Removing parents from the equation might make some think college is something of a Wild West, devoid of rule and law governing personal behavior.
Instead, Tech devotes many resources to the enforcement of students' rights and responsibilities. Students involved in alcohol abuse, drug use, sexual misconduct, hazing and other illegal behavior can find themselves facing sanctions ranging from formal warnings to expulsion.
Students observed violating university policy can have a judicial referral filed against them by any student, non-student, or faculty member, though these are usually filed by authority figures like police officers and resident advisors. A judicial referral will result in a hearing organized by the Office of Judicial Affairs, to determine if the policy was violated as well as the appropriate sanctions. In certain cases, students could be suspended or permanently dismissed from the university.
There are several sanctions the university can impose on a student found guilty of breaking university policy. Formal warnings do not prohibit students from participating in university activities but can lead to more serious disciplinary action for further violations. Restitution requires a student to pay for damages made monetarily or through community service. Privileges such as on-campus housing and access to computer network access can be removed as a sanction.
Students who are suspended from the university must go through a readmission meeting after a specified period of time, often one or two semesters. These students cannot enroll in classes or transfer credits taken at another university during the suspension period.
The most serious university sanction is dismissal or permanent separation from the university.
It will surprise few that incidents involving alcohol constitute the highest percentage of judicial hearings. The university has a three-strikes policy concerning alcohol with two categories of offense. Minor offenses count as one strike and include underage possession of alcohol and drinking in public. Major offenses count as two strikes and are charged when a student has allegedly put himself or someone else in danger through drinking. Students who make themselves sick or have to be hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, have commited major violations.
Students receiving a first strike are put on probation and have to take a class on alcohol abuse. Students receiving a second strike will be put on deferred suspension and must take another class. Students facing their third strike will be suspended.
Steve Clarke, director of the Campus Alcohol Abuse Prevention Center, attributes the incidence of risky drinking behaviors to misperceptions of college and free time. Tech also has "all the risk factors," he said. "We're a Division I school who has a top 10 football team, we are rural, and we have a large Greek system." Clarke also said that his center's studies show that less than half of students drink more than once a week.
The Alcohol Abuse Prevention Center will be working with the Tech and Blacksburg community to establish a hotline where people can report disturbances or dangerous behaviors relating to alcohol. They will also beginning opening Johnston Student Center for various Friday night activities including poetry cafes and dances.
More stringent than the three-strike alcohol policy is the zero-tolerance drug policy at Tech. According to the "plain English drug policy" found on Judicial Affairs' web site, students found responsible for a range of activities including possession, use, sale, manufacture or distribution of an illegal drug such as marijuana, LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin and other substances "will almost certainly be suspended from the university."
Hazing and sexual misconduct are also listed in plain English policies. The university defines sexual misconduct as forcing sexual activity onto another person, ranging from kissing to forced intercourse. Force can include mental intimidation or pressure as well as physical force or intimidation. A person under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or some other impairment cannot give legal consent. Likely sanctions range from a formal warning to a minimum of suspension in cases of rape.
Hazing, portrayed in the media as a form of initiation for various student organizations including fraternities and sororities is defined as "any intentional, negligent, or reckless activity or situation that causes another pain, embarrassment, ridicule or harassment, even if that person is a willing participant" according to university policy. It is a criminal offense in Virginia and can result in suspension.
Students may also face disciplinary action for a variety of other rule-breaking behaviors, including failure to comply with a university official, involvement in a university violation and actions leading to the conviction of criminal offenses. The university is notified when a student is arrested, even if it is off campus.
Byron Hughes, Assistant Director of Judicial Affairs said that the university doesn't want students to simply experience the disciplinary process to be punished, but to "understand and be educated" about the reasons behind university policies.
Judicial Affairs will be changing its name to the Office of Student Conduct this summer.
Click here for a PDF copy of the University Policies for Student Life