Community Expectations
William & Mary has developed technical and behavioral standards for current students participating in our programs. These standards provide a consistent objective framework to help guide conversations around behavior and community expectations inside and outside of the classroom.
Through these standards, students can, in advance of entering the university and throughout their time here at William & Mary, understand their responsibilities as community members, assess their own needs, and identify when additional support might be needed.
Similarly, Students Affairs administrators and our Academic partners will use these tools to guide students to respond to challenging moments in the classroom, living, and larger community. They will reference these expectations when discussing current behavior that may be disruptive to the community, interfere with others’ use and enjoyment of our facilities and programs, or when it is evident that a student is struggling. We will also use this as a guide when intervention is needed to help identify the resources, referrals, assessments, and potential supports.
Through this lens we have a framework to engage in interactive discussions with students who may need additional support to meet our expectations, and for students with disabilities, to determine potential reasonable accommodations.
Technical and Behavioral Standards
William & Mary Community Expectations
William & Mary values include personal & academic integrity, concern & appreciation for the rights of others, self-determination, acceptance of personal responsibility, honor, and community care. To guide our community in meeting and achieving these values, we ask that each member of our community adhere to the below academic and residential expectations.
Academic CommunityThe purpose of attending William & Mary is ultimately to learn broadly, learn deeply, and gain the experience and skills that shape independent thinkers — engaged in the world around you, and prepared to assume a leadership role in your chosen field. William & Mary Academic Technical & Behavioral Standards: W&M graduates must be able to obtain a predictable level of competence and demeanor across the range of knowledge and skills generally expected of those who have successfully completed a given course of study. This allows graduate programs, licensing and credentialing authorities, future employers, other interested parties to rely on these general competencies. In order to achieve these competencies, students must enter William & Mary able to do various functions, either with or without reasonable accommodation, and must maintain these abilities throughout their academic career to remain enrolled and in order to graduate. These functions, known as technical & behavioral standards, are listed and described below. Description of Technical & Behavioral Standards Technical and behavioral standards are not waivable and consist of minimum required qualifications for continued university enrollment. If a student cannot meet these requirements independently with or without reasonable accommodation (including a personal care assistant), then a student may not be able to enroll and/or complete academic coursework. Intellectual and Conceptual Skills Students must be able to learn, research, solve problems, apply concepts, and think critically, such that they can engage with course materials and satisfy course requirements. Time Management Skills Students must be able to, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet deadlines, complete all classroom, exam, and clinical assignments and administrative tasks within the assigned timeframe, and keep scheduled appointments. Attendance and Exam Policy Students must be able to comply with W&M’s policies on attendance, exams, and other assessments. Instruction is predicated on the concept of regular class attendance. Students must also satisfy the attendance, exam, and other assessment policies in all required and elective courses, clinics, and other offerings in which the student is enrolled. Communication Skills Students must be able to, with or without reasonable accommodation, communicate orally and in writing in an effective, efficient, mature, contextually appropriate manner. Students must be able to understand oral and written communications, including directions, corrections, and feedback and be able to respond effectively both orally and in writing. Students must be able to read and understand large amounts of written material as well as lectures, demonstrations, and audio and video presentations. This includes effective communication within required, group and collaborative projects, field and lab work and/or performance-based requirements. Organizational Skills Students must have the ability to set goals, to formulate a plan to accomplish those goals, and to implement such a plan. Students must be able to follow directions, to make reasonable inferences, and to organize and synthesize large amounts of information. Students must be able to organize ideas in order to communicate those ideas in writing and orally. Students must be able to understand deadlines and, with or without reasonable accommodations, to meet them. Students must be able to manage competing demands and heavy workloads. Behavioral Skills Students must be able to exercise good judgment, honesty, and integrity. The Honor Code applies on campus and abroad and notes that students may not, lie, cheat, or steal. In addition, students must be able to work successfully under stressful conditions with or without others and be able to demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills. Students must be able to work alone, with other students, and with faculty and staff. Students must be able to work in teams, and in all cases to observe appropriate boundaries. Students must be able to handle courseloads and clinic demands that may be mentally and emotionally taxing. Students must be able to adapt to changing circumstances. Each student must be able to monitor their own behavior, not interfere with the learning environment of their peers, and adhere to all university policies. Academic Integrity – Essential elements of a course or program In conjunction with their dean, faculty may determine that specific measurable components of their course are fundamental to the course objectives such that they are not waivable or otherwise subject to modification. For example, in some courses, collaboration (team projects), public speaking (presentation), attendance, and/or class participation is essential to the course objective. In these courses, students must be able to satisfactorily satisfy these fundamental components of the course or program without alteration. |
Residential LifeThe purpose and objective of living in residence, is to engage meaningfully in a living learning community. At William & Mary, the goal of the residential community is to support the educational mission and objectives of the university and create an environment where students will flourish both personally and academically. All residential students have the opportunity to participate and benefit in this experience. In order to engage in our living learning communities, students must enter William & Mary Residence Life communities able to complete various functions, either with or without reasonable accommodation, and must maintain these abilities throughout their residential experience in order to remain living on campus and/or within any of affiliated campus and abroad programs. These functions, known as technical & behavioral standards, are listed and described below. Description of Technical & Behavioral Standards Residential Technical and Behavioral standards are not waivable and consist of minimum required qualifications for continued residence in any of our campus living learning communities. If a student cannot meet these requirements independently with or without reasonable accommodation (including a personal care assistant), then a student may not be able to contract with Residence Life and/or continue living within the William & Mary residential environment. To meet this objective all residential students must:
Behavioral expectations of living in community: Each residential student must be able to successfully: Care for themselves independently, with or without reasonable accommodation. This includes a demonstrating a reasonable level of:
Participate in, benefit from, and meaningfully engage in the residential environment. This includes:
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