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Safety Related Policies

Password Security for Email Accounts and Other Network Services

Do not give your password information to anyone!  The Washington College Office of Information Technologies (including its email administrators or anyone affiliated with the network and email accounts) NEVER sends an e-mail that asks for your password. 

All emails requesting password information or providing a link that asks for password information are fake.  Do not fall for emails that appear to be from Washington College webmail administrators asking for your UserID, password, or other personal information. 

Examples of other fake emails:

  • An email that does not ask directly for password or personal information but provides a link to a site asking for password and other personal information.
  • An email that warns your email account is over the storage capacity limit and requests your password and personal information to increase the limit.
  • An email that appears to be from the Internal Revenue Service or another government office, a credit card company, bank or other business that asks you to provide password information via email.

All of these emails are designed to look convincing but no legitimate business or government agency will ever ask you to provide password and personal information in an email. 

Should you give out your password, it is not just your email account that can be compromised but also your WebAdvisor, Canvas and other Washington College accounts containing personal and financial information.  For those reasons, do not share your password with anyone, including your best friend or roommate.

If you are ever in doubt that an email is from Washington College’s Office of Information Technologies, or from any other department at the College, please contact the Library and Academic Technology HelpDesk at ext. 7777 (410-778-7777 if off campus or using a cell phone).  You can also email the Library and Academic Technology HelpDesk at helpdesk@washcoll.edu.

Missing Student Notification Policy

In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, schools that provide on-campus housing must give students that live in campus housing the option to identify an individual that college officials can contact in the event a student is determined to be missing for more than 24 hours. On the Housing and Meals Application and information form, resident students are given the opportunity to provide this contact information, and the information can be changed or updated at any time by resubmitting this form. Please note that if a student is under the age of 18 and not emancipated, the College will contact their custodial parent or guardian. The Missing Student Policy will be printed in the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, published on or before October 1st each year. It is also available on the Public Safety website.

Policy for Fireworks, Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, or Other Weapons

The possession, storage, or use of fireworks, firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapon replicas, or other weapons, including any dangerous article or substance with the potential to injure or discomfort a person, including knives with blades of three inches or longer, is prohibited at any time for any purpose at any place on the campus or other property of Washington College. This regulation may be conditionally waived for temporary periods by the President of Washington College for authorized Public Safety Officers or official law enforcement officers in the line of duty, for College-sanctioned public fireworks displays presented and supervised by qualified groups and individuals, and for College-sanctioned athletic events supervised by the Athletic Department. 

This regulation may also be conditionally waived for temporary periods by the Department of Public Safety (which will inform the President of Washington College if such an exception is made) under such conditions as may be prescribed to permit the exhibition and temporary storage on campus of such articles in connection with activities or events approved and sanctioned by the College.

This regulation does not prohibit an individual otherwise subject to its provisions from carrying or possessing Chemical Mace or similar chemical sprays or propellants on campus property, provided that such carrying or possession would not constitute a crime under Maryland criminal law.

Any violation of the above policy by a student will be referred to the student conduct process for adjudication.

Additionally, all incidents of possession of suspected illegal weapons will be referred to law enforcement and students possessing illegal weapons will likely face removal from campus as an interim measure, pending formal conduct review.

Smoking Policy

Due to health risks and fire hazards caused by smoking or the passive inhalation of tobacco and other smoke or vapor, ALL college buildings are designated as “smoke-free.” Smoking is prohibited in College buildings and outdoors within 25 feet of entrances and exits of campus buildings. Smoking is allowed in designated areas located around campus.  Violations of this policy will result in a fine and/or disciplinary action.

Smoking includes but is not limited to use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, juuls, and personal vaporizers or other devices associated with “vaping.” 

The act of using any tobacco product in any college facility or outdoor area, including but not limited to the following products:

  • Cigarettes (e.g. cloves, bidis, lreteks)
  • Cigars
  • Cigarillos
  • Hookah smoked tobacco products
  • Pipes and oral tobacco (e.g. spit, spitless, smokeless, chew, snus, snuff)
  • Nasal tobacco
  • Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)
  • Vapes, Juuls, vaping devices
  • Any other product that contains tobacco flavoring or is intended to mimic tobacco products or deliver nicotine for any purpose other than that of cessation by nicotine patches or nicotine gum.

All residence halls, including entryways, are always smoke-free. Students who smoke any substance in their residence hall rooms can expect to be charged for cleaning or replacement of all furnishings, floor tiles, and paint in addition to facing judicial action. Hookahs—single- or multi-stemmed water pipes used for smoking tobacco— are allowed to be used on campus grounds but, in accordance with the Smoking Policy, cannot be used with tobacco or other forbidden substances, nor can they be used inside residence halls or any other campus building. Furthermore, in accordance with the College’s drug laws and policies, hookahs should not be used to smoke marijuana or other illegal drugs.

“Smoking” is defined as the burning of tobacco or any other substance including, but not limited to, marijuana in any type of smoking equipment, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Vaping is defined as the act of inhaling and exhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or an analogous device.

 

Animal Policy

No animals may be kept on campus or brought into College buildings, other than those approved by the administration for service (service animals, seeing eye dogs, or Emotional Support Animals) or academic purposes. For health and sanitation reasons, animals are not permitted at College events and are not allowed to be off leash on the campus. This policy applies to all members and guests of the College community.

ID Cards Policy

All members of the College community are issued identification cards. Students are required to carry their ID cards at all times as they are an immediate source of identification both on and off campus. Students are required to show their ID cards any time when requested by campus Department of Public Safety Officers or officials of the College (including student employees acting in accordance with their job responsibilities). ID cards can be obtained from the Department of Public Safety Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A $20 fee will be charged for replacing ID cards.