Code of Conduct

The Office of Spiritual Identity Support fosters an environment of religious and spiritual pluralism and interfaith cooperation. The University seeks to encourage an atmosphere in which people of different races, ethnicities, and faith traditions live respectfully with and learn from one another.

Campus Registration

All student religious groups and organizations, wishing to be active on the Simmons University campus are required to either gain approval by the Director of Spiritual Identity Support (in the case of small groups) or be registered with the Center for Leadership and Engagement. As with all student organizations, religious groups or organizations wishing to be active on campus must have a faculty adviser and go through the student organization approval process.

Applications for registration are available in the Center for Leadership and Engagement in the Management and Academic Building, Room C-130 and are approved by the Student Government Association in concert with the Office of the Dean for Student Life.

Any off-campus religious groups/organizations should be directed to the Office of Spiritual Identity Support to look for co-sponsorship opportunities as appropriate.

Sponsorship

Registered student organizations representing particular religions and denominations may apply for sponsorship from the Office of Spiritual Identity Support. Sponsorship enables a registered student religious group or organization to worship and meet regularly on campus in university space, become a part of the Spiritual Identity Support program, receive support from the Office of Spiritual Identity Support, become an official student organization, and therefore, apply for funding.

Flyers and Publicity

In order to create and post flyers on campus, all student organizations (including religious and spiritual organizations) must be approved and registered with the Center for Leadership and Engagement. Simmons University does not approve the promotion of religious activities that are not directly affiliated with/sponsored by or consistent with the mission of the University. The University recommends that all outside religious organizations contact the Office of Spiritual Identity Support to explore any opportunities for partnership.

Note: Any deceptive or misleading information on posters is a violation of the code of conduct.

Use of University Space

Only Simmons University registered student organizations may regularly use university space for meetings and worship. Room reservations must be made through the Office of Conferences and Special Events and approved by the Center for Leadership and Engagement and the Office of Spiritual Identity Support.

Encouraging an Interfaith Community

All students are welcomed to any event hosted by a faith-based organization, regardless of their affiliation with the host group or any other faith-based group on campus.

Honor Code

All persons associated with religious groups and organizations at Simmons University are expected to adhere to the Simmons University honor code's definition of harassment. Harassment may include: any pursuit, conversationally or physically (e.g. knocking on residence hall doors, or leafleting) with the intent of inviting someone to participate in an event without an initial request for information from the person herself, and/or any attempt to induce someone to drop a religious affiliation in favor of another.

Behavior that is not acceptable

Simmons is a safe community that works to protect students from proselytizing and any behavior from other students on campus. Prohibited behavior may include but is not limited to:

1. The issuing of materials that threaten, undermine or distort the integrity of another person's or group's beliefs. This is not a prohibition of free expression of ideas, but a commitment to present all options in a way that is respectful of others.
2. Sharing one's faith with anyone without appropriate sensitivity to that person's integrity and freedom to make his or her own decisions in matters of faith and identity.
3. Intruding by phone, by mail, or by visitation in residence halls, on the privacy of individuals without their explicit permission.
4. The issuance of misleading or false publicity.
5. Actions which are designed to coerce, either physically or emotionally, or which clearly damage a student's academic pursuits, financial status, relationship with parents or peers.
6. The use of language in private and public contexts that is denigrating of or condemnatory of another person's beliefs and/or person.

Religious Observances Policy

Students who are unable, because of their religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in an examination, class, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from the class, study, or work requirement and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up the examination, study, or work they may have missed consistent with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 151c, Section 2b as seen in the Simmons University Student Handbook.

Please feel free to stop by the Office of Spiritual Identity Support if you have any questions!