The Law School is committed to the belief that “with respect to the fundamental rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent” (Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes No. 29). Therefore, the Law School admits students of any race, color, age, sex, religion or creed, or national/ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available at the Law School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion or creed, national/ethnic origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (including identity and expression), or disability in the administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, and other Law School programs, or in its employment policies.
Non-Discrimination and Non-Harassment Policies and Procedures
The following Law School staff members are Notaries Public:
Cheryl Baro, Financial & Operations Coordinator, Room 141
Andrea Meals, Senior Paralegal, Clinical Programs Office, Room 120
These staff members are generally available during regular business hours; however you must be prepared to make an appointment. There may be times when appointments may not be readily available. Accordingly, please plan well in advance of any deadline. All persons whose signatures are to be notarized must be present and have a photo ID.
The University Public Safety Department supervises all parking areas. Students wishing to use these facilities must register their vehicles with Public Safety. Beginning with Fall 2019 physical hangtags will not be issued. The parking office will be using license plate recognition (LPR) to monitor parking areas. LPR cameras mounted on parking enforcement vehicles will automatically scan license plates of parked cars and alert the enforcement officer to potential violations. The use of this technology will result in faster and more frequent checks of lots throughout the day. This technology requires all vehicle license plates to be visible to the parking enforcement vehicles. To register vehicles or for questions or concerns, please visit the Parking Office website.
Student parking is available in the parking garage (S4) or in the surface lot (S5) in front of the main entrance to the Law School building. Vehicles parked in faculty, staff, reserved or other unauthorized places are subject to fines and may be towed. Owners must make arrangements and pay costs to retrieve towed vehicles. Parking restrictions on the use of reserved areas apply at all times including evenings and weekends. For information, contact the University Public Safety Department at 610-519-6990. The Associate Dean for Finance, Administration and Strategy serves as liaison with the University Parking and Public Safety offices. Visitor parking passes may be obtained from the Library Circulation Desk in advance for the following day.
Romantic and sexual relations between a member of the faculty at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure track, visiting, and adjunct faculty, as well as teaching fellows) and a student currently enrolled at the Law School, who do not have a pre-existing marital or other analogous relationship, violates the faculty member’s ethical obligation under his or her employment agreement with Villanova University. Please consult the University’s Personal Relationships Policy for more information. This policy applies to all faculty members, staff members, and student assistants of Villanova University. Student assistants are not permitted to have sexual or romantic relations with students who are enrolled in their classes or over whom they exercise any other type of supervision or judgment. The prohibition against romantic or sexual relationships with other students who are graduate students, majors, minors, or concentrators in their department or program does not apply unless the student assistants have some supervisory relationship to those students. Otherwise, the same principles apply to student assistants as apply to faculty members.
In keeping with University policy, pets are not permitted in the Law School building. Service dogs are permitted. Emotional Support Animals are subject to the University’s Emotional Support Animal Policy.
Phones should be turned off in classes, lectures, meetings, and other presentations. If a pressing emergency requires a cell phone to be on, it must be a silent signal, and the individual must exit the room to take the emergency call. Please also be considerate of others when using phones in and around the building, being especially aware of how distracting loud conversations can be to others attempting to work or study. Avoid engaging in conversations outside classrooms, offices and in or near the library.
Students may not possess mobile phones of any type nor other electronic devices of any kind during examinations unless their use is explicitly approved in the examination regulations/ materials permitted. Students will be required to leave all such devices at the front of the examination room and may claim them after the examination is over. When examination regulations/materials permitted specify that the use of a hand held calculator is permitted, this refers to a non-memory basic mathematical calculator only.
Wildcard-operated photocopiers with fax capability are located at the end of all three floors of the Law School, at the end of the Cafeteria corridor and throughout the Library. For related information on printing, please refer to Computers under the General Information C tab in this Handbook.
Students attend many events on campus and off campus, including educational, athletic and social events at which photographs or video recordings may be taken by or on behalf of University or Law School personnel or by other students or unaffiliated third parties. Attendance at such an event is deemed to constitute consent by and on behalf of the student to the use of the student’s image, voice or likeness in any live or recorded transmission or photographic reproduction of such event in any media, for any purpose whatsoever, including the commercial purposes of the University, the Law School, its sponsors, licensees, advertisers and broadcasters.
Students must complete a Consent to Disclose Educational Records (Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act – FERPA) form when requesting letters of recommendation from faculty or administrators. Completed forms should be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs.
The use of recording devices in classes is permissible only with the prior approval of the professor. The Administration cannot arrange to have individual students’ classes recorded. Students may request that a professor record a class, however, it is the professor’s sole discretion to decide whether to do so.
Rooms may be reserved only for official Law School functions/events and only by faculty, staff, and the officers of officially recognized law student organizations. Student groups seeking room reservations must reserve rooms by filling out the Student Organization Event & Room Reservation Form. Teaching Assistants should contact their faculty member’s support staff (Suite 260) for room reservations.
Students may use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Restrooms should be used in a respectful manner, honoring the privacy of others. Restroom facilities are located throughout the building on each floor and in the library. A family, gender-inclusive bathroom is located in the locker area on the ground floor.