A residential college adds significantly to the education of students when it provides the opportunity for a distinctive and dynamic community to develop and learn. In such a community, Bowdoin students are encouraged to engage actively in a quest for knowledge both inside and outside the classroom, and to take responsibility for themselves, for others, and for their community. They are challenged to grow personally by constant contact with new experiences and different ways of learning about one another, our community, and the world. Simultaneously, they are supported and encouraged by friends, faculty, staff, and other community members and find opportunities for spontaneous as well as structured activities. Such a community promotes the intellectual and personal growth of individuals and encourages belonging, mutual understanding, and respect in the context of diversity.

The programs and services provided by the Division of Student Affairs exist to support students and the College in engaging, developing, and maintaining the learning community. Staff throughout the Division of Student Affairs assist students with their studies, their leadership and social growth, their well-being, and their future. The Code of Community Standards provides comprehensive information about student life and the programs and services of the Division of Student Affairs.

The Academic Honor and Social Codes

Uncompromised intellectual inquiry lies at the heart of a liberal arts education. Integrity is essential in creating an academic environment dedicated to the development of independent modes of learning, analysis, judgment, and expression. Academic dishonesty, in or out of the classroom, is antithetical to the College’s institutional values and constitutes a violation of the Academic Honor Code. Bowdoin expects its students to be responsible for their behavior on and off College premises and to assure the same behavior of their guests.

The Academic Honor Code plays a central role in the intellectual life at Bowdoin College. Students and faculty are obligated to ensure its success. Since 1964, with revisions in 1977 and 1993, the community pledge of personal academic integrity has formed the basis for academic conduct. The institution assumes that all Bowdoin students possess the attributes implied by intellectual honesty. 

The Social Code describes certain rights and responsibilities of Bowdoin College students. The College requires certain standards of behavior on and off College premises to secure the safety of the College community and to ensure that the College remains a center of intellectual engagement. The College has an interest in the character of its students, and both on- and off-campus behavior reflect a student’s character and fitness to be a member of the College community. 

A thorough description of the Academic Honor Code and Social Code and the disciplinary process are included in the aforementioned Code of Community Standards.