Quincy University releases new student handbooks, almost every year, that frequently go unread by the student body. However, it is essential for students to know what their institution’s rules and regulations are as being unaware could potentially cause issues. 

“I do not know where the student handbook is or how to get the student handbook. I’ve never seen it before and any consequences, except losing your key, I have no idea what they would be. Title IX, I know that, because we had a whole meeting for it because I’m in sports. The key to my room, I know that because it was mentioned or something, but other than that I have no idea,” Jared Boehm said. 

Besides Title IX, which is a mandatory training for student-athletes in the beginning of the year, all of the other rules and regulations could affect athletes in their sport directly. 

Student athletes could have their athletic scholarship taken away because of violations to the student handbook. This is stated in the athletic grant paperwork that student-athletes must sign every year. 

“I mean if you have a scholarship you should know that you could lose your scholarship. Just like if you are not doing well in the classroom, you can get kicked out of school,” Kenshawn Bragg said. 

The athletic grant states that failure to comply with the rules and regulations of Quincy University, the athletic department, or the NCAA can make the grant contract null and void. This often goes unnoticed and none of the students interviewed on the topic of the handbook stated they have read the handbook. 

There are sections in the handbook that interviewed students were shocked about. One was the section on cohabitation, which many students on campus could be in violation of. 

“We do not read the student handbook, I didn’t even know there is a student handbook. What’s in the student handbook? Exactly, we may never know! Look if you are studying with somebody you shouldn’t lose your house. That’s like you going to your friend’s house to hang out and to do homework. You shouldn’t get kicked out, if you pay your rent…if you already paid for the housing they can’t tell you where you can study at. If you want to study with a friend you can study with a friend,” Kavontay Danser said. 

At Quincy University cohabitation is prohibited and an individual could be considered cohabiting if their belongings stay in a room that is not their own. Or even, as stated in the QU student handbook, if the nonresident is “studying in the room on a regular basis”. 

The student handbook is not given in physical form to students, as it is digitally available on the university’s website. However all of the students interviewed when asked about it did not know where the handbook was located. 

“I think students should read the handbook but teachers should supply it more, so we can all read it. I think it should be posted somewhere, just as a reminder, just in case someone doesn’t want to read the entire handbook,” Lily Haire said. 

It is important to read the handbook every year, whether or not a student is participating in sports, as these rules and regulations apply to all of the student body. Some of the violations mean suspension or even expulsion, as well as others like cohabitation leading to loss of housing privileges.