Update on "Responsibilities of Community Life"

Every decade the Houghton College trustees, faculty and staff review and update the "Responsibilities of Community Life Statement."  (This is the statement you signed when you completed your Houghton application for admission.)

This document provides the rationale and guidelines for the Houghton College community. The current review began in the fall of 2007 and will conclude by the end of 2008.  Some will be interested to note that this latest amendment addresses the issue of dancing.  The Board of Trustees voted in their February 2008 meeting to accept the recommendation of the President's Task Force on Community that we move in a direction that would allow dancing on campus under certain guidelines.  See the report and recommendations that were approved.

The Student Life staff will be working to put this recommendation into the language of policy as soon as possible. In reality, this is an effort to reclaim the college's ability to speak into the dancing situation. The proposed policy makes very clear that "dancing" covers a wide range of behaviors and invites careful reflection and discretion in this area of their lives.