Students must be free to organize and join associations for educational, political, social, religious or cultural purposes. It is consonant with the principles of academic freedom, the traditions of free inquiry, and the educational purposes of the State University of New York to assert that the student body, acting responsibly in the spirit of free intellectual inquiry, is free to invite any person it chooses to address it on any topic. No sanction or other disciplinary action shall be imposed on a student by or in the name of the State University of New York in an arbitrary manner. Information about student views, beliefs and political associations which professors and College staff acquire in the course of their work as instructors, advisors, and counselors should be considered confidential. No information from records is available to prospective employers, graduate or professional schools, or government agencies without the explicit consent of the student, and such information must be limited to their academic experiences only.
College students are citizens as well as members of the academic community.
As citizens, students should enjoy the same freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and right of petition that other citizens enjoy and as citizens they are subject to the obligations which accrue to them by virtue of this membership. Faculty members and administrative officials should ensure that institutional powers are not employed to inhibit such intellectual and personal development of students as is often promoted by their exercise of the rights of citizenship both on and off campus. Activities of students may upon occasion, result in violation of the law. In such cases, institutional officials should be prepared to apprise students of sources of legal counsel. Students who violate the law may incur penalties prescribed by civil authorities, but institutional authority should never be used merely to duplicate the function of civil laws.