Search Policy
Official searches must be authorized by the Vice President for Labor and Student Life (Virgil Burnside, the Assistant Vice President for Student Life (Gus Gerassimides), or the Director of the Residential Life Collegium. In the absence of these persons the College President or the Provost may authorize a search.
Two staff members of the College must be present during a search. One of these two people should be a member of the Student Life staff. If these staff members are not available, others, such as a security officer or College Faculty member may be present. In the case of a search for weapons, both of the two required persons must be of non-student status.
In the event of a clear and present danger, the student should be present if available. If the student is not present, a note will be left giving the date and names of the persons involved in the room search and a description of any item that has been confiscated.
A signed receipt will be left describing any item taken. If nothing is taken, a signed note will be left indicating a search was conducted. Either statement will indicate that a written report on the search will be available in the Student Life Office.
In the event of a search for prohibited objects presenting no immediate danger, the person conducting the search has the responsibility for attempting to locate the student on campus in order for the student to be present during the search. At least one of the following students must be present if the occupant cannot be located: a House Council member, a student residence hall staff member, or a Student Government Association officer.
In the search for specified objects, any additional item that is prohibited under College regulations may be confiscated and used in separate campus judicial procedures. If necessary, the student may be required to open personal baggage and other personal material that is sealed. If the student cannot be immediately located, baggage and other personal material may be retained by those conducting the search until the student is present to open it.
When searching for weapons, nothing but the weapon(s) may be used as evidence against the student in campus judicial procedures. However, additional items that are discovered during a room search could result in separate charges and a separate hearing through the campus judicial procedures.
After any search, a report will be written by the person conducting the search. The report will include name of complainant (unless the search was for weapons or involved intimidation or a clear and present danger situation), the administrator who authorized the search, the reasonable cause that was established, the persons present during the search, and the events and procedures of the search. A copy of the report of any search will be made available, upon request, to the student, to the judicial body hearing charges related to the search, and to any person authorized to review search incidents.
In the event of a danger involving health or safety of students, possible presence of weapons or any items that may have been used for intimidation, rooms or vehicles may be searched on the basis of information supplied in person by any individual without revealing the identity of the individual.