VT Campus Ban Information
Virginia Tech is committed to the safety and welfare of students, employees, and visitors through the establishment of reasonable practices that:
- support a safe and secure environment in all buildings and grounds owned, leased, and/or operated by Virginia Tech;
- promote safety through policies and programs;
- provide an appropriate level of security at university activities; and
- safeguard the university's property and physical assets.
The chief of police, or designee, is authorized by the Code of Virginia § 23.1-815 and § 15.2-1717.1 to ban individuals from all Virginia Tech property, a specific building, or area. Individuals who have received a Trespass/Ban from Campus notice have the right to appeal (see below for instructions).
Persons may be banned from campus for a variety of reasons and the fact that someone is banned does not (by itself) mean that the university considers them to be a danger to the campus community.
If anyone banned is seen on university property or in a specific building from which they have been banned, please call the Virginia Tech Police Department at 540-382-4343. Do not approach or attempt to apprehend this individual; keep your distance and wait for police personnel to respond.
Ban Appeal FAQ
This appeal process is designed to provide persons who have received a trespass/ban from campus notice (hereafter referred to as a Notice) an opportunity to appeal the trespass/ban from campus (hereafter referred to as a Ban). A person who has been issued a Notice may appeal in writing to the Associate Vice President for Public Safety within 10 business days of the date the Notice was issued. Failure to file a timely appeal shall be considered a waiver of the appeal process.
This appeal process is not applicable to any criminal charge(s), as criminal charges are decided through the appropriate court system.
Written appeals should be mailed to:
Dr. Amy Orders
Associate Vice President for Public Safety
Public Safety Building
330 Sterrett Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Written appeals should include:
- Appellant's contact information
- Notice information, including date of issuance, and location
- Reason for being on university property at time of ban
- Future need to be on university property
- Any other information appellant wishes to be considered
- Whether a hearing is requested
After a proper and timely appeal is received, the Associate Vice President for Public Safety, or designee, will review the appeal and any records related to the ban to determine if the ban was arbitrary or capricious.
Should you request a ban hearing, the Associate Vice President for Public Safety will conduct a hearing as soon as their schedule reasonably permits.
If you would like to request a hearing but are unable to participate in person, you can request the hearing be completed using technology that is convenient to both parties, such as via the phone or Zoom.
At the hearing, the appellant will be given an opportunity to present and dispute relevant information.
The Associate Vice President for Public Safety, or designee, will sustain, rescind, or modify the ban in a written decision that will be mailed to the address provided in the written appeal. The Associate Vice President for Public Safety will strive to issue decisions within seven to 10 business days of the date of the hearing.
If the appeal is filed, the restrictions set forth in the respective Notice will remain in effect until the appeal process is completed.
If any student is banned but has a business need to be on campus (meeting, conduct hearing, etc.), they can make a direct request by email to the Chief of Police (vtpolice@vt.edu) to be on campus for the necessary period of time to address their business. The business purpose is subject to verification before temporary approval will be granted. Temporary approvals are specific to individual events and must be requested each time a student has a business need to be on campus.
If any individual is banned but has a legitimate need to be on campus for a specific circumstance, they can make a request to the Chief of Police (vtpolice@vt.edu) at least two business days in advance to the date in question. They should be ready to substantiate the purpose/nature of the request and comply with any stipulations that may accompany the approval of their request.
If a ban is sustained, and the subject of the ban returns to a restricted area, they will be subject to arrest under applicable state code.
If a student going through the Student Conduct process is also banned from campus, in addition to completing any required re-enrollment meetings and/or assigned sanctions, they will need to file a request for removal of the ban (as outlined above) prior to returning to the university community. After the intial appeal period is over, students may submit a letter to the Chief of Police requesting that a ban from campus be reviewed for removal. The letter should contain relevant information to include completion of re-enrollment meetings, completion of assigned sanctions, and any other information relevant to the review of the ban that the student would like the Chief to consider. The letter may be submitted by mail, email (vtpolice@vt.edu) or fax.
Questions? If you have additional questions, please call 540-231-6411.