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Community Expectations for Participants

All Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies participants are expected to abide by the following Community Expectations for Participants, which is a non-exhaustive list of expected behavior within the scope of participation. All participants will be asked to sign a document stating they have read and agree to these expectations. Failure to abide by these expectations can result in disciplinary action including, and up to, dismissal from the program.
SHI students

Housing and Dining

Appliances and Cooking
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Participants are not allowed to cook in their residence hall room or in common areas of their residence halls. Possession of appliances and cooking equipment such as hot plates, toasters, microwaves, wax burners, electric tea kettles, and refrigerators is prohibited.
Curfew and Lights Out
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All participants must return to their assigned residence hall by 9:00pm, or dark, whichever is first, each night to prepare for their nightly meeting. Lights out will be at 11:00pm each night, when all participants are expected to be in their room. Residential staff will come around to each room each night at 11:00pm to verify participants are adhering to this expectation.
Dining Hall
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Participants are expected to behave with maturity and responsibility when eating at the Stanford University dining halls. It is expected all participants will return their trays, clean up after themselves, and treat dining hall staff with respect. Throwing food is prohibited.
Furniture
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Participants are not allowed to adjust or rearrange furniture in their residence hall rooms or common spaces without explicit permission from the residential staff. Any furniture that is approved to be moved must be returned to its original location prior to departure day; a labor fee will be charged to participants if furniture is damaged or not returned to its original location. Large furniture including but not limited to futons, bean bags, office chairs, mattress toppers, or televisions are prohibited.
Indoor Sports & Recreational Activity
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Playing sports (including but not limited to: rollerblading/skating, bicycle riding, mattress surfing, tag, frisbee, football, basketball, hockey, golf, baseball, or tennis) is prohibited inside the residence halls because of the potential for personal injury, injury to another person, or damage to the facilities.
Pets
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Pets of any kind, including fish, are prohibited in the residence halls. Participants found with a pet in their residence hall room will be required to immediately secure arrangements for the pet off campus. Additionally, participants will be charged a mandatory cleaning fee to bring the room back to standard living conditions; participants will be held financially responsible for any pet-related damages.
Screens and Windows
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Participants may not remove screens or storm windows from their residence hall or any Stanford building unless there is an emergency. Climbing through windows, sitting on windows, leaning out of windows, climbing on the side of a building, or being on the roof of a building is prohibited.

Safety

Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco
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The consumption, possession, or distribution of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco is prohibited on campus and during Pre-Collegiate Studies Programs. Participation in an incident involving alcohol, drugs, or tobacco is cause for immediate dismissal, even if the participant did not consume or intend to consume these substances. Additionally, any incident involving alcohol or drugs may be referred to the Stanford Department of Public Safety in accordance with the Clery Act.

Prescriptions in labeled containers with the participants name and date of birth or over-the-counter medications that are approved for use by the participant’s parents or legal guardians are exempted from this policy.
Crosswalks
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Participants must use designated crosswalks when crossing any street on Stanford’s campus or in any other location they visit as part of the Pre-Collegiate Studies Programs. Participants should always look both ways and cross only when safe to do so. Crossing the street illegally or at undesignated spots is prohibited.
Lanyards
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Participants will be given program lanyards with their names and a place to hold their room key and ID card. Participants should have their lanyards on at all times, including during field trips and activities off campus. Swinging and twirling of lanyards should be avoided.
Pranks
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Participants are not allowed to instigate or participate in pranks targeted toward other program participants, staff, or participants of other programs, as well as any other Stanford University employee or visitor.
Safety Equipment and Fire Hazards
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By law, participants must not tamper with any safety equipment, including, but not limited to, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors. Participants who tamper with equipment can expect to be fined. Fire hazards (including, but not limited to: candles, incense, halogen lamps, matches, lighters, torches, barbeque grills, propane cylinders, charcoal, starter fluid, fireworks, explosive devices, and open flames) in or around the residence halls are prohibited.
Transportation
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Participants are not permitted to have motor vehicles on campus or ride in vehicles (such as ride shares or taxis) unless they are sponsored by Pre-Collegiate Studies. Public transportation may only be used for program-sponsored activity and requires supervision from instructors/residential staff at all times. The use of bikes, motorized vehicles, roller skates, scooters, skateboards, and other forms of personal transportation is prohibited.
Visitors
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Participants are not allowed to entertain personal visitors in their residence hall room or common area, including visitors partaking in another Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies program or other programs on campus. No visitors, including participants of the same program, may sleep in a room that is not theirs overnight or in a residence hall common area. If a participant from the same program is in another participant’s room, the door must remain open wide enough at all times for residential staff to see the interior of the room. Participants are discouraged from having gatherings in their residence hall rooms and should make use of the common areas of the residence halls to meet with friends and socialize instead.
Weapons
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Weapons and ammunition of any kind (including but not limited to: knives, firearms, paintball guns, laser pointers, tasers) are prohibited on campus by law. Any student who uses, possesses, distributes, or assists in the acquisition of such a weapon will be subject to immediate removal from the program. Additionally, any incident involving weapons or ammunition may be referred to the Stanford Department of Public Safety in accordance with the Clery Act.

Behavior

Attendance
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Participants are required to be present during each instructional session, group work session, and residential program. Participants are expected to take part in all scheduled activities (class, guest lectures, co-curricular activities, nightly hall meetings, etc.). Only in special circumstances, and with the approval of a Pre-College Studies Programs staff member, may a participant miss a scheduled activity. Requests are typically granted for religious reasons, health reasons, or a family illness or death.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
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Participants are responsible for keeping their residence hall rooms and common areas clean, and are expected to clean up after themselves in their residence hall, classroom, and other spaces they use during the program. Participants should clean up trash in common areas, even if they did not leave it there. Participants’ personal hygiene or room cleanliness should not interfere with the general comfort, safety, security, health, or welfare of themselves or other members of the residential community.
Electronics–Cell Phones, Laptops, and Tablets
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Electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones should only be used during program activities (both academic and residential programs) for purposes directly related to the topic that the instructor or staff member is referencing. The program encourages all participants to engage fully in activities and to socialize with others in the program accordingly; therefore, use of electronic devices for social networking, emailing, talking on the phone, or playing games is not allowed during program events.
Entrepreneurial Activities and Solicitation
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Participants are not allowed to sell goods or services during the program, nor are they allowed to gamble. Email or any other forms of solicitation (including door to door solicitation) is prohibited
Public Displays of Affection
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Participants are not allowed to publicly display affection in a way that makes other participants or staff members uncomfortable or imposes on their personal space.
Privacy and Media Protection
Respecting Private Information
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Participants are not allowed to distribute the contact information, image, or likeness of any Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies participant, instructor, or staff member without explicit permission of the person (or parent/legal guardian of the participant) whose information, image, or likeness is to be shared.
Expectations of Privacy
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Participants have no reasonable expectation of privacy when utilizing Stanford’s internet resources, including when using a personal electronic device on the University’s internet or wireless network. Participants have no right to privacy when using Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies or Stanford University electronic communications resources, which include Stanford-provided electronic devices and internet resources (e.g., learning management systems and online learning platforms). Stanford has the right to monitor all communications on its server.
Sharing Course Materials
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All course materials provided by the program are intended for the participant's personal use in the program, and may not be shared or distributed.

Visitors

Group of SUMaC students

Visitors Temporarily Checking a Participant out of the Program

Pre-approved adults are welcome to check a participant out for a maximum of three hours. Check-outs are permitted only when they do not conflict with scheduled program activities. Parents/legal guardians are required to complete this online form for each check-out prior to the start of the program for approval by Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will email parents/legal guardians notifying them if the check-out is approved. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies reserves the right to deny the request if there is a conflict.

  • Participants may only be picked up by visitors who are registered as Approved Visitors in the CampDoc portal.
  • Approved visitors must be 18 years of age or older and will be asked to show a photo ID when picking up the participant.
  • Approved visitors may not enter the residence hall for any reason. 
  • Approved visitors are responsible for the safety and well-being of the participant while they are together.

Check-out Time
Pre-approved adults may check participants out for a maximum of three hours during unstructured time that does not conflict with program activities.

Responsibility
Participants must abide by program rules when outside of their residence hall.

Checking a Participant Out for an Emergency
If there is a family emergency or extenuating circumstance that would require a participant to temporarily leave the program without prior approval, the parent/legal guardian should contact Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff via the emergency contact number to notify them and inform staff when the participant will be leaving and returning to the program.

During the phone call, the parent/legal guardian should include information on which approved visitor will be picking the participant up and where the participant will be traveling to. Program staff will work with the participant and their family to provide support before, during, and after the family emergency.

Attendance and Excused Absences

We expect participants to be fully involved in the program and should only miss scheduled activities for health reasons, religious observances, or family emergencies.
SHI students on field trip

Participation in Program Activities

Participants must be fully involved in the program and should be present for all program activities. This includes arriving on the scheduled arrival day and leaving on the scheduled departure day. All activities, including the co-curricular and social programming, are designed to provide participants with a well-rounded experience.
SUMaC students in workshop

Commitment to the Program

Participants should not have any non-program commitments that directly conflict with required program activities.

Attendance Policy

Excused Absences
Participants should communicate directly with residential staff if they need to miss class for one of the permitted reasons (medical or religious). Communication should happen in advance of the absence whenever possible.

Parents/legal guardians should email spcs-residential@stanford.edu to make a request for a participant to miss class or activities for reasons outside of the above categories. We will review all requests and respond within one to two business days; approval of any request is not guaranteed.

Emergency Exceptions
Last-minute emergencies that require a participant to miss scheduled program activities will be prioritized when possible as requests are reviewed.

Program Completion

SHI Certificate

Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Parent/Legal Guardian–Program Agreement

A student, parent, staff member, and instructor speaking at a program welcome dinner

We look forward to partnering with families of our participants to ensure holistic success in our program.

A positive and constructive working relationship between Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies and the parent/legal guardian is essential to the fulfillment of the program’s mission. All parents/legal guardians are expected to support their participant throughout the duration of the program and help enforce the rules and code of conduct of Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies. In addition, parents/legal guardians acknowledge and understand that sometimes it will be necessary for staff members to confidentially share information they provide with other staff members and with instructors on a "need to know" basis in order to address issues raised. We maintain a strict policy of no retaliation. The program reserves the right to suspend, terminate the enrollment of a student, or decline to re-enroll a student if the program concludes in its sole discretion that the actions of a parent/legal guardian interfere with the program’s mission in a manner that is disruptive to the operation of the program.

Guidelines for Parent/Legal Guardian Communications with Instructors and Staff

We welcome constructive communication between program staff, instructors, and families that benefits the success of participants. You can help us achieve our mutual goal of supporting your participant by:

  • Reading all program communications in a timely manner and discussing the content with your participant regularly.
  • Encouraging your participant to stay aware of communication for their specific course or from their residential staff, in a timely manner and to, after reading such communication thoroughly, contact their instructor or residential staff if they are unclear about an expectation.
  • Encouraging your participant to communicate regularly with residential staff and instructors via the communication platforms outlined at the beginning of the program.
  • Proactively contacting program staff via email at spcs-residential@stanford.edu if you or your participant have concerns, confusion, or difficulties about program policies and procedures.
  • Asking your participant how their experience in the program is going and supporting them in problem solving any issues or concerns they have.
  • Motivating your participant to advocate for their needs by talking directly with any residential staff member.
  • Setting reasonable expectations regarding response times with communication, being mindful of Pacific Daylight Time business hours and the possibility that residential staff may be addressing a crisis situation and will have to prioritize which concerns they respond to first.

Additionally, parents/legal guardians should not partake in any of the following activities under any circumstance unless explicitly advised to do so by Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff:

  • Contact their participant’s instructor, TA, or residential counselor on the participant’s behalf.
  • Contact another participant (example: roommate if there is a roommate conflict) on their participant’s behalf.
  • Contact another participant’s parent/legal guardian to address a concern involving their participant.
  • Contacting any campus office/department (with the exception of the Stanford Department of Public Safety) without first consulting with Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff.

Technology

SUMaC student in front of laptop
To help you prepare for a successful experience at Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, we want to share some additional information on the technology platforms that you will be using this summer, support resources available to you for technical issues, and additional information relevant to your class experience.

Canvas
Canvas is the Learning Management System used by Stanford, and will be your virtual workspace for all of your classroom needs. This is where you will access your course syllabus, submit assignments, connect with your classmates, and communicate with your instructor.

You will receive an invitation email from Canvas (notifications@instructure.com) with instructions to finish your Canvas registration. If the email has not arrived approximately one week before the start of your program, please wait a day and check again (make sure to also check your spam folder of the email used on your registration). After logging in for the first time, we recommend that you bookmark the Canvas page (https://spcs-programs.instructure.com) for quick access throughout the program. Your academic course will be published in Canvas shortly before the session begins.

Technology Support Resources
Once you have access to Canvas, you will see a course titled "SPCS Tech Page for Students" listed under courses. This course includes how-to articles and troubleshooting tips for technical issues you might encounter with the platforms used in the program. We encourage you to make this your go-to source for technical questions throughout the summer program.

Film and Video Waivers
During the course of your program, you may be exposed to rated R content in class or the night before in preparation for class. All rated R materials will be strictly for academic purposes and to enhance your learning. To the greatest extent possible, Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will send your parent/legal guardian a waiver to sign in advance that details the specific film(s) you will be watching.

If you are not provided permission to watch a specific film, you will be provided the opportunity to complete an alternative assignment. It is advised that you watch films or videos with your peers to inform classroom discussions.

Media Waiver: Photography and Video/Audio Recordings

Participation in the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies program constitutes an agreement by the participant and the participant’s parent(s) or guardian(s) to Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies’ use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the participant’s image or voice in photographs, video, or audio capture, or electronic reproductions of such classes and other campus and program activities.

The Media Waiver below is incorporated in the Participant and Custodial Parent Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement, which is signed by participating students and their parents. 

Participant and Custodial Parent agree to grant Stanford University permission to use participant’s name, photographic and/or videographic image and photographic and/or videographic images of Participant’s work product (research posters, final presentations, speaking engagements), if applicable, provided or captured as part of Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (SPCS) programs, or by SPCS, in any way, in all media now known or later invented for any educational, fundraising, promotional, publicity or other purposes worldwide and in perpetuity. Participant and Custodial Parent agrees that Stanford may record, edit, use, reproduce, publish and distribute by way of any and all media transmission, the visual and/or audio likeness of Participant and other commentaries, information, and materials the Participant may provide in connection with the Program, which includes, without limitation, Participant’s name, biographical information, recorded voice, likeness, commentaries, presentation materials, and/or performance at the Program. Participant and Custodial Parent understand that Stanford intends to make information about or images of Participant available on the Internet for public access and information, and hereby grant permission for such publication and use. Participant and Custodial Parent further grant permission to the photographer/videographer who captures any such image/footage described above to include the photograph or video in a portfolio (in any form in any media) of the photographer's/videographer's work. Participant and Custodial Parent release Stanford and Stanford's assigns and licensees from any claims that may arise regarding such specified use of Participant’s image and/or biographic information, including any claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, rights of publicity or copyright. Stanford is permitted, although not obligated, to include Participant’s name as a credit in connection with the image. Further, Participant and Custodial Parent understand and agree that Stanford is not obligated to utilize any of the rights granted in this Agreement.

Participant and Custodial Parent understand that any academic projects produced while participating in a Program may be used for publicity purposes and/or as a resource for prospective students. Participant and Custodial Parent agree that Stanford will be held harmless from any liability that may arise regarding the production, use, and distribution of such materials as described herein, and Stanford is hereby released from any claims relating to the rights granted above.

Participation in the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies program constitutes an agreement by the participant and the participant’s parent(s) or guardian(s) to Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies’ use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the participant’s image or voice in photographs, video, or audio capture, or electronic reproductions of such classes and other campus and program activities.