System modifies conduct rules

Chapter 17 and 18 wording revised, head to Legislature for approval

By: McLean Bennett

Posted: 5/7/09

The UW System agreed recently to modify changes it had already made to proposed student conduct rules, according to a System press release issued Friday.

The rules had previously been changed to clarify universities' ability to discipline students for certain off-campus violations, but concerns about the changes prompted the System to modify the rules again, according to the release. The rules are contained in chapters 17 and 18 of the State Administrative Code and are now in the second year of a revision process.

Student Senate President Michael Umhoefer announced the news of the recent modifications at Monday's Senate meeting, calling the revisions "really good changes" and applauding the System for working with students on addressing concerns.

According to the press release: The new rules include narrower language regarding discipline for municipal code violations. Where the rules previously stated that students could be punished for "serious or repeated" violations, the modified rules state that students can be disciplined for "serious and repeated" violations.

The new rules state explicitly that students may have a lawyer speak for them at suspension or expulsion hearings and when students are charged with a crime prompting disciplinary proceedings.

The new rules also allow students to choose between being tried by a hearing examiner or a hearing committee; provide expanded language concerning students' constitutional rights; require that universities notify students of pending disciplinary action by both e-mail and paper; and allow students to appeal sanctions to university chancellors.

Senate member Aaron Brewster, who traveled to UW-Milwaukee in March to lobby the System's Board of Regents against adopting the proposed revisions, said he thinks the recent modifications are "a step in the right direction," but added he still has some concerns.

He said he is troubled by what he called vague language regarding universities' ability to go after students for municipal code violations, saying the change in wording - from "serious or repeated" to "serious and repeated" - doesn't alleviate his concerns.

"It basically makes it so you couldn't be expelled for one parking ticket, but you could be expelled for two if somebody thought a parking ticket was a serious offense," Brewster said.

Students aren't in danger of facing discipline for minor violations, though, said David Giroux, communications director for the UW System. Students must meet a "very high threshold" of bad behavior before they will be subject to discipline, he said.

"Most of our UW students at any campus don't ever do anything that comes close to this level of bad behavior," Giroux said.

Giroux also said while some students have raised concerns about the rules going too far, some people living near campuses have said the rules don't go far enough.

"I'd say there's been a good number of concerns on both sides," he said.

The Board of Regents could approve the rules as early as Friday. From there the rules will go to the state Legislature for approval, and could be in place by next fall, according to the System press release.