Students gather to discuss Code

A handful of students gathered last night to discuss something that affects all University students - the Code of Student Conduct. Last night's forum, which organizers expected would draw in about 25 North Campus students to Pierpont Commons, attracted fewer than 10 students.

The discussion focused on students' lack of awareness of the Code, as its implementation is up for review this semester by both University and student committees. The Student Code Review Committee, created by the Michigan Student Assembly's Student Rights Commission, will give a full proposal based on their review to the University Board of Regents within the next few weeks.

"There's little things and big things. We're confident in getting some of the little things, but it's the big things that are important," LSA senior Abe Rafi said.

Some of the bigger things include changing the wording of the Code so it is better understood by students and allowing students to be represented by attorneys during Code hearings.

Established in 1995, the Code is the University's internal discipline system instituted to ensure the student body upholds University values. Its sanctions can be as severe as expulsion.

Simply put, the Code "governs non-academic student life," LSA sophomore Brian Reich said. Beyond that, there is no short explanation of the Code, he said.

Reich said it is his intention to produce an executive summary of the Code based on the upcoming presentation to the regents to familiarize students with the Code.

"Hopefully by January we'll have a cheat sheet," Reich said.

Reich described the cheat sheet to include a bulleted list of the Code's sanctions. The Code is easier to understand once you separate the sanctions from the processes, he said. The processes are not of concern to the students until they have to deal with the Code, he said.

"Everyone should know the sanctions," he said.

Although students receive a copy of the Code with their acceptance letters, little time is spent discussing it, making the Code seem unimportant, Rafi said.

Students can be disciplined and "the University can say, 'We handed you the Code before orientation,'" Rafi said.

"I was shocked to get a letter from the University," said Engineering senior Rich Hanbidge, who was ticketed during the November police raids for having an open alcohol container.

After he got the citation, he received a letter from the University containing alcohol awareness pamphlets. Hanbidge did not specify whether the letter threatened Code sanctions.

"It was inappropriate timing," Hanbidge said, "Right before finals. Couldn't it wait?"

He added that the time lapse between the police action and the University letter was a long enough gap that the University could have waited until after finals.

In the discussion, full abolition of the Code was not favored.

"It's a state university. We don't promote a philosophy," Reich said, but "if it's affecting your education, then the University should do something."

12-03-98