Protocols for Responding to Outside Requests for Information or Access to Campus, Service of Legal Documents and Contact by Outside Attorneys

The following are protocols for requests for information and access to campus facilities or community members received from outside individuals.

Important notes: 

  • Swarthmore College is a private institution and can generally restrict access to its facilities and grounds by outside parties. However, law enforcement officers and immigration officials may lawfully access any College-owned areas that are open and accessible to the public. In all cases, please do not hesitate to contact Public Safety or the Office of General Counsel for guidance about who may lawfully access College property, including its facilities and grounds.
  • In all cases, the College will abide by legal requirements when responding to judicial warrants, valid subpoenas,  and other requests for information and campus access. When assessing all requests for information about students, the College will comply with the requirements of The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

Requests by Law Enforcement or Immigration Officials

  • All requests (in-person or otherwise) for information and access to campus facilities or community members made by law enforcement or immigration officials must be referred to Public Safety immediately. In particular, if approached by an immigration official who asks you for information and access to campus facilities or community members, you should inform the person that you are not authorized by the College to consent to their request and instruct them to contact Public Safety directly.

Public Safety is available 24/7, and serves as the first point of contact for all such requests. Public Safety will promptly notify personnel in the Office of General Counsel as necessary for assessment of any requests for information or access by law enforcement and immigration officials. 

Requests by Attorneys or Government Agencies/Officials (for non-law enforcement or immigration purposes) 

  • If you are ever contacted by an attorney about a legal matter involving the College, please refer them to the Office of General Counsel immediately.
  • Requests for information received from government officials/agencies (for non-law enforcement or immigration purposes) should be directed to the Office of General Counsel.

All other requests for information (employment verifications, record of attendance, directory information) that are not related to a legal matter should be directed to the appropriate College department, such as the Registrar's Office or Human Resources. 

Service of Legal Documents*

  • During normal business hours, the Office of General Counsel is authorized to accept service of process of legal documents on behalf of Swarthmore College.  Outside of normal business hours and when the Office of General Counsel is operating off-campus, the Department of Public Safety is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of Swarthmore College. The Office of General Counsel is usually available Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. when the College is open for business. Public Safety is available 24/7.
  • If approached by a process server or any individual who asks you to accept legal documents on behalf of the College, you should "refuse service", meaning tell the process server that you are not authorized to accept any legal document on behalf of the College. Then, promptly inform the process server that they are to contact the Office of General Counsel or Public Safety.
  • If you have received a legal document relating to College business by mail or otherwise, please notify the Office of General Counsel immediately .

*Legal documents, such as a complaint, warrant, subpoena, summons, hearing notice, or any other notice of a legal order or proceeding, may arrive at the College by mail, or in some cases by a process server or a Sheriff. A process server is an individual who serves (or officially hand-delivers) notice of a legal process to a participant in that legal process. This practice is called "service of process." Usually legal documents relating to College business will be addressed to "Swarthmore College" or "The Board of Managers of Swarthmore College", but sometimes will name specific employees of the Swarthmore College community.

If you have questions about any of these protocols, please contact the Office of General Counsel.

Disclaimer

The information and materials on this website is offered for informational purposes and is not legal advice. The office is available to assist the College community with College-related legal issues. The Office of General Counsel represents Swarthmore College only and cannot provide legal advice to students or employees of the College on individual and personal matters. If you have legal questions of an individual nature, please contact an attorney of your choosing, or seek an attorney referral from the Delaware County Bar Association, Philadelphia Bar Association, or the College's Employee Assistance Program, Carebridge (1-800-437-0911).