Over 800 alleged violations of the non-academic disciplinary code were processed from July 2006 to June 2007, according to an August 2007 report released by the Office of Student Life. OSL annually makes public a report detailing the resolutions of alleged violations of the University's Standards of Student Conduct.
Cases are referred to either non-disciplinary or disciplinary dispositions. Non-disciplinary dispositions handle less severe infractions through warnings, mediations or dean's conferences. Other cases are heard by the Peer Community Standards Board, deans of student life, the University Disciplinary Council or an administrative hearing officer, depending on the nature and severity of the violation.
Two hundred and eighty-six cases were resolved through disciplinary dispositions in the 2006-2007 academic year. Most of these disciplinary resolutions were handled by dean's hearings, according to the report. Dean's hearings resolve cases such as underage drinking, harassment, behavior of a guest and damage to University property and can result in sanctions ranging from a warning to deferred suspension.
Non-disciplinary dispositions were used in 577 cases in the 2006-2007 academic year - 340 more than the previous year. Associate Dean of Student Life Terry Addison said this spike is due to a "huge increase in the number of copyright cases." The University is attempting to crack down on illegal downloading of music and movies because of the risk such downloading places on both the student and the University, Addison said. Students receive a warning letter for first offenses and may lose Internet access on their personal computer for up to a month for a second offense. On the rare occasion that a third offense occurs, the music industry starts to question the University's disciplinary policies and may take legal action against the student, Addison explained.
Cases that would normally be handled by the Peer Community Standards Board were referred to non-disciplinary dispositions or dean's hearings this past academic year because the board was dismantled due to scheduling problems and a lack of student participation, wrote Assistant Dean of Student Life Yolanda Castillo-Appollonio in an e-mail to The Herald. The Peer Community Standards Board deals with minor and first violations including fire alarm incidents, theft and noise complaints and will be resurrected this year as OSL recruits more students to serve on the panel, according to Castillo-Appollonio.
Students that are in danger of severe punishment by the University or having their violation noted in their permanent records have the option of presenting their case to one administrator through an administrative hearing or a panel of administrators from the University Disciplinary Council, Addison said.
According to the report, 17 cases were heard by administrative hearings in the last academic year - 11 more than in the previous year. Sanctions are determined based on the nature of the offense, the evidence and testimony presented and a student's prior disciplinary record, so the same violation may result in different punishments for different students.
Three of these cases involved the provision of alcohol to prospective students who were underage by students who were also underage and under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Those three students received different punishments based on their previous records - probation, deferred suspension and a reprimand - but all three were required to write a policy manual for first-years hosting high school students.
Another case involved a student entering another student's apartment and hiding in the closet, refusing to leave when asked and punching a light fixture. The student was given deferred suspension for the remainder of the term and asked to meet with a dean and write a reflective paper.
OSL releases the report each year not only because it is their responsibility to do so under Rhode Island law, but also because the deans believe students have "a right to know what cases have been handled on campus," said Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life.
