Governance & Conduct Sections

 

 

Systems of Governance and Conduct

As a deliberate community of scholars, Oberlin College has a set of rules and regulations that are intended to enable students to strike a reasonable balance between personal freedom and their responsibility to the quality of life in their community. Our community life is intended to foster intellectual freedom and academic excellence and to promote the habits of a reflective and engaged citizenry.

It is important that students acquaint themselves with the published rules and regulations in order to understand the principles that govern our community. Although, upon joining our community, students will acquire an enormous amount of freedom to make their own decisions, it is important to be informed of the possible consequences—intended and unintended—of these decisions, and to be prepared to accept the consequences. Students remain accountable to the laws of the city of Oberlin, the State of Ohio, and the federal government, and the college will not protect students from the consequences of breaking those laws. Additionally, the college’s judicial system has the authority to impose penalties of its own. Sanctions ranging from a warning to dismissal may be imposed for a range of violations outlined in Oberlin College’s Code of Conduct. The code of conduct is intended to help maintain a structured environment in which our first business is the pursuit of scholarship, arts, and learning. It is also intended to protect individual safety, the property of individuals and the college, and to ensure that all members of the community are able to fully enjoy the educational benefits of this institution.