commission of hazing. Groups or organizations found to be responsible for violations of this policy face sanctions up to and including suspension, dismissal or removal of their recognition by Kenyon. Individual members of a group are subject to sanctions up to and including suspension or dismissal from the College for allowing such violations to occur.

Applicable State Hazing Law 

Ohio is one of 44 states with an anti-hazing law. Individuals may be held criminally or civilly liable.  Collin’s Law (Revised Code, Section 2903.31) prohibits any person from recklessly participating in the hazing of another, and provides that violation of the statute is a second-degree misdemeanor or a third-degree felony depending on the nature of the incident. Hazing is defined as doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation into any student or other organization or any act to continue or reinstate membership in or affiliation with any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person, including coercing another to consume alcohol or a drug of abuse, as defined in section 3719.011 of the Revised Code.