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Student Conduct Policies & Procedures

Students enrolled at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth ("Thayer") must comply with the standards of Code of Conduct adopted by Thayer as outlined below. 

Upon check-in, students are required to sign a statement attesting that they have read and understood the Academic Honor Principle and Code of Conduct and return the signed document to the Registrar before registering for courses at Thayer. Students found in violation of Code of Conduct policies may forfeit their right to continue at Dartmouth.

Please note: AB undergraduates enrolled in Thayer classes, including those pursuing the four-year AB/BE, are subject to standards and processes as described in the Dartmouth Standards of Conduct and Academic Regulations and Actions.

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Full Policies & Procedures Handbook

Sexual & Gender-Based Misconduct

Sexual & Gender-Based Misconduct Violations

Dartmouth is committed to the safety and well-being of every member of our community. Sexual and gender-based misconduct is overseen by the Title IX Office at Dartmouth and policies and procedures for the entire Dartmouth community directed at sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, relationship and interpersonal violence, provision of alcohol and/or other drugs for purposes of prohibited conduct, and stalking can be found on Dartmouth’s Title IX Office website.

Other Code of Conduct

Other Code of Conduct Violations (Other than Sexual & Gender-Based Misconduct)

The regulations regarding behavior which are presented here concern both the College and its relation to the community of which it is a part. Violation of the conduct regulations referenced below may subject individuals or recognized organizations to disciplinary action in accordance with the requirements contained in each regulation. Thayer requires students to follow the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies Code of Conduct—Non Academic Regulations, which contains specific requirements and prohibitions regarding various conduct matters.

Changes in the enumeration or definition of conduct regulations may take place from time to time, and such changes take effect upon appropriate notice to the Dartmouth community by the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Any update in any regulation that is linked to by this document shall become immediately effective upon Thayer students as if this document itself had been updated.

  • Thayer Community Responsibilities (eg. Faculty, Student, Staff)

    A member of the Thayer community (eg. faculty, student, or staff), who suspects that a Thayer student may have violated the Conduct Code, should observe the following recommendations and guidelines for action:

    1. Strongly consider discussing the suspected violation with the student(s) in order to determine that there has been no misunderstanding about what occurred.
    2. If, after consultation, the community member believes that the suspicion is valid, they should immediately inform Thayer’s Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs.

  • Code of Conduct Violation Procedures

    In the case of a suspected Conduct Code violation other than sexual and gender based misconduct, Thayer’s Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs will consult with the parties concerned and determine what further action is appropriate. If there is reasonable indication of a Code of Conduct violation, the Senior Associate Dean will decide the proper response or course of action, which may include a hearing with a committee as described below.

    1. Notification of the charges against a student shall be in writing and shall contain a concise statement of the alleged facts which constitute the violation. At this time, the student will be asked if they would like to respond to the Senior Associate Dean about these charges, either in person or in writing.
    2. A student shall have a reasonable time to respond to the notification of charges.
    3. A student may choose to admit to the charges as stated. In such cases the Senior Associate Dean will determine the appropriate penalty. If the student does not admit to the charges stated, the Senior Associate Dean will conduct a hearing with a committee to review the case.
    4. This committee will consist of three Thayer faculty, the Senior Associate Dean and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Background evidence related to the issue may be provided to the committee prior to the hearing.
    5. A student may choose an advisor, from current Dartmouth faculty, staff, or students, to assist in the defense at a disciplinary hearing. The advisor's role is to assist the student in reviewing and understanding the procedures related to a hearing and to assist the student in obtaining answers to questions about the hearing. For this reason, many students request one of their department's faculty or staff familiar with the disciplinary system to serve as their advisor. While an advisor might appropriately help a student anticipate questions and issues likely to arise at a hearing, or provide feedback about the effectiveness of a student's written or oral presentation of the facts, the advisor does not function in the way an attorney would in a criminal or civil proceeding.
    6. The student may elect to have a private hearing or an open hearing, but the Senior Associate Dean may limit the number of persons at an open hearing, and may, if a disturbance occurs, order the hearing to be conducted in private. In cases where the need to protect privacy is, in the judgment of the Senior Associate Dean, important, the Senior Associate Dean may close the hearing over the objection of the charged student(s).
    7. A student may refuse to make any statement at the hearing. Such refusal shall not be considered as evidence against the student.
    8. The student shall have the right to hear and question any witnesses and to examine all other evidence introduced at the hearing. The student has the right to testify and present evidence and witnesses on his/her own behalf.
    9. The Senior Associate Dean shall base his or her decisions on matters of fact and solely upon evidence introduced at the hearing.
    10. Formal rules of evidence shall not apply. The Senior Associate Dean may consider any testimony or evidence unduly repetitious or immaterial, or to have been improperly obtained.
    11. The student will be informed, in writing, of the Senior Associate Dean's decision within a reasonable time (no more than one week after the hearing).
    12. If the results of the disciplinary hearing are to become a part of a student's record, either temporarily or permanently, notice shall be given to the student concerned.
    13. Requests for review may be made only on the basis of either or both of the following grounds:
      1. procedural error which has materially prejudiced the student’s case;
      2. newly discovered information which, had it been available at the time of the hearing, would likely have affected the outcome either with regard to a finding of responsibility or with regard to the sanction imposed (if the information was not reasonably available to the student at the time of the proceeding).
    14. The Dean of Thayer has the sole discretion to determine whether these grounds for review have been met. A request for review must be in writing and must set forth in reasonable detail the grounds for review, and must have attached to it any materials the student wishes to have considered in his or her request. The request, with all accompanying materials, must be submitted by the student to the Thayer School of Engineering within seven (7) days of the date the decision is written.
    15. Decisions by the Senior Associate Dean or Dean may be revealed to authorized College personnel, to the charged student, and, in appropriate circumstances, to the charged student's parents or guardian and the victim/complainant. In cases where the outcome will affect the visa status of an international student, the Dartmouth International Office will be notified by the appropriate registrar, and the student must comply with any change in federal immigration status which occurs.
    16. The Senior Associate Dean or Dean hearing a case may choose to comment publicly, in writing or otherwise, regarding the decision reached if, in the judgment of the Senior Associate Dean, the best interests of the community would be served by such disclosure. If possible and appropriate, the anonymity of the student(s) involved will be protected.

Student Alcohol & Drug Policy

The primary concern of the Student Alcohol and Drug Policy is the health and safety of members of the College community. The specific policies that follow apply to all Dartmouth students, on or off campus. These policies also apply in connection with student programs, events, and activities of the College and its recognized student organizations. College-recognized organizations include, but are not limited to, the following: Greek Letter Organizations and Societies (Greek Life), senior societies, undergraduate societies, COSO recognized groups, athletic teams, residence hall councils, class councils, etc.

For the purposes of this policy, College-recognized organizations also include any group that has matriculated Dartmouth College students as a majority of its members and has official College status. Please visit Dartmouth’s Student Affairs website for more information about the Student Alcohol and Drug Policy.

Thayer Policy for Social Events with Alcohol

This policy applies to all Thayer students and Thayer student groups wishing to host an event at Thayer, where alcohol will be served. Students and student groups must also adhere to relevant sections of Dartmouth’s Alcohol and Drug Policy and the Guarini School for Graduate and Advanced Studies’ Social Event Policy.

  • Approval Process

    Any Thayer student group wishing to host a Thayer-sponsored event, at which they would like to serve alcohol, must submit an email request to the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Holly Wilkinson, at least two weeks prior to the event. This email should include a detailed outline for the event including:

    • purpose
    • desired location
    • approximate number of attendees and their Dartmouth affiliation
    • quantity and type of alcohol
    • plans for ensuring that unauthorized and underage students are not served alcohol
    • names of hosts, sober monitors, and servers


    Undergraduate students should not be invited to or allowed to attend Thayer events with alcohol. The Associate Dean will not approve hard alcohol (over 30 proof) to be served at any Thayer event, and hard alcohol shall not be consumed on the premises.

    The Associate Dean will communicate event approval and/or ask additional questions/request modification through email. Your event is not approved until this communication occurs.

  • Required Training

    In addition to reviewing and abiding by this policy, Thayer event hosts, sober monitors, and servers are required to obtain a Certificate of Achievement in Total Education in Alcohol Management (TEAM) from the State of New Hampshire. This training can be completed online as follows:

    1. Create a new account:
      • Select your own username and password
      • Licensee Number: Dartmouth
      • Business Name: Dartmouth
    2. Under courses, go to "TEAM 201+" and then "Enroll in TEAM"
    3. Complete all four sections of the TEAM E-Module and then the TEAM Exam
    4. Print or download the TEAM certificate and email it to the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Holly Wilkinson to be kept on file.

  • Additional Responsibilities: HOSTS

    Note: Hosts can also double as sober monitors and/or servers.

    • Assume overall responsibility for security, safety, and compliance of the event.
    • Ensure the room setup is appropriate for the event.
    • Ensure the room capacity is not exceeded for fire safety.
    • Ensure adequate coverage by sober monitors/servers.
    • Ensure soft drinks and snacks are available.
    • Ensure alcohol quantity is appropriate for expected turnout.
    • It is a privilege and not a right for students to use Thayer facilities for events and small gatherings. Please respect the facilities by leaving the space utilized in the condition it was found.
    • After the event, any remaining alcohol should be put in a secure location (locked).
    • In the unlikely event that there is an incident that requires custodial or other maintenance attention, please contact both Jon Stark, Thayer’s Director of Facilities and Safety, and Holly Wilkinson, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.
    • Contact Dartmouth’s Department of Safety and Security in the event of health and safety concerns at +1 (603) 646-4000.

  • Additional Responsibilities: SOBER MONITORS
    • Any event having alcohol must have one or more sober monitors. There must be one sober monitor for every 50 students.
    • Sober monitors must stay sober and remain at the event for its entire duration.
    • Do not admit intoxicated individuals to the event.
    • Ensure that no one leaves the event with alcohol.
    • Contact the Department of Safety and Security in the event of health and safety concerns at +1 (603) 646-4000.

  • Additional Responsibilities: SERVERS
    • Servers must meet all requirements for sober monitors.
    • Check ID’s. Ensure that only legal age students are served and that no one who is intoxicated is served.
    • At large events, in an open space such as the Atrium, students may not serve themselves individual bottles, glasses, or cups of alcoholic beverage. If there is an approved keg at an event a sober monitor must either serve or attend the keg.
    • Ensure one serving of alcohol (eg. 12 oz beer) is dispensed to one individual at a time.
    • Be aware of and do not exceed the max number of servings per hour as specified in TEAM training. Err on the low side when serving.

  • Good Samaritan Policy

    Student health and safety are the primary concerns of Thayer and Dartmouth. Students are expected to contact the Department of Safety and Security by calling +1 (603) 646-4000 when they believe that assistance for an intoxicated/impaired student is needed. In case of a medical emergency, contact 911 for assistance by local police, fire safety or medical professionals.

    Students and/or organizations that seek assistance from these sources, the individual assisted, and others involved will not be subject to Thayer or Dartmouth disciplinary action with respect to the alcohol policy.