Teresa Crawford, a graduate student instructor, says an LSA sophomore spray-painted the phrase "Teresa and chemistry suck" on her office door.
A custodian says he saw the student running in a hallway of the Chemistry Building at 1:10 a.m., and Lee admits to carrying a pint of rum in the pocket of her Pittsburgh Steelers jacket.
While this incident of vandalism never happened, 30 prospective Code panelists discussed this scenario at a nine-hour training session Saturday. Using the fictional incident as a starting point, panelists performed an in-depth analysis of ways to assess a real-life hearing.
Resolution Coordinator Mary Lou Antieau said this year's orientation was more user-friendly.
"What we're doing is going step-by-step," Antieau said. This year's training was based on mastering specific parts of the arbitration process instead of a more condensed approach, she said.
Antieau also said organizers tried to make panelists more comfortable with the training process itself.
"We'll offer supplemental training," Antieau said. "If (panelists' questions) can be answered in print, we'll have a frequently-asked-questions sheet."
Last spring, several Code jurors stepped forward with harsh criticism of the training process. They also described accounts of severe dissent among panelists.
LSA junior Olga Savic, an outspoken critic of last year's training and the panelists' attitudes, said she is pleased with how things are shaping up this year.
"I think some of the attitudes have changed in the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, or at least those attitudes have become more apparent," said Savic, a student panelist. "None of the Code panelists are here to ruin anyone's life. I think we can make this process constructive."
Vice President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford and Associate Law Dean Susan Eklund spoke at the training session.
Hartford said the University community needs to be disciplined in both intellectual pursuits and personal behavior. "Our Code of Student Conduct is one element of that," she said.
Eklund advised panelists to be objective and courteous in their treatment of witnesses.
"My big rule for asking questions is to follow Emily Post," Eklund said, referring to the renowned etiquette author. "If you treat the witnesses before you with a sense of respect, it will promote the civility we all want."
Eklund also cautioned panelists to be sensitive at hearings dealing with issues of alcohol or sexuality.
Antieau said alcohol-related issues dominate a large percentage of hearings.
Rebecca Jacobs, an LSA sophomore, said she has concerns about the Code, but found the training session useful.
"I'm surprised at how well it's
going," Jacobs said.
Jonathan Winick, a Michigan Student Assembly representative and Code panelist, estimated that 10 of the 30 trainees had connections to MSA.
Antieau said the active participation of MSA members does not indicate that panelists have political agendas.
"I think last year (MSA members) did a very good job (as panelists)," she said. "I'm not concerned."
Winick said he did not become involved with the Code by choice.
"Somebody involuntarily signed me up," he said. "Now that I've looked into it, I'm glad I did it."