The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 3 - 41

Different is Not Deficient

Education or Information

The campus code of conduct,

the campus code of conduct, which includes
residence hall policies, should be as specific
as possible with respect to rules, guidelines,
and expectations. a clear code of conduct will
lessen the initial requirement for students
to generalize, interpret, or draw inferences
based on the policies and protocols. this information should be posted prominently on
appropriate websites and referenced in residence life materials for prospective residents,
so that prospective residents with asD can be
directed to this information in advance. immediately after move-in, residence life staff
should provide community meetings or programming that reinforce these policies and
codes with students, ideally with concrete
examples of infractions. the materials also
should include step-by-step phases of campus
judicial or student conduct procedures.

which includes residence hall

educational programming that can be beneficial to all residents, but may be of particular
use to residents with asD, include topics such
as time management, self-advocacy, addressing isolation or homesickness, and strengthening interpersonal communications (White, et
al., 2011). residence life staff can partner with
student health services, for example, to build
awareness of personal hygiene and offer explicit descriptions of the health and well-being
that is promoted through regular attention to
self-care. as an increasingly more common
element of first-year student orientation and
other programs, workshops or presentations
on bystander intervention and sexual violence
also provide concrete examples of healthy
friendships, respectful relationships, and
(ideal) social responsibilities among peers.
these workshops, particularly those incorpo-

policies, should be as specific as
possible with respect to rules,
guidelines, and expectations .
A clear code of conduct will
lessen the initial requirement for
students to generalize, interpret,
or draw inferences based on the
policies and protocols .

rating role-play, demonstrating self-assertiveness and advocacy, and illustrations of peers
stepping up to address awkward, potentially
alienating peer interactions also help unpack
social interactions and social cues that could
be perplexing and uncomfortable for students
across the neurodiversity spectrum.

Conduct Processes and Sanctions
Campus judicial or student conduct processes
can be tailored in ways that support the students' success without loss of integrity. most
processes allow students to be accompanied
by one or more support persons. for students
with asD, it would be helpful if the support
person(s) can serve as a knowledgeable process
advocate and guide. With the student's consent,
a disability services professional may be consulted to provide relevant, contextualizing information to the student conduct professional
and/or judicial hearing board members and

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 3