by JEFF KOEHLER
News Reporter

The Office of Student Conduct will continue to address off-campus violations of the Student Code of Conduct this semester.

Judith M. Haas, director of the office of student conduct said the office is continuing to involve itself only in serious violations of the code, such as those resulting in an arrest.

She said her office would pursue five kinds of violations: alcohol tickets, assault charges, drug offenses, charges of driving while intoxicated, and felony offenses.

“We’re looking for high-risk behavior,” Haas said.  “We’re not casting a net to catch everybody.”

She said the main concern when addressing off-campus violations of the Student Code of Conduct was to deal with patterns and situations that pose a threat to the community.

“We would be derelict in our duties if we didn’t,” Haas said.

Kendal B. Mcdevitt, coordinator of the office of off-campus community relations, said consistent enforcement of off-campus violations began Jan. 1 and has continued since.

She said a major focus of dealing with off-campus violations was to improve the safety of Appalachian State University’s community and campus, especially in the wake of events such as the shooting at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Mcdevitt said crimes such as assault or other felonies endanger the community, and the majority of violent crime committed by students involved alcohol or drugs, which makes those crimes of interest to the Office of Student Conduct.

She said the vast majority of the student body has not been affected by off-campus enforcement of the Code of Conduct.

“Less than 2 percent of the student population received off-campus violations in the spring semester of the types the office is focused on,” Mcdevitt said.

“We anticipated that we would not be seeing a majority of the ASU population, and we did not,” she said.

She said the office has decided not to focus on minor violations such as speeding, writing bad checks or theft.

“I think students have the perception that the Office of Student Conduct is there to punish.  There are universities out there whose Offices of Student Conduct are punitive, [but] this office is educational,” Mcdevitt said.

If a student is arrested for an offense which is serious enough to involve the Office of Student Conduct, the student in question is required to go before a board, which will hear both sides of the charge and reach a judgment, Haas said.

She said students have a choice to either dispute the facts of the case, or accept responsibility.

“The board is trained to not determine an outcome without hearing the facts of the case,” Haas said.

If a board decides against a student, the Office of Student Conduct looks at any additional information surrounding the case, such as prior convictions.

Haas said the board would then refer to the Student Code of Conduct itself to determine a consequence. 

She listed counseling, community service and riding with police officers as examples of consequences.

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