Mount Holyoke College - Campus Strictness

College Prowler Take

There isn’t much consensus on just what exactly Public Safety busts people for. Sure, there are the Public Safety logs, published faithfully every week in the Mount Holyoke News, the student-run newspaper, but those are filled mostly with accounts of suspicious males being escorted off campus, intoxicated or ill students being transported to the Health Center, and the occasional group of students who light a box on fire and then leave the area. Mount Holyoke does have a drug and alcohol policy, but few students take the time to read it, and many violations go unnoticed by Public Safety. If your party is too loud or otherwise attracts attention, you might get busted for underage drinking if they come to break it up, but otherwise, it’s easy not to get caught.

However, don’t take this as a sign that MHC Public Safety is lax. This is generally a dry campus. Alcohol is not a particularly visible feature of campus life—students who do drink tend to do so discreetly—and there are many who don’t drink at all. Parking tickets are, on the other hand, common. It’s pretty easy to get one, even if you thought you were going to get away with leaving your car parked in the no-parking zone in front of your dorm for five minutes while you ran in to grab something. While most of what Public Safety cites students for is pretty minor, it’s good to know they’re around should they really be needed.

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Students Speak Out

MHCMB says: Mount Holyoke College 2013 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Public safety's strictness seems... Public safety's strictness seems to vary depending on which officers are working and how well you know them. However, if you do get caught doing something illegal, it's bad news—you can end up on social or academic probation, get kicked off campus, or lose a variety of privileges. In general, people take the Honor Code pretty seriously. If you do plan on doing something illegal or against the Honor Code, be careful! 12345 Campus Strictness: March 05, 2009 Report

MHCAE says: Mount Holyoke College 2013 Other

They aren't ridiculously strict,... They aren't ridiculously strict, but if you make it easy for them to catch you, they will. Partying is pretty popular but not as huge as it is at other schools. Public safety is great, and the disciplinary system is always educational versus punitive. 12345 Campus Strictness: March 03, 2009 Report

MHCAM says: Mount Holyoke College 2013 English Language and Literature

As long as you don't drink until... As long as you don't drink until you are sick or have a disturbingly loud party that goes on late into the night, you won't get in trouble. 12345 Campus Strictness: March 02, 2009 Report

MHCEH7 says: Mount Holyoke College 2013 Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

The College is most strict about... The College is most strict about Honor Code violations; other crimes are forgivable. When it comes to anything drug or alcohol related, the priority is for students' safety and rehabilitation. 12345 Campus Strictness: March 02, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

Drugs are never tolerated, but... Drugs are never tolerated, but they’re pretty lenient with drinking, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. 12345 Campus Strictness Report

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