Student Life

College Regulations

By accepting the offer of admission, students enrolling in Keystone College agree to conduct themselves in a safe and responsible manner compatible with the best interests of themselves and Keystone and agree to abide by all published regulations governing the student body. The Student Handbook outlining the regulations is available on the Keystone College web site.

Social Dismissal

Keystone College students are expected to possess qualities of good citizenship. A student may be suspended or dismissed for violation of Keystone College rules and regulations. All students who are suspended or dismissed from the College are still responsible for paying their student account bill. No refunds will be granted for students who are suspended or dismissed from the College. Please refer to the Student Handbook for policies.

Student Conduct

The Office of Student Conduct provides all students the best possible service and experience. The Office of Student Conduct upholds the Student Code of Conduct, administers conduct procedures in support of the College’s mission and vision, and maintains a positive learning environment for the College community.

The Office of Student Conduct encourages equality, dignity, and mutual respect for all members of the campus community. The Office strives to inspire trust and confidence in the College’s rules, regulations, and student conduct procedures.

All Keystone College students are expected to conduct themselves according to the Student Code of Conduct available at www.keystone.edu/ department-directory/student-conduct.

Monitoring of Email Communications

Keystone College does not intend to monitor individual electronic mail as a routine matter but may do so at any time as Keystone College deems necessary for purposes of maintaining the integrity and effective operation of the student email system. No facility exists on this system for the sending or receiving of private communications.

Keystone College reserves the right to inspect and disclose the contents of email as follows: in the course of an investigation triggered by indications of misconduct or misuse; as needed to protect the health and safety of students and staff; as needed to prevent interference with the academic mission; or as needed for technical troubleshooting or spam/content filtering.

Permanent and Local Address Policy Statement

Keystone College requires all students to keep their address listings up-to-date at all times. This includes a permanent home address, which is defined as a student’s home address and a local address, which is defined as the student’s physical address of residence during enrollment. Post office box addresses will not be accepted for the local address. If no local address is provided during the enrollment period, a registration hold will be placed on the student’s account. Students are required to update their physical and local addresses so that the information is correct and current at all times of enrollment.

Changes in residence hall addresses are the responsibility of the Office of Residence Life. If a student withdraws from College housing but remains enrolled at the College, the student must update his or her local address.

Prior to graduation, students should update their preferred mailing address so that the College is able to continue to provide relevant communication to them after they graduate.

The Office of Residence Life supports the personal growth of resident students as they adjust to college life and interact with others in the residence halls, the College community, and the surrounding area. The Office oversees nine residence halls, which include cable streaming, wi-fi access, and the use of the campus laundry facilities at no extra charge. In order to maintain community values and responsible living for the residents, the College has established the following guidelines:

First-year students: First-year students who live outside a 50-mile radius from Keystone College, and who are under the age of 21, must live on campus if they are not residing with a parent or legal guardian. First-year students who fall into this category must live on campus for both the fall and spring semesters.

Full-Time Students: Students are required to carry a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours to live in a residence hall. A student who drops below 12 credit hours after the start of an academic year and wishes to remain in the residence hall must submit a written request to the Office of Residence Life. This request must clearly state the reason(s) why the student wishes to carry fewer than 12 credit hours and still live in the residence hall.

Any student who falls below 12 credits and has their request to remain on-campus denied will have to move out of the residence halls within 24 hours. Students can request a pro-rated refund on their meal plan, but not their housing, in this circumstance.

Accommodations: There are limited housing spaces available for special accommodations, and priority will be given to individuals who are eligible to receive accommodations under Section 504 of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Special housing accommodations are not standard. In order to determine if special housing is a reasonable request, the Office of Disability Services must receive detailed documentation (on office letterhead) from a medical doctor or licensed professional with expertise in the area of diagnosis.

Multicultural Affairs and Student Activities

Keystone College prides itself on the opportunity it presents for informal and friendly exchanges among students, faculty, and staff, which occur both in and out of the classroom. There are many events scheduled throughout the year to promote this interaction while Keystone’s pleasant campus atmosphere allows for spontaneous gatherings.

Through the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Student Activities, students are encouraged to participate in a variety of leadership programs. They are encouraged to live wellrounded campus lives by including intellectual, cultural, recreational, and community service interests as integral components of their education. With the support and guidance of the Student Life staff, many clubs and organizations provide an assortment of activities in which any student may participate. One of the advantages of attending Keystone College is that our students can become involved in activities and begin to assume leadership positions during their first year.

Keystone College affirms and embraces the importance of diversity in today’s world. We foster an environment of respect and appreciation for diversity, including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, nation of origin, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and disabilities. This is accomplished by working with individuals and groups on issues of awareness, understanding, and acceptance of diversity through creative programming, workshops, training, and special events.

Keystone College’s Campus Ministry promotes a caring community that provides services to students, staff, and faculty among different faiths. Campus Ministry also encourages students to take leadership roles in the community and on campus through outreach.

Student Government

Student Government represents the united voice of the student body and serves as a liaison between students and administration. The members of Student Government are advocates for a variety of student concerns. Through Student Government, students also serve as appointed or ex-officio members of certain College committees. Student Government also oversees and serves Keystone College clubs and organizations. For a full list of clubs and organizations, please visit www.keystone.edu/ campus-life/activities/clubs-and-organizations/.

Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities

Full-time students are eligible to participate in all Keystone-sponsored activities unless the Academic Review Board, the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, or the Associate Vice President of Student Life declares that such participation would jeopardize the best interests of the student or the College.

Health Requirements

All full-time students are required to complete and submit the following electronic forms: immunization form and emergency contact information form. Students must provide immunization records through the Student Health Portal before the start of classes.

Health Insurance

Maintaining personal health is vital to success as a college student. Keystone College expects all full-time students to carry personal health insurance. Keystone College does not sponsor a student health insurance plan. Multiple websites and services are available to assist in acquiring the insurance policy best suited to the students’ needs and can be found on the Counseling and Well-Being Center’s web page. All College athletes must maintain active medical insurance during their athletic season to be eligible to participate in practice and competition. Proof of health insurance will be collected at the beginning of each athletic season (fall, winter and spring). International students must provide proof of health insurance coverage that has benefits that will cover them in the United States and locally to Keystone College at the beginning of every academic year. Students needing health assistance during normal business hours will have the option of being transported free of charge to either the Geisinger Care Works or the Wright Center for Primary Care, each in nearby Clarks Summit. This process will provide quick and easy access to health care professionals to treat non-emergency medical situations. For medical emergencies, and for situations occurring after business hours, ambulance service to local hospital emergency rooms will be available as in the past. It is important to note that all medical bills are the responsibility of the students for private payment and/or insurance coverage. Keystone College is not responsible for any medical bills incurred from services rendered at private physicians/specialists, outpatient services or hospital.

College Immunization Requirements

It is very important to the College to collect documentation of all full-time students’ vaccination information. This is important in the event of an outbreak or if a student is injured. This is required for student protection, as well as the health and wellness of the entire campus community. In accordance with the American College

Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control, the College has established these vaccine REQUIREMENTS: • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): two doses are required and given at 12 months of age or older and at least 28 days apart. • Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis, Tetanus (Tdap - Adacel, Boosterix): date of most recent booster given within the last 10 years. • Meningococcal Meningitis A, C, Y, W – 135 (Menveo, Menactra): If given greater than 5 years ago, revaccination is recommended. It is required that you have one dose after the age of 16. It is Pennsylvania State law that all students living in residential halls are required to have at least one dose of a meningococcal meningitis vaccine after the age of 16. Students may waive meningococcal meningitis vaccine for medical or religious reasons. If this is the case, students must contact Student Life at (570) 945-8400 to complete the state required documentation. Please be advised that in the event of an outbreak of an illness preventable by vaccination, students that do not have proof of vaccination status will not attend class, participate in school-sponsored activities, or reside in residence halls while risks are present. . Students with medical contraindications to any of the required vaccines should submit a letter written and signed by their physician. Although not mandatory, an annual influenza vaccine in encouraged for all students.

Physical Examination

Keystone College requires all student athletes and international students to have a physical exam on file. Student athletes’ physicals can be dated no earlier than July 1 of the year. Athletes must update their physicals yearly. International students’ physicals must be from within one year of their first day on campus. The physical form can be found on the Counseling and Well-Being Center’s web page at www.keystone.edu.

The Department of Campus Safety operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year in order to fulfill its mission of promoting and maintaining a safe and peaceful campus environment for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors, as well as protecting the property and assets of the College.

The Department of Campus Safety coordinates and delivers safety services, enforces traffic and parking regulations on campus, maintains a lost and found service, and will provide walking escorts to any member of the campus community upon request.

The Department’s offices are located on the ground floor of Hollinshead Hall (219 Regina Way), across from the Tewksbury Hall (217 Regina Way) entrance to Health Services.

Athletics

Intercollegiate Athletics

The program of intercollegiate athletics functions as an integral part of the total educational process at Keystone College. In keeping with this, policies that guide the operation of the athletic program have been designed to complement the educational objectives of Keystone. Keystone College is a member of the NCAA at the Division III level and is also a member of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Keystone’s intercollegiate teams compete with other four-year institutions of comparable strength in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, football, baseball, softball, field hockey, men’s wrestling, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track, and club cheerleading.

Eligibility for Athletics

In order to be eligible for practice and/or