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Philosophy on Student Behavior in College Houses
Residential communities are an integral component of the educational mission of the University of Pennsylvania. College Houses provide an opportunity for Penn students, faculty, and staff to live and learn together as a community of scholars. It is the responsibility of each member of the community to observe standards of conduct that permit other residents to live in and maintain a safe, secure environment that is conducive to academic and personal success.
College Houses are actively engaged in the process of encouraging the development of responsible citizens and healthy communities. Responsible membership in a community – citizenship – requires that all members of the community learn to express their individuality as well as to understand and consider the impact that expression has on others. A positive sense of community develops only when individuals assume responsibility to work towards the successful participation of all members. Essential to this process is each resident’s responsibility to openly communicate with other members of the community.
The College House team provides support through relationships that focus on care and concern and through the maintenance of clear boundaries for appropriate and safe behavior. These boundaries are important because they encourage predictable environments and ensure that individual behavior does not interfere with the legitimate rights of other members of the community. Students can gain personal insight and learn the responsibilities of citizenship by being held accountable for their own behaviors.
All University of Pennsylvania students and guests are expected to adhere to the College House Policies and Terms of Occupancy, as well as all University rules and regulations that students and guests are charged to know and observe. No system of standards can fully address in specific fashion all possible situations that arise. When these standards do not address specific behavior, students are expected to conduct themselves with a spirit of social responsibility and respect for the rights and needs of others. Behavior that violates the spirit of College House Policies and Terms of Occupancy may be addressed, as appropriate to the context and circumstances of the behavior.
A complete listing of College House Policies and Terms of Occupancy appears in a variety of printed and web based materials printed by College Houses and Academic Services and the Office of Residential Services. These materials include but are not limited to the College House annual brochure, Residential Handbook, web based materials and the Penn Book. A summary of existing regulations appears in this section. New or modified rules will be publicized as warranted.