Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech administrators are closely watching changes to the University of Virginia’s policy for student disclosure of crimes, and say similar measures could be on the way in Blacksburg.

CHANGES AT UVA

Allen Groves, UVa’s dean of students, said UVa has had “a requirement that students self-disclose any arrests or convictions,” since 2004.

However, in the light of crimes that took place around UVa’s campus last school year — including the disappearance of Tech student Morgan Harrington from the John Paul Jones Arena in October and the murder of UVa lacrosse player Yeardley Love in May — the school is taking several steps to encourage students to report their former arrests or convictions.

Groves said he felt “a large number of students weren’t aware” of the requirement to self-report.

“People just didn’t know about the requirement,” he said.

In addition to keeping language on the standardized Common Application form, UVa asks students to disclose previous arrests or convictions, Groves said the university searched for a way it “can be more active in bringing it to students’ attention.”

Current UVa students will now be asked once per semester if they have been arrested or convicted of a crime since being admitted. The question will be posed when they log onto NetBadge, a service that provides students access to their university e-mail, student account and wireless Internet.

“On this screen, if they say yes, it asks for background,” Groves said.

He said he hopes students will “rely on their honor to be truthful.”

At UVa, students who answer “yes” to having had past arrests or convictions will be handled on a case-by-case basis, Groves said. He said UVa does not use a strike system. Each self-report could be given to the student judicial system or it could just be handled by the dean of students’ office.

“You’re not always talking about it from a disciplinary standpoint,” he said.

Groves said performing background checks “on 21,000 undergrads isn’t feasible.”

Groves wrote a frequently asked questions document. It can be found at www.virginia.edu/deanofstudents.

UVa is encouraging other colleges to share information with one another about students’ arrests. It’s also encouraging other schools to adopt similar new systems to encourage students to report their legal issues.

Tech is one of those schools considering adopting some of UVa’s policies.

CHANGES TO TECH’S ADMISSIONS

Ed Spencer, Tech’s vice president for student affairs, said no changes are in place for current students but changes have already been made to admissions applications.

Questions were added to admissions applications for potential undergraduate, transfer, graduate and veterinary medicine students reminding applicants to adhere to the honor code, Spencer said.

Mildred Johnson, Tech’s director of undergraduate admissions, said questions added to admissions applications are “designed to be a little clearer” in asking students to continue reporting arrests or convictions after submitting their admissions applications.

In the section that asks applicants about the truthfulness of their answers, a sentence has been added that reads, “I further understand that, should any of my answers change after I have submitted my application, it is my responsibility to inform the Virginia Tech Office of Undergraduate Admissions immediately.”

At the end of the application, applicants are asked to sign a statement affirming, “I understand and agree that, if I am offered admission to Virginia Tech and choose to matriculate, I have a continuing obligation to report to the Office of Student

Conduct any arrests or convictions, other than minor traffic violations, that occur subsequent to signing this application.

This obligation extends during any periods of my enrollment at the university. My failure to make the notification may subject me to disciplinary action under the Code of Student Conduct.”

“We always had those questions,” Johnson said. “But we changed them to be a little clearer.”

“We wanted to be very upfront that we expect students to tell us if things change,” she said.

Spencer said the change in the language and the added questions should help students adhere to the honor code.

“We’re counting on people paying attention to the honor code,” he said.

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A version of this article appeared in the Aug 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.