RIT Faculty Council Decorum Committee reports

In 1965, RIT's Vice President of Student Personnel Services, James B. Campbell, informed the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) administration that he was concerned about the morality of the university's students. According to Campbell, RIT's students were in violation of some of the Institute's basic rules including the school's alcohol restrictions and women's overnight regulations. Campbell addressed the university's fraternities and sororities on March 30, 1965 to introduce the school's new morals policy. During his address, he stated that the goal was to "go after individuals at fault, and not entire organizations, unless the entire organization is at fault." He also warned that students who made a public display of their drunkenness or female students who stayed out all night, would be dismissed from the Institute. Known as "Campbell's Commandments," the restrictions were not popular amongst the student body.

To address the issue, the RIT Faculty Council formed a Decorum Committee chaired by Richard Lunt, a professor in the College of Liberal Arts. The committee spoke with several students to surmise the student body's understanding of the issue. According to a report submitted in July 1965, the students wanted "a greater voice in self-government and self-discipline," but also "recogniz[ed] their own inability to completely and independently govern themselves." As a result, the group recommended that a similar permanent committee be formed to advise the Faculty Council on future actions, a student committee be appointed to study the issue in greater detail, and slight changes be made to the Institute's chaperoning procedures.