• Politely and calmly ask disrupters to stop. Let them know they are disrupting the education of other students and potentially making other students feel unsafe.
• Ask them to leave if not in your class (or to quietly take their seats if in your class).
• If they don’t leave or don’t stop disrupting, call the campus police at 607-255-1111. Do not attempt to remove them yourself.
• IF the content of the disruption fits the class content and learning goals, once the disruption is stopped, you can lead a discussion on aspects of it.

Faculty are welcome to consult with their department chair, the Dean’s leadership team, and Vice-provost for Academic Innovation (VPAI) for more information.

Some possible scenarios from the VPAI

Classroom Disruptions

What faculty members can say in cases of non-registered or registered students engaging in activities that make it impossible to continue normal operation of the classroom:

“Please leave immediately out of respect to the students registered for this class. Your intrusion is highly disruptive. I’ve called for backup support and am informing you that unless you leave immediately and peacefully, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards or other appropriate university officials, including the college Academic Integrity Hearing Chair, for disciplinary proceedings.”

Additional information for staff/faculty:

• Call the Public Safety Communications Center at 607-255-1111 if there are any issues or disruptions. The communications center can also be contacted by phone or text message when using the RAVE Guardian app (download the app if you have not already done so).
• Disruptors could be held responsible for violating two campus policies: Student Code of Conduct (disruption of university activities) and Code of Academic Integrity (provisions against classroom misconduct, specifically ‘disruptive behavior in the classroom’).

 Change in Class Timing or Location

May faculty or TAs change the timing or location of classes to participate in protest activities?

No. Such activity could give rise to claims of unlawful discrimination or harassment by subjecting students to a learning environment that is perceived as hostile to their race, color, national origin, shared ancestry, or other protected status (as given under the University’s Title VI obligations). Further, a change in location of a class may negatively impact students with disabilities whose accommodations have been tailored to a known environment. It may also impact students with hearing and/or mobility impairments regardless of whether those students have accommodations in place. It is not appropriate for faculty or TAs to take a vote as to whether the students wish to move the class or end early for purposes of participating in protest activities, as it places students with concerns or disabilities (disclosed or undisclosed) in an awkward position to raise their concern.

 Political Statements, Stickers, etc. During Class Presentations

• Does the statement interfere with or impede quality of presentations? (Follow normal procedures for dealing with extraneous materials in presentations).
• In general, T-shirts, laptop stickers, etc. fall within the student free speech rights and should not be sanctioned. Instructors might consider communicating to the student that they share classroom space with others and might consider how their expression impacts fellow students.
• For particularly extreme or egregious cases that make it impossible to continue instruction, see ’classroom disruptions’ guidance above.