Rules of Public Order

The following rules are adopted in compliance with Section 6450 of the Education Law and shall be filed with the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Regents on or before July 20, 1969, as required by that section. Said rules shall be subject to amendment or revision and any amendments or revisions thereof shall be filed with the Commissioner of Education and Board of Regents within 10 days after adoption. Nothing herein is intended, nor shall it be construed, to limit or restrict the freedom of speech or peaceful assembly.

Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the objectives of a higher educational institution. Similarly, experience has demonstrated that the traditional autonomy of the educational institution (and the accompanying institutional responsibility for the maintenance of order) is best suited to achieve these objectives. These rules shall not be construed to prevent or limit communication between and among faculty, students and administration, or to relieve the institution of its special responsibility for self-regulation in the preservation of public order.

Their purpose is not to prevent or restrain controversy and dissent but to prevent abuse of the rights of others and to maintain that public order appropriate to a college or university campus without which there can be no intellectual freedom and they shall be interpreted and applied to that end.

These rules shall apply to all State-operated institutions of the State University except as provided in Part 550 as applicable to the State University Maritime College. These rules may be supplemented by additional rules for the maintenance of public order heretofore or hereafter adopted for any individual institution, approved and adopted by the State University trustees and filed with the Commissioner of Education and Board of Regents, but only to the extent that such additional rules are not inconsistent herewith.

The rules hereby adopted shall govern the conduct of students, faculty and other staff, licensees, invitees, and all other persons, whether or not their presence is authorized, upon the campus of any institution to which such rules are applicable and also upon or with respect to any other premises or property, under the control of such institution, used in its teaching, research, administrative, service, cultural, recreational, athletic and other programs and activities; provided, however, that charges against any student for violation of these rules upon the premises of any such institution other than the one at which he is in attendance shall be heard and determined at the institution in which he is enrolled as a student.

No person, either singly or in concert with others, shall:

willfully cause physical injury to any other person, nor threaten to do so for the purpose of compelling or inducing such other person to refrain from any act which he has a lawful right to do or to do any act which he has a lawful right not to do;
physically restrain or detain any other person, nor remove such person from any place where he is authorized to remain;
willfully damage or destroy property of the institution or under its jurisdiction, nor remove or use such property without authorization;
without permission, expressed or implied, enter into any private office of an administrative officer, member of the faculty or staff member;
enter upon and remain in any building or facility for any purpose other than its authorized uses or in such manner as to obstruct its authorized use by others;
without authorization, remain in any building or facility after it is normally closed;
refuse to leave any building or facility after being required to do so by an authorized administrative officer;
obstruct the free movement of persons and vehicles in any place to which these rules apply;
deliberately disrupt or prevent the peaceful and orderly conduct of classes, lectures and meetings or deliberately interfere with the freedom of any person to express his views, including invited speakers;
knowingly have in his possession upon any premises to which these rules apply, any rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver, or other firearm or weapon without the written authorization of the chief administrative officer; whether or not a license to possess the same has been issued to such person;
willfully incite others to commit any of the acts herein prohibited with specific intent to procure them to do so; or
take any action, create, or participate in the creation of, any situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers mental or physical health or which involves the forced consumption of liquor or drugs for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with any organization.

No student, faculty or other staff member or authorized visitor shall be subject to any limitation or penalty solely for the expression of his views nor for having assembled with others for such purpose. Peaceful picketing and other orderly demonstrations in public areas of ground and building will not be interfered with. Those involved in picketing and demonstrations may not, however, engage in specific conduct in violation of the provisions of the preceding section.
In order to afford maximum protection to the participants and to the institutional community, each State-operated institution of the State University shall promptly adopt and promulgate, and thereafter continue in effect as revised from time to time, procedures appropriate to such institution for the giving of reasonable advance notice to such institution of any planned assembly, picketing or demonstration upon the grounds of such institution, its proposed locale and intended purpose, provided, however, that the giving of such notice shall not be made a condition precedent to any such assembly, picketing or demonstration and provided further, that this provision shall not supersede nor preclude the procedures in effect at such institution for obtaining permission to use the facilities thereof.

A person who shall violate any of the provisions of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) shall:

If he is a licensee or invitee, have his authorization to remain upon the campus or other property withdrawn and shall be directed to leave the premises. In the event of his failure or refusal to do so he shall be subject to ejection.
If he is a trespasser or visitor without specific license or invitation, be subject to ejection.
If he is a student, be subject to expulsion or such lesser disciplinary action as the facts of the case may warrant, including suspension, probation, loss of privileges, reprimand or warning.
If he is a faculty member having a term or continuing appointment, be guilty of misconduct and be subject to dismissal or termination of his employment or such lesser disciplinary action as the facts may warrant including suspension without pay or censure.
If he is a staff member in the classified service of the civil service, described in section 75 of the Civil Service Law, be guilty of misconduct, and be subject to the penalties prescribed in said section.
If he is a staff member other than one described in subdivisions 4 and 5, be subject to dismissal, suspension without pay or censure.

The chief administrative officer or his designee shall inform any licensee or invitee who shall violate any provisions of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) that his license or invitation is withdrawn and shall direct him to leave the campus or other property of the institution. In the event of his failure or refusal to do so such officer shall cause his ejection from such campus or property.
In the case of any other violator, who is neither a student nor faculty or other staff member, the chief administrative officer or his designee shall inform him that he is not authorized to remain on the campus or other property of the institution and direct him to leave such premises. In the event of his failure or refusal to do so such officer shall cause his ejection from such campus or property.
In the case of a student, charges for violation of any of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) shall be presented and shall be heard and determined in the manner hereinafter provided in Section 535.9 of this Part.
In the case of a faculty member having a continuing or term appointment, charges of misconduct in violation of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) shall be made, heard and determined in accordance with title D of Part 338 of the policies of the Board of Trustees.
In the case of any staff member who holds a position in the classified civil service, described in section 75 of the Civil Service Law, charges of misconduct in violation of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) shall be made, heard and determined as prescribed in that section.
Any other faculty or staff member who shall violate any provision of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) shall be dismissed, suspended, or censured by the appointing authority prescribed in the policies of the Board of Trustees.

The chief administrative officer shall be responsible for the enforcement of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) and he shall designate the other administrative officers who are authorized to take action in accordance with such rules when required or appropriate to carry them into effect.
It is not intended by any provision herein to curtail the rights of students, faculty or staff to be heard upon any matter affecting them in their relations with the institution. In the case of any apparent violation of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) by such persons, which, in the judgement of the chief administrative officer or his designee, does not pose any immediate threat of injury to person or property, such officer may make reasonable effort to learn the cause of the conduct in question and to persuade those engaged therein to desist and to resort to permissible methods for the resolution of any issues which may be presented. In doing so such officer shall warn such persons of the consequences of persistence in the prohibited conduct, including their ejection from any premises of the institution where their continued presence and conduct is in violation of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules).
In any case where violation of these rules (or the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) does not cease after such warning and in other cases of willful violation of such rules, the chief administrative officer or his designee shall cause the ejection of the violator from any premises which he occupies in such violation and shall initiate student conduct action as herein before provided.
The chief administrative officer or his designee may apply to the public authorities for any aid which he deems necessary in causing the ejection of any violator of these rules (or of the rules of any individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) and he may request the State University counsel to apply to any court of appropriate jurisdiction for an injunction to restrain the violation or threatened violation of such rules.

In matters of the sort to which these rules are addressed, full and prompt communication among all components of the institutional community, faculty, staff and administration, is highly desirable. To the extent that time and circumstances permit, such communication should precede the exercise of the authority, discretion and responsibilities granted and imposed in these rules. To these ends each State-operated institution of the State University shall employ such procedures and means, formal and informal, as will promote such communication.

The term chief administrative officer as used in these rules, shall be deemed to mean and include any person authorized to exercise the powers of that office during a vacancy therein or during the absence or disability of the incumbent and for purposes of this section shall also include any designee appointed by said officer.
Whenever a complaint is made to the chief administrative officer of any State-operated institution of the University of a violation by a student or students of the rules prescribed in this Part (or of any rules adopted by an individual institution supplementing or implementing these rules) or whenever he has knowledge that such a violation may have occurred, he shall cause an investigation to be made and the statements of the complainants, if any, and of other persons having knowledge of the facts reduced to writing. If he is satisfied from such investigation and statements that there is reasonable ground to believe that there has been such a violation, he shall prepare or cause to be prepared charges against the student or students alleged to have committed such violation which shall state the provision prescribing the offense and shall specify the ultimate facts alleged to constitute such offense.
Such charges shall be in writing and shall be served on the student or students named therein by delivering the same to him or them personally, if possible, or, if not, by mailing a copy of such charges by registered mail to such student or students at his or their usual place or places of abode while attending college and also to his or their home address or addresses, if different.
The notice of charges so served shall fix a date for hearing thereon not less than 10 or more than 15 days from the date of service which shall be the date of mailing where necessary to effect service by mail. Failure to appear in response to the charges on the date fixed for hearing, unless there has been a continuance for good cause shown, shall be deemed to be an admission of the facts stated in such charges and shall warrant such action as may then be appropriate thereon. Before taking such action the hearing committee, hereinafter referred to, shall give notice to any student who has failed to appear, in the manner prescribed in subdivision 3, of its proposed findings and recommendations to be submitted to the chief administrative officer and shall so submit such findings and recommendations 10 days thereafter unless the student has meanwhile shown good cause for his failure to appear, in which case, a date for hearing shall be fixed.
Upon demand at any time before or at the hearing, the student charged or his representative, duly designated, shall be furnished a copy of the statements taken by the chief administrative officer in relation to such charges and with the names of any other witnesses who will be produced at the hearing in support of the charges; provided, however, that this shall not preclude the testimony of witnesses who were unknown at the time of such demand.
The chief administrative officer may, upon the service of charges, suspend the student named therein, from all or any part of the institution's premises or facilities pending the hearing and determination thereof, whenever, in his judgement, the continued presence of such student would constitute a clear danger to himself or to the safety of persons or property on the premises of the institution or would pose an immediate threat of disruptive interference with the normal conduct of the institution's activities and functions; provided, however, that the chief administrative officer shall grant an immediate hearing on request of any student so suspended with respect to the basis for such suspension.
There shall be constituted at each State-operated institution a hearing committee to hear charges against students of violation of the rules for maintenance of public order prescribed by or referred to in this Part. Such committee shall consist of three members of the administrative staff and three members of the faculty, designated by the chief administrative officer, and three students who shall be designated by the members named by the chief administrative officer. Each such member shall serve until his successor or replacement has been designated. No member of the committee shall serve in any case where he is witness or is or has been directly involved in the events upon which the charges are based. In order to provide for cases where there may be such a disqualification and for cases of absence or disability, the chief administrative officer shall designate an alternate member of the administrative staff and an alternate member of the faculty, and his principal designees shall designate an alternate student member, to serve in such cases. Any five members of the committee may conduct hearings and make findings and recommendations as hereinafter provided. At any institution where the chief administrative officer determines that the number of hearings which will be required to be held is, or may be, so great that they cannot otherwise be disposed of with reasonable speed, he may determine that the hearing committee shall consist of six members of the administrative staff and six members of the faculty to be designated by him, and of six students who shall be designated by the members so designated by him. In such event the chief administrative officer shall designate one of such members as chairman who may divide the membership of the committee into three divisions each to consist of two members of the administrative staff, two faculty members and two students and may assign charges among such divisions for hearing. Any four members of each such division may conduct hearings and make recommendations as hereinafter provided.
The hearing committee shall not be bound by the technical rules of related information but may hear or receive any testimony or related information which is relevant and material to the issues presented by the charges and which will contribute to a full and fair consideration thereof and determination thereon. A student against whom the charges are made may appear by and with representatives of his choice. He may confront and examine witnesses against him and may produce witnesses and documentary related information in his own behalf. There may be present at the hearing the student charged and his representatives and witnesses; other witnesses; representatives of the institutional administration; and, unless the student shall request a closed hearing, other such members of the institutional community or other persons or both, as may be admitted by the hearing committee. A transcript of the proceedings shall be made.
Within 20 days after the close of a hearing, the hearing committee shall submit a report of its findings of fact and recommendations for disposition of the charges to the chief administrative officer, together with a transcript of the proceedings and shall at the same time transmit a copy of its report to the student concerned or his representative. Within 10 days thereafter the chief administrative officer shall make his determination thereon. Final authority to dismiss the charges or to determine the guilt of those against whom they are made and to expel, suspend or otherwise discipline them shall be vested in the chief administrative officer. If he shall reject the findings of the hearing committee in whole or in part, he shall make new findings which must be based on substantial related information in the record and shall include them in the notice of his final determination which shall be served upon the student or students with respect to whom it is made.

Organizations. Organizations which operate upon the campus of any State-operated institution or upon the property of any State-operated institution used for educational purposes shall be prohibited from authorizing the conduct described in subdivision 1 of Section 535.3 of this Part.
Procedure. The chief administrative officer at each State-operated institution shall be responsible for the enforcement of this section, and, as used herein, the term chief administrative officer shall include any designee appointed by said officer.
Whenever the chief administrative officer has determined on the basis of a complaint or personal knowledge that there is reasonable ground to believe that there has been a violation of this section by any organization, the chief administrative officer shall prepare or cause to be prepared written charges against the organization which shall state the provision proscribing the conduct and shall specify the ultimate facts alleged to constitute such violation.
Such written charges shall be served upon the principal officer of the organization by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the organization's current address and shall be accompanied by a notice that the organization may respond in writing to the charges within 10 days of receipt of said notice. The notice of the charge so served shall include a statement that the failure to submit a response within 10 days shall be deemed to be an admission of the facts stated in such charges and shall warrant the imposition of the penalty described in subdivision 3 of this section. The response shall be submitted to the chief administrative officer and shall constitute the formal denial or affirmation of the ultimate facts alleged in the charge. The chief administrative officer may allow an extension of the 10-day response period.
Upon written request, by an authorized representative of the organization, the chief administrative officer shall provide the representative organization an opportunity for a hearing. A hearing panel designated by the chief administrative officer shall hear or receive any testimony or related information which is relevant and material to the issues presented by the charge and which will contribute to a full and fair consideration thereof and determination thereon. The organization's representative may confront and examine witnesses against it and may produce witnesses and documentary related information on its behalf. The hearing panel shall submit written findings of fact and recommendations for disposition of the charge to the chief administrative officer within 20 days after the close of the hearing.
Final authority to dismiss the charges or to make final determination shall be vested in the chief administrative officer. Notice of the decision shall be in writing; shall include the reasons supporting such decision; and shall be served on the principal officer of the organization by mail in the manner described in paragraph 2 of this subdivision within a reasonable time after such decision is made.
Penalties. Any organization which authorizes the prohibited conduct described in subdivision 1 of Section 535.3 of this Part shall be subject to the rescission of permission to operate upon the campus or upon the property of any State-operated institution used for educational purposes. The penalty provided in this subdivision shall be in addition to any penalty which may be imposed pursuant to the Penal Law and any other provision of law, or to any penalty to which an individual may be subject pursuant to this Part.
Bylaws. Section 6450(1) of the Education Law requires that the provisions of this Part which prohibit reckless or intentional endangerment to health or forced consumption of liquor or drugs for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with any organization shall be deemed to be part of the bylaws of all organizations which operate upon the campus of any State-operated institution used for educational purposes. The statute further requires that each such organization shall review these bylaws annually with individuals affiliated with the organization.
Distribution. Copies of the provisions of this Part which prohibit reckless or intentional endangerment to health or forced consumption of liquor or drugs for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with any organization shall be given to all students enrolled in each State-operated institution.

Part 535 of Title VIII

Official Compilation of Codes, Policies and Procedures of the State of New York