Community Council Update

On Monday Feb. 25 at their weekly meeting, the Community Council discussed the honor code review process, judicial board membership and the social house review process.

The Council has been asked to nominate two members from its group to sit on the committee that reviews student applications for the Academic Judicial Board (AJB) and the Community Judicial Board (CJB) this April.

This position brings with it enormous responsibility as the boards oversee sensitive issues involving academic and behavioral misconduct, including sexual assault.

“The Academic Judicial Board hears cases involving academic dishonesty of some kind, and the Community Judicial Board hears non-academic disciplinary issues that warrant the College’s response,” explained Associate Dean of Judicial Affairs Karen Guttentag.

“These boards have the authority to review the incident that occurred, determine if what happened violates college policy and to give sanctions when the party is found guilty,” she said.

The committee will be comprised of five members including Guttentag, two AJB members who are not returning and two nominated Community Council members.

Assistant Director of Custodial Services, Linda Ross and Olena Ostascheva ’16 were nominated from Community Council to sit on the committee.

“I think it is a really beneficial process for students because the kind of questions we are asking are about this community, on how students observe their peers and the kind of qualities they place value on in this community,” said Guttentag.

On average, the committee receives 50-70 applications each academic year to fill the 12 spots that comprise the AJB and the CJB.

On a similar note, Community Council met with the Honor Code Review Board earlier in the year to outline goals for upcoming academic year. The group concerned itself with educating students on the Honor Code and dealing with alleged violations.

“What we have been really focusing on is how we can make sure the institution, specifically the administration, can better promote an environment of academic integrity and give students all the tools they need to succeed while ensuring that we are responding to alleged violations in a way that is consistent, fair and transparent,” said Guttentag.

During the 2008-2009 review process, the Honor Code Review Board recommended that the College not continue with the policy of un-proctored exams, out of concern that students were not meeting their responsibilities to uphold the code.

The Student Government Association (SGA) however, made the case that students were ready to uphold these responsibilities.

What emerged was a compromise that un-proctored exams would continue, except in situations where a professor was particularly concerned with cheating in a classroom and could then formally request to proctor exams.

“I get about three requests a year from faculty members asking for proctored exams,” said Dean of the College Shirley Collado. “The economics department has been one department making these requests out of concern for some of the things happening in that particular department.”

On the Council, the effectiveness of the Honor Code seems to be just as relevant an issue to students as it is to faculty members.

“It bothers me a lot,” said SGA President Charlie Arnowitz ’13. “I think there should be a better student culture of self-proctoring. I think that would be the ideal situation.”

The Honor Code Review Board has proposed that the SGA create an ad-hoc committee. They suggested that it be comprised of students who care about academic integrity issues and those who are willing to do research, asking questions about ways to move toward an environment that is more optimal to academic honesty.

“If it doesn’t happen from and by the students, then it really doesn’t have power, no matter how much review we [the administration] do,” said Collado. “That is the hard part.”

The meeting concluded with an update from the Residential Life Committee who has had the task of reviewing the five social houses on campus this year. There will be a meeting on March 12 to follow up with social houses Delta (ADP) and Kappa Delta Rho (KDR).