Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities (revised 8/28/24)

Institute staff and student leaders collaborated throughout the summer to revise and update the Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities, revised August 28, 2024. The updates derived from the Student Life Committee of the Student Senate or were necessitated by new requirements to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s amendments to Title IX.

All Rensselaer students must understand and comply with the important policies, protocols, and requirements in the Handbook and all other related requirements set forth in Institute policies.

Handbook Updates Include:

  • Hearing/Appeals Process: The Judicial Board, a body that serves within the Institute judicial process, will no longer serve as an appeal-level board. Instead, if a student does not accept the finding of responsibility and/or the sanction(s) after a judicial inquiry, the student may request a hearing before the Judicial Board. For clarity, a student who does not accept the initial judicial inquiry decision may not bypass the Judicial Board hearing process and proceed directly to an appeal; rather, the student must first proceed through the Judicial Board hearing process. The first appeal-level board will now be the Review Board.
  • Review Board: The structure of the Review Board, a body that serves within the Institute judicial process with responsibilities to consider appeals of Grounds for Disciplinary Action Violations, has been updated to include one staff administrator, instead of two. Review Board membership now includes two students, two faculty members, and one staff administrator.
  • Provost Review: The final level of appeal in the Institute’s judicial process will now be the responsibility of the Provost of the Institute instead of the President of the Institute. The decisions of the Review Board and the Joint Board, if an appropriately requested appeal is submitted, may be subject to a final determination by the Provost of the Institute.
  • Sexual Misconduct Policy: References and excerpts to Rensselaer’s Sexual Misconduct Policy within the Handbook have been updated to reflect revisions to the Sexual Misconduct Policy to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s amendments to Title IX. Visit the updated Sexual Misconduct Policy to review changes.
  • Gender-Inclusive Pronouns: Pronouns such as he/him/his and she/her/hers have been replaced with they/them/their.
  • Reorganization: Several sections have been moved within the Handbook to create better flow and organization. 
  • Employee Titles and Office Updates: New or revised employee titles and office name changes have been included in the revisions.
  • Hyperlinks: All hyperlinks have been reviewed and updated.