Miscellaneous Policies

Policy 11-1. Use of Facilities that Discriminate on the Basis of Race, Sex, National Origin, or Religion

The Faculty has adopted the following policy with respect to use by the Law School or affiliated organizations of facilities that discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin or religion:

No alumni sponsored event or any other Law School sponsored event may be held at any facility at which any member of the Duke community might be excluded for reasons of race, sex, national origin, or religion.
No event may be held by any alumni organization affiliated with Duke Law School at any facility which, although it is prepared to admit all members of the Duke community to a particular function, nevertheless discriminates in membership policies on the basis of race, sex, national origin, or religion. In this regard, local alumni groups will be urged to amend their charters to reflect this policy.
No one traveling on Duke University business shall knowingly use, for the purpose of facilitating the conducting of that business, any place of public accommodation which discriminates on the basis of race, sex, national origin, or religion.

Revised January 1988

BUILDING ACCESS

When the severe weather work policy is invoked by the University, building perimeter doors at the Law School will be locked and remain locked but accessible via card readers throughout the severe weather period.

EMPLOYEE CATEGORIES

All School of Law employees come within Category 2 under the University's policy. Category 2 employees are employees whose tasks can be delayed during specific severe weather conditions, or whose tasks are considered less critical than those that are essential. They are not expected to report to work while the severe weather condition exists but may come to work if they can and choose to do so. Those who choose to come in will be eligible for a one-hour grace period in reporting to their work unit.

Employees who for any reason do not come to work in a severe weather period may offset missed time by one or more of the following means:

Accrued vacation or discretionary days.
Accrued sick time if they had reported in sick on their last scheduled work day before the actual severe weather day.
If they elect not to use vacation or discretionary days, best efforts will be made to give them the opportunity to make up time within three months scheduled as agreeable to their Supervisor. In making up missed time, biweekly employees will receive overtime pay, if applicable. It should be understood that make-up work for all Law School employees may not be possible.
They may elect to take the day without pay.

The University may call a severe weather work day WITH classes cancelled or WITHOUT classes cancelled. Law School employees are categorized as Category 2 employees in both instances and are not expected to report to work while the severe weather condition exists.

If severe weather conditions develop after a normal work day has started and the University implements the severe weather policy, Law School employees will be notified by their supervisors and will be given the option to leave. Should employees choose to leave, they will be paid 4 hours for reporting to work and for actual time worked beyond 4 hours. They may choose to have the unworked balance of the 8-hour day changed to vacation time, or with supervisory approval may make arrangements to make up the time within three months.

If the President of the United States, the Governor of North Carolina, or the Mayor of Durham declares that a state of emergency exists in the immediate area, employees should adhere to instructions given by the appropriate authorities. Pay arrangements are the same as under the University's declared severe weather policy.

SEVERE WEATHER BUT SEVERE WEATHER POLICY
NOT ENACTED BY UNIVERSITY

The Law School recognizes that some employees live in more remote areas than others and that some employees will be left without child care due to school closings in outlying areas around Durham. If Law School employees live in areas experiencing severe weather conditions and the University has not implemented the severe weather policy, they are eligible with supervisory approval to use discretionary days (in full days only) or accrued vacation time to cover an absence from work. This applies both to employees who have arrived at work as scheduled and must leave due to severe weather or employees who cannot reach the Law School due to severe weather.

STUDENT NOTIFICATION

Severe Weather Day With Classes Rescheduled: When the University declares a severe weather day with classes to be rescheduled, it applies University-wide and includes the Law School. The University will announce its decision through local TV and radio stations.

Other sources will be:

Duke Information Line-684-INFO (684-4636)
Duke Cable TV
Duke Daily News Web Site

In addition, the Law School Registrar's Office will have a message on voice mail (613-7027) confirming that classes at the Law School are to be rescheduled. The Law School's Computing Services Department will post the following message on the Law School's web site and e-mail: The University has declared a severe weather day and classes will be rescheduled. This includes Law School classes.

Every attempt will be made to reschedule Law School classes in their entirety on a Saturday (i.e., the same class schedule held on a Saturday). If this is not possible, the classes will be rescheduled individually.

Severe Weather Day With Classes Scheduled: When the University declares a severe weather day but classes are scheduled, individual professors will notify the Law School's Registrar Office voice mail (613-7027). The Law School's Computing Services Department will post the following message on the Law School's web site and e-mail: The University has declared a severe weather day but classes are in session. Law classes will be held if professors can reach the school. To learn whether or not your class will be held, call the Registrar's Office at 613-7027.

If individual professors have to reschedule their classes because of severe weather, the classes will be made up by the professors.

A designated backup will be appointed in case the Law School's Registrar cannot perform these functions in a severe weather situation.

Revised December 1996

Policy 11-3. Burdman Lounge

I believe that this policy statement will be welcomed by the faculty given the comments thta I have received from many of them. If any of you have questions or suggestions, please let me know; and if any of these raise significant issues, they can be taken to the Planning Committee.

Policy for Use of the Burdman Lounge

The Burdman Lounge is restricted to the following uses:
Faculty lunches/workshops/dinners/receptions as scheduled by the Senior Associate Dean; Board of Visitors and alumni class reunion events; Campaign events.
During the daytime, tables will not be rearranged within the Burdman Lounge. All daytime faculty workshops or lectures that require moving of the tables should be held in classrooms.
Mondays and Tuesdays from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. have been designated as meeting days and classrooms will be available. Thursdays from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. are designated as class make-up days and will be available if no make-up classes are scheduled in the classrooms.

If the faculty event in a classroom includes a reception, the reception portion can be held in the Burdman Lounge before or after the lecture as long as it does not require moving furniture.
Faculty members desiring to hold an evening reception or dinner that requires rearrangement of furniture in the Lounge may do so by contacting the building coordinator who will arrange for movers to move the furniture at the appropriate times. Such cost will be borne by the event and will be a minimum of $100. The Burdman Lounge furniture will not be moved before 4:00 p.m., so your event should be scheduled accordingly.
All other events should be held on the fourth floor loggia, the Blue Lounge, or other areas of the building such as Room 3032, or the soft seating area on Level 4. These include but are not limited to the following: Inn of Court; Siegel Competition; Special faculty luncheons with limited faculty participation; Faculty luncheons for students; Career Services receptions; LENS receptions; Special student guests; Public interest lunch series; Library lunches and workshops; U.S. Court of Appeals reception; Deans' Advisory Council; Administrative Law Conference; Gender Law and Policy reception; Moot Court Board; BLSA luncheons; L&CP banquets.
Notes: The fourth floor loggia can be utilized for many of the events that have been held in the Burdman Lounge. To make this space adaptable for various types of events, we have purchasing folding tables and chairs for receptions, lunches, and dinners and screens that can provide privacy and reduce noise. The loggia can accommodate seating for a maximum of 72 for a sit-down lunch or dinner. Numbers may be reduced for a buffet-style meal since space is needed for the buffet serving tables.

The Law School's own cleaning staff is available to set up events through 10:00 a.m. on the day of the event. This fact causes the Burdman policy to limit the times when furniture can be rearranged in the room by the staff, and also requires a special charge to pay to have others move furniture for events (for example, we can hire a moving company to come to the Law School in the late afternoon to move all the furniture in the Burdman Lounge for an evening dinner). The new Burdman policy reflects these factors.

Policy 11-4. Event Planning Guide

HOW TO RESERVE A ROOM
To reserve a room for your event, use the e-mail function. Once in e-mail, click File, then Proxy. At the Proxy screen, type in the room number in the USERID box (example: Room 2012) and enter. You are now in the email for the room you wish to reserve.
1. Click on schedule a meeting.
2. On the subject line, type in only the name of the event and name of contact. Click on "Send".
3. Once you have received your notice that the room has been reserved for you, please fill out the Proposed Event Form and/or the Special Housekeeping Forms as appropriate.
Note: Catherine Hall has authority to reserve all loggias, courtyard, Blue Lounge and the Burdman Lounge; Janse Haywood has authority to reserve the Dean's Conference Room, Burdman Lounge and the Blue Lounge; Kim Dean has the authority to reserve all classrooms.
HOW TO BUDGET FOR YOUR STUDENT ORGANIZATION'S EVENT AND WHERE TO SEEK FUNDS
1. DBA -- Contact the DBA Treasurer about funding through the DBA. Most clubs have a DBA pre-approved budgetary allocation for the year. Groups can also petition the DBA for additional funds.
2. Dean's Office -- Schedule an appointment to speak with Dean Sockwell after seeking funds from the DBA office. Dean Sockwell's office is located in the Dean's Suite - Room 2012. Ask to speak with Dean Sockwell's assistant.
3. External Relations (events outside the Law School) -- MUST see Dean Sockwell first. For large conferences and special events, please coordinate with the Law School External Relations Office (Room 1006).
4. Co-Sponsoring Events -- Co-sponsoring with other groups is encouraged, because it increases the number of interested students, spreads the work around, and typically decreases the cost to each organization.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you have any special needs such as parking (ie. gate), room set-up, tables, building access (ie., doors after 5:00 p.m. and weekends), trash cans, housekeeping, etc. please contact Building Coordinator at 613-7176 after you have filled out the Special Housekeeping Request Form (see appendix). Please contact Mirinda Kossoff, Director of Communications in External Relations (ext. 613-7015) for all events that involve outside photographers, press releases and press coverage, etc.
1. Parking (gate): Notify the Building Coordinator a minimum of two working days prior to the event.
2. Housekeeping Services: Notify the Building Coordinator a minimum of two working days prior to the event.
3. If the mess is excessive, housekeeping staff may be needed to assist with clean-up at weekend events. If housekeeping services are needed, the overtime rate of $18.50 per hour (minimum of 2 hours) will be charged to the sponsoring student organization. If a particularly large event is held on a weekday, especially if food is served, overtime housekeeping costs may be charged to the sponsoring group(s). If the staff does not work in excess of its normal shifts, no extra charges will be assessed. If food is not served it may not be necessary to have housekeeping present. The Building Coordinator is responsible for making the decision of whether or not housekeeping services will be required.
  
  Dancing presents particular problems in that the floor may have to be stripped and rewaxed. The cost for this process will be charged to the sponsoring group(s).
4. Building Access: The Law School is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday- Friday, and doors are locked all day on Saturday and Sunday. For access to the building after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends, please contact Building Coordinator a minimum of two working days prior to the event.
6. Audio visual needs: Send an email to AV (AV@law.duke.edu) a minimum of two working days prior to the event. You may also call 613-7164 or see Michelle Pesavento in Room 2068.
8. Serving Refreshments: Alcohol - All serving of alcoholic beverages MUST BE APPROVED BY DEAN SOCKWELL PRIOR TO THE EVENT. If alcohol is served, non-alcoholic beverages and some snacks (chips, popcorn, cookies) must also be served.
9. Kegs - Are allowed only on the 2nd floor Loggia, Vending area or JD's.
  
  Food - Food for formalized events in the Blue Lounge should be set up in the loggia. Whenever food is served in the building a "Special Housekeeping Request Form" needs to be filled out and submitted to the Building Coordinator.
  
  NOTE: When having pizza delivered, doors ARE NOT to be propped open. Exterior doors are on an automatic alarm. Propping the doors open causes the security alarm to go off, and Public Safety will come directly over to the Law School.
10. Security Guards: Security guards may be required for large parties anywhere on Law School grounds, including the courtyard. Security guards are required at events that are advertised as being open to non-Duke students and at large events where no Duke Law School faculty or administrators will be present to assist in case of problems or emergencies. The cost of security guards is charged to the sponsoring group(s).
BLUE LOUNGE POLICY
The Blue Lounge is primarily intended for students to use as a comfortable, attractive place to study individually or in groups, to converse socially over sodas and snacks, and to use for certain types of school events. Events involving large numbers of people requiring the movement of furniture outside the lounge or back against the walls are not permitted. Reservations are made through the Building Coordinator, Room 3038.

GUIDELINES:
1. If food and drink are to be served, the serving tables should be placed outside the Blue Lounge in the loggia area. No kegs or ice chests can be brought onto the carpet in the Blue Lounge. J.D.'s can be used as a serving area.
2. If a club wants to have cookies and sodas for a small group of 20 or so students, this use would be permissible. On the other hand, if a group is holding a larger party where beer, chips, and popcorn are served (for example), the food and drink should be in J.D.'s or, at least, outside in the loggia.
3. Electrical Voltage. Dances and other major events involving amplified music or high voltage equipment cannot be held in the Blue Lounge. The Loggia on Level 3 has been specially wired to handle sound equipment or other high voltage appliances such as institutional-sized coffee urns. If there is a need for such, please contact the Building Coordinator at 613-7176.
BURDMAN LOUNGE USE POLICY
See Policy 11-3.
PUBLICITY
Herald: Articles are to be submitted no later than 12 Noon on Fridays. The articles are to be sent to Janse Haywood (haywood@law.duke.edu).

Day Boards: Notices of upcoming events should be posed on the "day boards".

The following policy has been implemented to clarify procedures for the posting of law-related signs, posters, and other notices in the Law School building.

A communications bulletin board ("day boards") has been installed on level 3 between the library and classroom 3041. The bulletin boards are the official communication center of the School, and all students are expected to check them daily for notices of interest.

No censorship is involved; no official approval for posters is needed. The following guidelines are procedural in nature, and should be observed by all who post notices in this building.
1. A club or organization may post notices one week in advance of the event on the communications bulletin board located on level 3 outside the library. Place the notice under the day of the week on which the event is taking place. Each day all notices for the day just passed will be removed en masse. No effort will be made to read each notification. Any notice placed earlier than one week in advance will be automatically removed and discarded. Notices should not be larger than a half of a poster board size or 14' x 22.' Over the summer, all notices will be removed.
2. If posting space is inadequate to accommodate all posters, official Law School notices have priority. Examples include course descriptions, assignments, class cancellation notices, registration information, placement notices, and announcements from the faculty and administration.
3. The section of the communications bulletin board marked "administration" will be used for the school's administrative and instructional announcements only. Examples include requests for submission of time cards, information on building issues, class cancellations, and general registration and career services information. Club notices posted here will be removed and discarded automatically.
4. A club or other organization may post signs and notices on the bulletin board allotted to that group by the DBA. Club/organizational bulletin boards are located on level 2 in and around the vending area, by JD's, and along the journals' hall. The clubs' officers may remove any "foreign" posters from their bulletin boards and are responsible for keeping their own notices up to date. Over the summer, all notices will be removed.
5. Posters may not be affixed to the bulletin boards located on the ramp between the level 2 loggia and JD's or those located on levels 3 and 4 of the new building between the loggias and faculty offices. These boards are reserved for the Office of Career Services and faculty.
6. Posters may not be affixed to mail folders, walls, windows, painted surfaces, glass, doors, stairwells, or elevators because of the maintenance, damage, and litter problems that result. Also, posters may not be affixed to the acoustical panels or blackboards located in the (3) large classrooms, nor on the blackboards in the other classrooms. These types of notices will be removed.
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENTS
Law School reimbursement and purchasing procedures for student organizations are handled by Bonny Parrish. She will accept reimbursement and purchase requests only from the club treasurer in each student organization. It is imperative that one person in each club be aware of the receipts and disbursements in their organization's account. Past confusion has resulted because of conflicting information being presented to Ms. Parrish from several persons.

All club treasurers should allow monies in the budget for incidental expenses such as copier use, long distance calling cards, etc.

Allow a minimum of three weeks for the processing of all paperwork through the University accounting system.

The procedures and guidelines listed below are required by the University and conform to IRS regulations with respect to expense reimbursements and the purchasing of goods and services.
1. Original receipts are required. No photocopies of receipts will be accepted.
2. Hotel folio (itemized statement of each charge) is required stating a zero balance if you pay by cash. A credit card slip should accompany the folio if you pay by credit card.
3. An original airfare passenger receipt is required. No travel agent statements or small side ticket stub will be accepted. Use only the lowest price possible. First class accommodations are prohibited.
4. Reimbursement for travel will not be given until the trip is completed.
5. Travel for participation in competitions, etc. will require additional information (other than purpose of travel, departure and arrival time, etc.) such as names of all Duke Law students who travel together to participate.
6. Overnight, out-of-town meals will be reimbursed at the following rate when using a meal log: Breakfast - $8.00 Lunch - $12.00; Dinner - $20.00. If a meal exceeds the above limit, a receipt is required (note: the meal guideline is not a per diem; it assumes actual expenses have been incurred). Travelers should select restaurants which are reasonably priced. IMPORTANT: Students should check with their organization's treasurer to learn whether meals will be reimbursed. Meals for Moot Court teams, for example, are typically not covered by the budget.
7. The mileage reimbursement rate, as of January 1, 1997, is .315 cents per mile if a private vehicle is driven.
8. The University WILL reimburse the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) coverage on rental cars if you are a student. Students are the only travelers who should get this coverage and will be reimbursed by the University.
9. All travelers requesting travel reimbursement will need to sign a Duke University travel expense voucher which will be completed in Room 2007.
CASH ADVANCE
Cash advances are possible for traveling purposes. The advance will be placed on the student's Bursar's ledger account. Original receipts must be presented and the appropriate reimbursement forms submitted for the student's account to be cleared. Cash advances are not available for non-travel expenses.
PUBLICATIONS
Please use the Duke University Printing Services located on Kangaroo Street for your publication needs. If Duke Printing cannot meet your needs, please submit in writing the effort made with Duke Printing and why another vendor is preferred (faster service, less expensive, etc.). If Duke Printing is used, the payment will be made internally. If a non- Duke service is used, a Purchase Order must be assigned to the purchase (if the vendor will accept a P.O. #) or payment must be made by the student and reimbursement requested by presenting a receipt. Requests for Purchase Orders and reimbursements should be presented to Bonny Parrish in Room 2009. Make sure the non-Duke vendor chosen does not require a deposit. Duke does not pay for incomplete orders.
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Please do not get office supplies from the mailroom. You may purchase through the Duke Central Warehouse (684-2811) where a fund code number will be needed. Your club may also buy from a merchant such as Office Depot supplies and submit an original receipt for reimbursment.
PROFESSIONAL/PERSONAL SERVICES & HONORARIA
1. Payment for services such as typing, disc jockeys, translation or photography must go through the Duke Accounting System. DO NOT pay for these services and then expect to be reimbursed. The vendor must request payment through Bonny Parrish.
2. When requesting payment for services, submit the payee's permanent address and social security number or federal tax ID# along with the original invoice.
3. If paying a business such as The Hilton (for conferences, etc.) the payment will be made by Bonny Parrish with original invoices. Do not pay and expect to be reimbursed.
4. DO NOT pay for professional services by the awarding of a gift certificate.
5. DO NOT promise any guest speakers payment on the date of the speech unless it has been approved by Bonny Parrish at least three weeks in advance.
DEPOSITS
1. All deposits for student organization accounts are to be given to Bonny Parrish. All checks must state on the back "FOR DEPOSIT ONLY DUKE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL" with the organization name and accounting code.
2. Any gifts (contributions from outside organizations) must be given to Bonny for submission to the Gift Records office for acknowledgement.
3. All cash deposits must be submited in a sealed envelope with a name, date, and a note stating how much cash is enclosed. Cash is submitted at the risk of the organization.
TEE SHIRTS
1. If an organization plans to use printed tee shirts for fund raising, use a vendor that will accept a Purchase Order number and does not require a deposit. Payment to the vendor will be made through Bonny Parrish by an original vendor invoice. The vendor will be paid the full amount due once the shirts are in possession, are satisfactory and the invoice is given to Bonny Parrish. Some vendors do not require a P.O. in advance. If that is the case, still bring the invoice to Bonny Parrish for payment.
2. You are responsible for "walking" the appropriate paperwork through if purchase orders are required immediately. Bonny Parrish will instruct you.
3. The University expects the amount of money that was used to purchase the tee shirts to be deposited back into the account. All money raised should be deposited back into the account.
NOTE: Storage of Clubs' Goods -- It is important to contact Catherine Hall, the Building Coordinator in Room 3038, for storage of sweatshirts and other items belonging to student groups.
INTERNAL SPONSORSHIPS
1. If you receive sponsorship from other student organizations in the Law School for a conference, etc., please settle money contributions immediately before your conference is finalized. In the past, groups have overdrawn their budget because contributions for their conference expenses were not collected until the end of the academic year. This caused confusion and promises were either not honored or the amount collected was less than amount originally committed.
2. If you receive contributions from another Duke University department (e.g. GPSC), please ask the contributing department to send a copy of the transfer journal voucher to Bonny Parrish at Box 90362.
GIFTS/CONTRIBUTIONS
The giving of gifts and/or presents or contributions to other groups or individuals from within or without the Law School from University funds is prohibited.
CLUB BOARDS
Boards for various student organizations listed below are located in the vending area, near the ladies bathroom on the 2nd level, on the journals hallway and near the JD's cafe:
American Bar Association's Law Student Division
American Civil Liberties Union
Asian Law Association
Black Law Students Association
Brogden Tutoring Project
Christian Legal Society (CLS)
Committee on Gay and Lesbian Legal Issues (COGLLI)
Deans' Advisory Council
Domestic Violence Advocacy Project
Duke Bar Association
Duke Business and Securities Law Association (DBSLA)
Duke Chapter of Amnesty International
Duke Criminal Law Society
Duke Jewish Law Students Association (DJLSA)
Duke Law Democrats
Duke Law Drama Society
Duke Law Republicans (DLR)
Duke Project on International Humanitarian Law
Entertainment and Sports Law Society
Environmental Law Society (ELS)
Federalist Society
Forum for Legal Alternatives
Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC)
Health Law Society
Hispanic Law Students Associations
Intellectual Property Law Society
International Law Society
Intramural Sports
Moot Court Board
Phi Alpha Delta
Pro Bono Programs
Public Interest Book Club & Speakers Series
Parents Attending Law School
Prisoner Rights Project
Public Interest Law Society
Student Funded Fellowship
Students for Choice
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
Women Law Students Association
WEB
Additions and/or corrections to the Law School Master Calendar, What's New, Upcoming Events notices, etc. should be e-mailed and or called in to the Dean's Office. You may contact Janse Haywood at 613-7001 or e-mail address: haywood@law.duke.edu.
Revisions to the student organization's homepages should be sent to Dean Susan Sockwell at e-mail address: sockwell@law.duke.edu.

Web requests for e-mail address changes and/or complications, system availability, etc. should be sent to Ken Hirsh (613-7155 - ken@law.duke.edu, Becky Mangum (613-7146 - mangum@law.duke.edu) or Alonzo Felder (613-7215 - felder@law.duke.edu).

For information on creating a home page for your student organization, please see Kate Melcher in Student Affairs (613-7007 or melcher@law.duke.edu).
EMAIL
Guidelines for mailing to the #students list
In response to the expressed concerns of many students about the volume and content of mailings to the #students list, the administration of the Law School and the DBA have developed these guidelines to help e-mail users determine whether their messages are appropriate for this list.

In general, keep in mind that while e-mail is vast and cheap, it is not limitless and free. When you send your message, it will be sent to over 650 students. That means that over 650 copies will be made and will take up space on the Law School server. When the server ultimately fills up, which is becoming more and more often, it must be purged, resulting in the deletion of many important files from student directories, such as outlines and e-mail address books.

Also, remember that while your message may only take two minutes to read, that two minutes is also multiplied across 650 students, resulting in a cost of many person-hours. As the number of messages increases, the result is that each of us is spending a significant amount of time every semester reading e-mail.

Finally, remember that e-mail doesn't just appear when it is sent. It can be saved indefinitely, and sent around to others. Because it is so easy to store and retrieve, this may be more true of e-mail than traditional forms of communication. Thus, when sending a message, think about whether you would like it to resurface ten or fifteen years later.

Accordingly, mass e-mail you send out to the #student list should ordinarily be administrative in nature, and should cover topics that will be of interest to the Duke Law student body as a whole.

Some other tips:
1. Post to Newsgroups instead:
2. Consider whether your message would be more appropriate for a different audience. If you have something for sale, for example, you can reach far more people by posting to newsgroups, such as duke.marketplace, triangle.forsale, and triangle.wanted. These are read by thousands of people who are actively looking for things to buy and sell. Other groups to consider for your messages generally are triangle.arguments, triangle.general, triangle.motss (members of the same sex), triangle.politics, triangle.talks, duke.general, duke.announce, duke.announce.talks, duke.grad, and duke.ugrad. There are thousands upon thousands of different newsgroups which collectively reach millions of people who have already selected themselves as being interested in the newsgroup's topic. If you wish to experiment with posting to newsgroups, try posting to duke.test.
3. Mail to a smaller group list:
4. If you want to communicate with a large, but limited, segment of the Law School, you can simply maintain a list of those people and send your mail directly and only to them. Also, as of Fall 1996, you can send your message to #LLM98 to reach just the LL.M. candidates, or to #CLASS2000, #CLASS99, #CLASS98 to reach the first, second, or third year classes respectively.
5. Use the DOS mailer:
6. Apparently, there is a problem with the Windows version of Pegasus Mail that causes messages to be sent to only some of the user accounts. Often, individuals sending mass e-mail respond to this by resending the message. The result is that many people see the message twice, while others do not see it at all. You can avoid this problem by using the DOS version of Pegasus.
7. Clip headers when forwarding messages:
8. Mail programs typically place extra information about the status of the message at the top or bottom of the message. When you forward a message you have received from someone else, delete this extra information.
9. Use a descriptive subject header:
10. Make sure you choose a subject for your message that accurately and briefly describes your message, such as "Guidelines for Mailing to the #Students List" instead of "Please Read This."
11. Remember that your tone may not be clear from your message:
12. Sometimes a sarcastic or humorous remark may lose some of its intended meaning when it is reduced to cold text. It may be helpful to clarify your intent explicitly. E.g., "I think that's great! "
13. Keep private complaints private: If you object to a particular individual's message to the #students list (or anything else about the individual, for that matter), and feel the need to complain via e- mail, e-mail your complaint to that person only.
The following are specific examples of messages that many students find annoying:
1. Chain letters:
2. Chain letters are messages which encourage you to e-mail them to many other people. These messages have caused such a problem on the Internet as a whole that the computer system which services the undergraduates at Duke has adopted a rule which can result in the loss of a user's account if that user sends a chain letter on their system. Please do not send chain letters on the Law School's Student Research Network, especially to the #students list.
  One particular chain letter that keeps resurfacing over and over is THE GOOD TIMES VIRUS HOAX. This message warns of a computer virus which can be contracted by reading an e-mail message with the subject line "Good Times." It is impossible to get a computer virus by simply reading an e-mail message. Do not believe or spread messages which warn against the Good Times Virus.
  
  Also, think of the HUMOROUS MESSAGES that flow around the Internet as being chain letters for the purposes of mailings to the #students list. If you would like to read or spread humorous messages, check out the newsgroups rec.humor.funny, rec.humor, and duke.cs.humor, to name a few. Feel free, of course, to e-mail these messages to individual recipients you feel would appreciate them.
3. Commercial messages:
4. The Law School Student Research Network should not be used to promote ongoing non-Law-School-related commercial ventures. Again, there are newsgroups where such messages are appropriate and welcome. In the event that you do feel a message is relevant and proper for mailing to the #students list, please label it appropriately. If you are selling something, please put in the subject line "FOR SALE: Duke-UNC Final Four Basketball Tickets" (or whatever it is you are selling). If you want to buy something, put "WANTED TO BUY: One United States Senate Seat" (or whatever). This way, you will reach the people you want to reach faster, and bother the people you don't want to reach less.
5. Debate:
6. A message sent to so many people can more easily be justified if it will simplify or improve their lives in some way. In short, such messages should be administrative in nature. If the #students list is used as a forum for everyone to air her individual complaints about the Law School or about life in general, it will quickly lose its value as a means of distributing important, useful information. Accordingly, please don't use the #students list to present your views on social or political issues.
7. Harassment:
8. Of course, e-mail should not be used to harass anyone.
THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE: Do not send something out just because it is not on this list. This is still a relatively new technology, and some things are not addressed here because they have never been a problem before. Instead, use your best judgment to decide if your message is something that would benefit the Duke Law School community if you sent it to the #students list.

To end on a positive note, the following kinds of announcements are appropriate and welcome on the #students list:
1. Announcements of upcoming events:
2. This includes social events, parties, or speakers, for example. These should be appropriately labeled in the subject line of the message. E.g., "SPEAKER: William J. Clinton."
3. Community service announcements:.
4. e.g., requests to donate blood
5. Calls to organize groups of students:
6. e.g., asking people to join your student group.
THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE: Don't assume that your message is not appropriate just because it is not on this list. Use your best judgment to decide if your message is something that would benefit the Duke Law School community if you sent it to the #students list.

Policy 11-5. Freedom of Expression

Dean's Statement on Freedom of Expression in the Law School

The Dean's office has been asked to speak to the conditions of leafletting mailboxes and posting bulletin boards and other ways of expressing viewpoints on any number of subjects, whether related to the law school directly or to general issues of politics on a much larger front.

First, however, we are concerned that all students continue to feel at ease in coming to us to discuss such issues, with every assurance of goodwill from us and the faculty. Thus, it is personally important to us that this informal memorandum not be misunderstood as expressing some view or judgment on particular recent events. Rather, what we understand may be useful is some expression of attitude from our office, reflecting a general view, rather than an admonition or a reiteration or creation of guidelines. We agree that some attempt by us to share a sense of what we ought to consider in our relations with one another may be helpful.

Duke University does have two general rules affecting student expression and political actions during their residence at the University. These University-wide rules are addressed to certain forms of "disruptive picketing, protesting, or demonstrating," and to specific acts of "sexual harassment." They apply to professional and graduate students as well as undergraduate students. Students who may be unfamiliar with them are welcome to come by the Dean's office to acquire a printed copy. They are, however, quite limited and deliberately do not attempt to cover required special attention. They do not reach a great deal that is left more to each person's good judgment, self-restraint, and civility. While it is more, this may collectively be called common sense behavior.

The question then may be to what extent we can continue to count on the notion of common sense. We have always counted on it a great deal in the past, and we hope that we may continue to do so. The Law School and the University are a much better place so long as we can.

Under such notions of common sense, we each should find suitable ways to express our points of view on any number of subjects in ways adequate to show our feelings honestly without, however, a spirit of meanness toward any of our classmates, and without a desire to do them harm or to make them feel disappointed for having elected to devote three years of their young adult lives at this school. Our inability to act without personal rancor or bullying would tend much more to stifle free speech here rather than advance it. It seems simply a matter of common sense that acts of intimidation, humiliation, or of spite and ill will do none of us any good.

When students have allowed standards of civility to slip seriously in ways repeatedly hurtful to others entitled to share the campus equally with themselves the response at some universities to such recurrently offensive activities has been more rules. Such requests have been made to us to make more rules, but this is not an undertaking welcomed by us or the faculty. We want you to know why this is so.

Regulation of student expression, whether of particular viewpoints, or even of the circumstances or manner of their utterance, is a very tricky undertaking. Such rules often convey their own intolerance without meaning to do so. However artfully drawn, they can chill a good deal of provocative expression that is surely altogether desirable, especially within a lively professional school. They also tend to convey the message that those who carry unpopular messages are being told to be quiet. The business to "judicialize" academic life and our relationships is often also a sign of mutual failure to operate within the common sense notions discussed earlier.

We are not prepared to tolerate destruction of property, threats to specific individuals, or other actions that threaten one's sense of personal safety. We do not believe that any student would disagree that these are utterly out of bounds. Beyond this, we need to maintain common sense notions of civility, and not meanness or intimidation, in our expression and the manner of communication to one another. Our failure to do so will inevitably hurt all of us by making this a much diminished environment in which to pursue our individual educational aims.

Policy 11-6. Sexual Harassment

Legally, sexual harassment is prohibited as a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. Duke University has defined sexual harassment in an academic environment as:

"the intentional misuse of authority by a faculty member by conduct focusing on the sexuality of a student in the teacher-student context. Sexual harassment can take a variety of forms, from verbal suggestion or innuendo to repeated physical overtures of an overt physical nature, or requests for sexual activity accompanied by implied or overt threats or inducements concerning a student's grades, recommendations, academic progress or professional standing. Sexual harassment may be egregious or less serious. Regardless of degree, it abuses the student- teacher relationship and has no place in the academic community."

PURPOSE

Harassment of any kind is not acceptable at Duke University. It is inconsistent with the University's commitments to excellence and to respect for all individuals. Duke University is also commited to the free and vigorous discussion of ideas and issues, which the University believes will be protected by this policy. This policy is intended to complement Duke University's Equal Opportunity Policy (Duke University Personnel Policy A-5).

SCOPE

This harassment policy applies to all persons who are enrolled or employed at Duke University while they are on university property or are participating in a university-sponsored activity off- campus. The Procedures for Resolution of Claims of Harassment, described below, apply to situations in which both complainant and respondent are enrolled or employed at Duke University.

Situations which involve others, including applicants for admission or employment who believe they have been harassed by employees of Duke University, and students and employees of Duke University who believe they have been harassed by contractors or vendors serving the University, will be resolved through procedures for complaints of discrimination. Persons who believe they have experienced these situations should contact the Office of the Vice President for Institutional Equity. (See "Introduction of Procedures for Resolution of Claims of Harassment").

POLICY

Duke University is committed to protecting the academic freedom and freedom of expression of all members of the University community. This policy against harassment shall be applied in a manner that protects the academic freedom and freedom of expression of all parties to a complaint. Academic freedom and freedom of expression include but are not limited to the expression of ideas, however controversial, in the classroom, residence hall, and, in keeping with different responsibilities, in workplaces elsewhere in the University community.

Definition of harassment at Duke University:

Harassment is the creation of a hostile or intimidating environment, in which verbal or physical conduct, because of its severity and/or persistence, is likely to interfere significantly with an individual's work or education, or affect adversely an individual's living conditions.
Sexual coercion is a form of harassment with specific distinguishing characteristics. It consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
1. Submission to such conduct is made, explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual's employment or education; or
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for employment or educational decisions affecting an individual.
The conduct alleged to constitute harassment under this policy shall be evaluated from the perspective of a reasonable person similarly situated to the complainant and considering all the circumstances.

In considering a complaint under the Duke University Harassment Policy, the following understandings shall apply:

Harassment must be distinguished from behavior which, even though unpleasant or disconcerting, is appropriate to the carrying out of certain instructional, advisory, or supervisory responsibilities.
In so far as Title VII (Equal Employment Opportunity) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is applicable (i.e., in complaints concerning carrying out of non-instructional employment responsibilities), the University will use the definition of sexual harassment found in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Guidelines: "conduct of a sexual nature . . . when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment."
Instructional responsibilities require appropriate latitude for pedagogical decisions concerning the topics discussed and methods used to draw students into discussion and full participation.

The following behaviors are also prohibited by the Harassment Policy:

Reprisals
1. Against the Complainant: It is a violation of Duke's Harassment Policy to retaliate against a complainant for filing a charge of harassment. A complaint of retaliation may be pursued using the steps followed for a complaint of harassment. When necessary, the appropriate dean or other University officer may monitor student grading or faculty/staff reappointment, tenure, promotion, merit review, or other decisions to ensure that prohibited retaliation does not occur.
2. Against the Respondent: Lodging a complaint of harassment is not proof of prohibited conduct. A complaint shall not be taken into account during reappointment, tenure, promotion, merit, or other evaluation or review until a final determination has been made that the University's Harassment Policy has been violated.
Knowingly false or malicious complaints
To file a knowingly false or malicious complaint of harassment or of retaliation is a violation of the Harassment Policy. Such conduct may be pursued using the steps followed for a complaint of harassment. A complaint under this provision shall not constitute prohibited retaliation.
Intentional breaches of confidentiality
All participants in the Harassment Complaint Resolution process, including the complainant and respondent, witnesses, advisors, mediators, members of hearing panels, and officers, shall respect the confidentiality of the proceedings. Breaches of confidentiality jeopardize the conditions necessary to the workings or internal procedures for resolution of claims of harassment. Participants are authorized to discuss the case only with those persons who have a genuine need to know.

A complaint alleging an intentional breach of confidentiality may be pursued using the steps followed for a complaint of harassment. Such a breach may also constitute an act of retaliation. A breach of confidentiality may void the outcome of any previously agreed-upon resolution to a complaint.

Individuals who believe they have been harassed, individuals charged with harassment, and individuals with knowledge of situations in which harassment may exist should consult Duke University's "Procedures for Resolution of Claims of Harassment."

This Harassment Policy and the Procedures for Resolution of Claims of Harassment are only part of Duke University's effort to prevent harassment in our community. In addition to spelling out steps for making and resolving complaints, the University is also committed to programs of education to raise the level of understanding concerning the nature of harassment and ways to prevent its occurrence.

NOTE: This Harassment Policy replaces previous statements on Sexual Harassment in Employment and Sexual Harassment of Students. Specifically it replaces Appendix W of the Faculty Handbook, Policy IX.180 and Policy IX.190 in the Duke University Policy Manual, and the statement on Sexual Harassment of Students in the various school Bulletins.

Policy 11-7. Posting Notices

This policy has been implemented to clarify procedures for the posting of law-related signs, posters, and other notices in the Law School building.

No censorship is involved; no official approval for posters is needed. The following guidelines are procedural in nature, and should be observed by all who post notices in this building.

A communications bulletin board has been installed on level 3 between the library and classroom 3041. This bulletin board is the official communications center of the school, and all students are expected to check it daily for notices of interest.

A club or organization may post notices one week in advance of the event on the communications bulletin board located on level 3 outside the library. Place the notice under the day of the week on which the event is taking place. Each day all notices for the day just passed will be removed en masse. No effort will be made to read each notification. Any notice placed earlier than one week in advance will be automatically removed and discarded. Notices should be no larger than a half of a poster board size or 14" x 22". Over the summer, all notices will be removed.
If posting space is inadequate to accommodate all posters, official law school notices have priority. Examples include course descriptions, assignments, class cancellation notices, registration information, placement notices, and announcements from the faculty and administration.
The section of the communications bulletin board marked "administration" will be used for the school's administrative and instructional announcements only. Examples include requests for submission of time cards, information on building issues, class cancellations, and general registration and career services information. Club notices posted here will be removed and discarded automatically.
A club or other organization may post signs and notices on the bulletin board allotted to that group by the DBA. Club/organizational bulletin boards are located on level 2 in and around vending, by JD's, and along the journals' hall. The clubs' officers may remove any "foreign" posters from their bulletin boards and are responsible for keeping their own notices up-to-date. Over the summer, all notices will be removed.
Posters may not be affixed to the bulletin boards located on the ramp between the level 2 loggia and JD's or those located on levels 3 and 4 of the new building between the loggias and faculty offices. These boards are reserved for the Career Services office and for faculty.
Posters may not be affixed to walls, windows, painted surfaces, glass, doors, stairwells, or elevators because of the maintenance, damage, and litter problems that result. Also, posters may not be affixed to the acoustical panels or blackboards located in the (3) large classrooms, nor on the blackboards in the other classrooms.

Policy 11-8. Vending Wares

Many student organizations sell items such as t-shirts, caps, mugs, etc. to raise funds to support the group's activities. Vending on behalf of official Law School organizations is permitted. Outside vendors and students who are in business for themselves (i.e., those not selling items on behalf of an officially recognized student organization) are not permitted to use space in the Law School to vend or display their wares.

Policy 11-10.Network Use Policies

I. Preservation of Data

The School of Law Computing Services Department [Computing Services] backs up data on the faculty network server to tape on a daily basis. Data on the student network server will be backed up to tape after the replacement of the student server in the early summer of 1999. Backups are run overnight. Hence, files that are created and deleted on the same day are not backed up. Files that are left on the servers overnight are backed up, and may remain on tape even after the file has been deleted from the network. Files include documents and e-mail messages.

Files backed up to tape from the faculty network server have the following retention periods:

Backup Performed	Retention Period
Wednesday-Monday	One Week
Tuesday	One Month
Last Day of Month	Six Months

Data on the both faculty server and the student server are also backed up to the university’s remote backup system on a daily basis. Files backed up to the university remote system are retained though two revisions of the file. That is, when you replace an existing file with a newer version, two of the most recent prior versions remain available through the university remote system. Files you delete remain available through that system for ninety days after you have deleted them from our network.

Only files stored on the network servers are backed up. These include drives f: and j: on the faculty network, and drives f: and r: on the student network. Faculty and staff who require data on their hard drive (drive c:) backed up should contact Computing Services.

II. Network Security

The law school networks use the Novell NetWare operating system. Data transmitted and stored on the network is protected by encryption of the data traveling through network cable and by the use of user account restrictions to control access to files. Nevertheless, personal and institutional data are potentially at risk from unauthorized users. If an unauthorized user obtains access to your files, any of the following could happen:

1. Data Corruption. Your files and those in any shared directories to which you have access could be altered or destroyed.

2. Unauthorized communications. Through local e-mail and the law school's connection to the Internet, electronic mail could be sent under your name, files could be transferred to or from your directory, and charges could be incurred for uses of fee-based electronic services.

3. Release of information. Unauthorized persons could access and release your confidential or private data.

All authorized users of the law school network have individual directories for their own files. Some also have access to shared files accessible to several or more authorized users. To help prevent unauthorized access to individual and shared files, the law school network has a number of built-in network security devices that apply across the network. Network administrators can also create special restrictions that will allow even authorized users to access particularly sensitive accounts only during certain times of the day or from certain terminals. Such restrictions help prevent access to data in administrative offices during non-business hours and from remote locations.

Ultimately, however, network security depends on the actions and concern of each individual user of the network. Because both personal and law school data can be placed at risk if network security is not taken seriously, the law school has adopted the following policies and recommended practices:

A. Password Protection

Your individual password provides the first and strongest line of defense against unauthorized access to your own files and shared files to which you have access. Changing individual passwords regularly, constructing passwords that are not easily broken, and not reusing previous passwords are all key elements in promoting network security. The following policies regarding password protection apply to all law school staff members. Unless their administrative or other responsibilities require them to have access to shared files, faculty members are not required, but are strongly encouraged, to adhere to the policies. Because all law students' accounts are restricted in their access to directories other than their own and students have limited abilities to store files on the network, students are required to change passwords only on an annual basis.

1. Changing Passwords Regularly. Individual passwords for all law school employees other than exempted faculty members must be changed at 90 day intervals. When your current password is about to expire, the network operating software will prompt you to create a new password when you log in. (You may create a new password without assistance from computing staff. The password will be known only to you.) If you do not create a new password after three prompts, the system will deny access to the network until you check with the computing staff.

2. Password Length and Construction. Individual passwords must be at least 6 characters in length and should contain a mixture of letters, numbers and other symbols. Passwords should not be dictionary words and should contain at least one non-alphanumeric symbol, such as * # $ %.

3. No Reuse of Passwords. Passwords may not be reused. The system will not accept previously used passwords.

4. No Sharing of Passwords. Accounts and passwords should not be shared. If work relationships require regular access to another user's directory, e.g., if a secretary needs to work on a faculty member's files, the network supervisor can set up access to the directory on the secretary's own account, without revealing the faculty member's password.

B. Terminal Security

To prevent unauthorized access to your files, you should log off the network whenever leaving your terminal for more than a brief period. Your office should be locked when you are away to protect against both unauthorized use of the terminals and physical theft. Staff who work with confidential information and work in publicly accessible areas should use screen savers with password protection to keep unauthorized persons from seeing confidential data.

III. Data Privacy

It is law school policy that, in general, no law school employee, including computing services staff members may access the files or e-mail of law school employees or students without the prior consent of the individual involved. In the limited circumstances described below, Computing Services staff and other staff may have access to files created or used by individuals. No student may access the files or e-mail of any other individual without that individual’s prior consent.

1. Computing Services staff must inventory contents of directories on the network and desktop computers to verify compliance with Year 2000 requirements, to verify that all software installed on law school computers is properly licensed, or to check for computer viruses.

2. Supervisors are given access to an employee’s files upon termination of employment. Upon termination, an employee’s network account is disabled but the files in the employee’s directory are retained on the network for six months.

3. Computing services will comply with all requirements of federal or state law, including accessing files or records when required by legal process.

In May 1997, the University Information Technology Advisory Committee endorsed a policy on “Computing and Electronic Communications at Duke University: Security & Privacy,” a copy of which is attached to this memorandum.

Revised and Approved by the Library Committee, April 1999

[Top Of The Page | Duke Law School | Rules & Policies Homepage]