Many schools pay lip service to an open-door policy.
Almost all of the staff and faculty form bonds with students that last beyond graduation. Students are urged to capitalize upon an institutional ethic that impels deans and housekeepers alike to lend a patient ear or provide an encouraging smile. While the Dean, the Vice Dean, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs have been assigned institutional roles to implement the Grievance Procedures, the Policy Against Sexual Coercion, the Policy Concerning Relationships Between Faculty and Students and the Disciplinary Code, most faculty members are eager to assist in resolving disputes informally or to provide guidance to persons who perceive themselves as victims of harassment or similar inappropriate conduct. The Student Faculty Relations Committee is a particularly important source of assistance. The degree of Juris Doctor is awarded cum laude to graduates who rank in the top 10 percent academically and have a cumulative, weighted average of 83.00 or better.