Activities of students may on occasion result in violation of civil or criminal law. In such cases, College officials shall be prepared to apprise students of sources of legal counsel and may offer other assistance. Students who violate the law may incur penalties prescribed by civil authorities, but College authority shall never be used merely to duplicate the function of general laws. Only where the institution's interests as an academic community are distinctly and clearly involved shall the special authority of the institution be asserted. The student who incidentally violates institutional regulations in the course of his or her off campus activity shall be subject to no greater penalty than would normally be imposed. Institutional action should be independent of community pressure. Students who are studying abroad must recognize that they are subject to the laws of the countries in which they are studying.

Generally the jurisdiction of these policies shall be limited to conduct which occurs on College premises (including property beyond the Mt. Vernon campus), as part of a College-sanctioned activity (e.g., off-campus study) or which adversely affects the College community and/ or the pursuit of its objectives. Cornell students are responsible to the College for certain actions committed off campus when in the judgment of the Dean the conduct is likely to interfere with the educational process or orderly operation of the College; or the continued presence of the student on campus is likely to endanger the health, safety or welfare of the College community; or when the conduct has an adverse effect on the College's pursuit of its mission. The action of the College with respect to any conduct shall be made independently of any off-campus authority. The prospect of criminal charges does not preclude the possibility of College jurisdiction over the case. College policies not only apply to the rights and responsibilities of individual students but also to those of student organizations