DRUG VIOLATIONS AT UA UP IN 2004, REPORT SAYS

UA Judicial Process Affects Students On, Off Campus

College students may think they can do whatever they want in the
privacy of their dorm rooms, but those caught with drugs on campus
can be arrested, like they would at any off-campus location.

The UA Police Department arrested 10 students in 2004 for drug law
violations, up from two in 2003, according to the recently released
UAPD Campus Security Report. The security report lists statistics for
the previous year.

The Student Code of Conduct include rules against alcohol, controlled
substances and drugs such as marijuana. So if you were to get with
drugs in your dorm room, what would happen?

Mark Foster, assistant director of UA Judicial Affairs, said it can
vary by case, but violations mostly follow a common course.

"I really think the [resident assistants] do a good job of telling
their residents at the beginning of the year what to expect if they
violate drug and alcohol rules," Foster said. "We like to have cases
cleared up within two weeks, but, for instance, in a drug case
students may call in lawyers, which can prolong the process."

What is that process? First, the RA is supposed to write an incident
report detailing what he saw, and then he calls the on-call community director.

The community director is a professional staff member who deals with
the health and safety of students living on campus. If alcohol or
drugs are found, the community director contacts the UAPD, which
sends out an officer. These officers issue a non-academic misconduct citation.

"Once students receive letters from our office or from the UAPD, they
are instructed to call us and set up an appointment," Foster said.

If the student does not arrange the meeting, he is placed on
disciplinary hold, which prevents a student from registering for
classes the following semester, Foster said.

UAPD Capt. Lee Harris said actions that affect the student's standing
at the University are often more effective than criminal charges.

"When they realize their college career could be in jeopardy, they
tend to pay attention," Harris said. "With jail, they can get Mom and
Dad to bail them out, but their parents can't keep them from being
kicked out of school."

Once the student is made aware of his rights and the judicial
process, he is allowed to either choose to have a formal hearing or
accept responsibility for the violation.

Should the student accept responsibility, he is immediately cited by
the Judicial Affairs office.

If he decides to go through the formal process, he goes before a
panel of faculty, staff and a student from the UA judicial board.
This panel then selects the student's punishment.

Possible sanctions include probation for one year, participation in
an alcohol education workshop or substance abuse program, a fine or
community service and a reflection letter. If students are under 21,
their parents will also receive a letter notifying them of the
violation charged against their child and the sanctions their child
must face. Freshmen also must attend a freshman transition workshop.

Foster said worse punishments are possible, depending on the circumstances.

"There are a lot of extenuating factors," Foster said. "But if they
have enough drugs in their possession, where it looks like they could
be selling it, there is a possibility they could be suspended from school."

But students, especially those in possession of drugs, can be in
trouble with the University and the city at the same time.

"We issue both city and campus citations" if the student is found to
violate the law, Harris said. "Students do not escape the criminal
process just because they live on campus."

But being off campus doesn't save students from the University's
judicial process, either.

"What a lot of people do not realize is that students get issued
citations for their conduct off of the University, just like they can
on campus," Harris said.

Harris said if an officer discovers he has stopped a student for
drunken driving or possession of a controlled substance the officer
can and often will issue a campus violation to the student along with
the other charges brought against him.

Regardless of where the student is cited, disciplinary records with
the school remain confidential.

Foster said many RAs think they never see the punishments against
people they turn in because those records are not available to anyone
but the student and his parents. Foster said RAs can be told about
the status of the case.