Message From Dean of Students Marianne Thomson

Dear Students:

On March 30, New York State legalized the personal use of marijuana for individuals over the age of 21. Despite this change in state law, Syracuse University will continue to comply with federal law, which prohibits all use, possession, and/or cultivation of marijuana at U.S. educational institutions, including private institutions that receive federal funding.

As such, Syracuse University’s Code of Student Conduct will continue to consider use, possession, purchase, distribution, manufacture or sale of marijuana or drug paraphernalia as violations of the code. This applies even if a student has a New York State medical marijuana registry ID card.

As with all conduct cases, we consider the health and safety of individual students as well as the community when determining sanctions for Code of Student Conduct violations. The Student Conduct System takes a primarily educational approach, and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities works closely with the Barnes Center at The Arch to provide targeted educational sanctions related to the use of alcohol and other drugs.

All Syracuse University students receive a copy of the Student Conduct System Handbook and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that supports and promotes the educational mission of the University. Any questions related to the Code of Student Conduct should be referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities at 315.443.3728 or studentconduct@syr.edu.

Sincerely,

Marianne Thomson
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students