Reed Policies

• Honor Principal

In summary; “The most common interpretation of the Honor Principle mentions that any action that causes unnecessary pain or discomfort to any member of the Reed community, group within the community, or to the community as a whole, is a violation of the Honor Principle. This is just one interpretation of the Honor Principle….The Reed community is committed to the notion that the best way to run its internal affairs is to ask each individual to investigate and question their own expectations surrounding honorable conduct. It is up to each person to engage with the trust, as well as responsibility placed on them by the Honor Principle in order for the community to support everyone.” 

• Consider the following
  • What is your understanding of the Honor Principle? 
  • What are the Reed community values? 
  • What do you think honorable behavior looks like? 

• Title IX: Sex-Based Harassment & Discrimination Policy

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and addresses sexual harassment & misconduct in higher education. This policy applies to any conduct that takes place on property owned or controlled by Reed College (including its events, organizations or interests– more on that in the policy).

The policy first defines important terms (consent, coercion, incapacitation, etc.). See below for the definition of consent in Title IX*. The policy also defines who is an obligatory reporter, mandatory reporter and confidential resource (spoiler: we’re mandatory reporters, but not the other two!).

The Title IX policy defines and prohibits sex-based discrimination, sex-based harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking and retaliation. It also defines and prohibits other misconduct, such as sexual exploitation & relationship abuse. The policy also outlines supportive measures, leaves or removals and procedures for reporting violations. Reed encourages prompt reporting of prohibited conduct, and the college will do its best to keep information anonymous.

Link to policy: Title IX Policy

*CONSENT: Affirmative, conscious, relevantly informed, & fully voluntary agreement or permission to engage in a sexual act by a person age 18 or older.

*Consent must be ongoing and can be withdrawn at any time

• Alcohol & Other Drug Policy

The AOD Policy describes Reed’s “three-pronged approach to reducing the use and abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs: education, prevention and health promotion; therapeutic intervention; and enforcement.”

It is intended to define the expectations of the College with respect to alcohol and other drugs, to clarify the consequences of failing to abide by these expectations, and to identify the resources available within the College Community to assist in dealing with AOD related problems.

Summary of AOD Policy: 

Reed complies with local, state and federal laws regarding illegal use, sale, transfer, dispensing, possession and manufacture of illicit drugs, or being under the influence of illegal drugs, or the illegal use, possession, or abusive use of alcohol on the Reed College campus or during official Reed activities 

• Overview
  • Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia are not permitted anywhere on the Reed College campus.
  • Students who make beer or wine for personal consumption anywhere on campus, including in student housing, must comply with all applicable local, state and federal laws.
  • The manufacture of illegal drugs, the growing of cannabis and other illegal psychoactive plants, and the distillation of alcohol are felonies under applicable federal law and are not allowed on College property, except that alcohol may be distilled for academic research purposes under the supervision of a faculty member.
  • It is illegal and a violation of this policy for those under the age of twenty-one (“minors”) to possess or consume alcoholic beverages, or for anyone to provide alcoholic beverages to minors.
  • Despite recreational cannabis use being legal in Oregon, the law prohibits the use of cannabis at any school–including Reed–and Reed’s policy does not permit cannabis on campus.
  • It is a violation of this policy to knowingly make available to others a beverage, food, or other substance that contains alcohol or other drugs without informing them that it contains alcohol or other drugs, regardless of whether the person consumes the substance; suffers any adverse effects from consuming the substance; or suffers additional harm as a result of consuming the substance. 

• Medical Amnesty

This policy specifies that “when a student experiences a physical and/or psychological crisis while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (AOD), neither the student in crisis nor any student calling for help will be subject to disciplinary action for personal possession or use of illicit substances, including consumption of alcohol by minors.”