Newspapers / North Carolina School of … / Dec. 1, 1996, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE 2 December 1996 Consistency is Key It was little more than a month ago that two students sued NCSSM to stop their expulsion, charging lack of due process and racism. The school denied both of these charges, and Director Friedrick was quoted as saying the students “ought to be expelled from NCSSM.” Now, in an apparent change of stance, the school has settled with the students (see article page 8). In exchange for dropping the suit, the two students will be allowed to remain at NCSSM and receive the same punishment as the six other African-American students also caught for possession and consumption of alcohol on campus. While there may be valid reasons for the settlement, there is a danger that this will send a message that students can be found guilty of a crime and not expect to receive harsh punishment or expulsion. It takes the backbone out of the judicial system, and deprives it of its legitimacy in the eyes of the community. In fact, the current settlement opens up NCSSM to other similar lawsuits challenging the results of judicial hearings. A white student could challenge their expulsion on the basis that Afncan-American students were allowed to remain at school. Any student could chal lenge the hearing and expulsion process. Every time the school makes a recommendation for expulsion, they will now be leaving them selves open to a lawsuit. The solution to this dilemma is increased emphasis on consis tency in all aspects of the judicial system. This means that the hear ing process needs to be followed to the letter, so that students are assured all the rights afforded them in the handbook. More impor tantly, it means that punishments for offenses need to be the same for the same offenses. By having a clearly defined, consistent punish ment policy, the school protects itself from lawsuits. The most common student complaint about the judicial process is a perceived lack of consistency, not that the rules are too harsh (although that seems to be a close second). By having a well-defined consequential judicial policy, the school not only protects itself from lawsuits in the future, but makes great leaps forward in legitimizing its judicial process in the eyes of students and community. Working Together Often students feel that their voice in school policies ranges from slim to none. However, at NCSSM, the administration has gone to extensive lengths in order to listen to students' opinions and act on them. Students recently had a strong dissatisfaction because of their lack of input in cases heard by the hearing boards. Last year. Student Government brought up the idea that students should return as mem bers on the Hearing Board to provide a necessary third perspective on student misconduct. Concerned students wrote a proposal to the Board of Trustees explaining the necessity of the perspective of stu dents on the judiciary board. The administration listened to the sug gestions made in this proposal and after some revisions were made, faculty members, such as Joan Barber and Steve Warshaw, supported it and are currently working to get the changes made. Other increases in student involvement have been administra tion and staff initiated. These two groups have been working hard to produce a variety of surveys such as the Curriculum Council and a cafeteria survey on PFM food that take into account students' views and suggestions before any modifications are made. A large factor in this student-faculty balance has been that of Speak Outs. At Speak Outs, students are allowed to express their concerns about residential and academic life at NCSSM and suggest some possible solutions. The administration realizes that we have to live here and should have a say in what the lifestyle is like, and for that we commend them. Mcsg/n poLi'cv STop De’SfGA/is'D To S^QvfR.S,\/^ g/^/vjp«j5 uKe i ON '??■ - LETTER TO THE Editor Dear Editor: While NCSSM’s admin istration supports student representation on the judicial board, we are wrestling with the issue of whether it is fair to place a student in the stressful situation of voting to recommend expulsion. This is not an attempt to be patronizing or to keep stu dents out of the hearing. We recognize that, intellectually, students know how to make tough and fair decisions. However, I have seen emo tional pressure applied to stu dents by “friends” after sim ply notifying an administra tor of a malfeasance. I have seen major pain caused for students who were ostra cized from their social group for doing what they thought was right. A jury member isn’t forced to live near a defendant’s close friends before and after making a decision, but you would be doing so in an expulsion hearing. While some would honor your in tegrity, others would villify you or your motives for getting a friend kicked out. I’ve seen that happen to NCSSM students without involvement on a judicial board. Student presence on the judicial board would re- V duce communication prob lems about discipline mat ters. It would aid administra tors who are bound by pri vacy laws. But is a student vote on expulsion essential or appropriate to that repre sentation? Would a non-vot ing presence in expulsion matters be sufficient to pro tect community interests re lated to process, discretion, mitigating factors, fairness and student rights? A deci sion on this matter has been postponed until March so that these questions can be taken into consideration but this will still be resolved in enough time to be imple mented next school year. -Director Friedrick The Stentorian North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics 1219 Broad Street Durham, NC 2770S £ditors-in-Chief: Monica Dev, Anne Fawcett Layout Editors: Theo Luebke, Smita Trivedi Editorials and Opinions Editor: Sam Assaf Features Editors: Amy White, Manali Patel News Editors: Sara Vance, Akua Asare Sports Editor: Alton Patrick Photography Editor: Leonard Tran Advertising Manager: Donald Gaye Web Editor: Steven Stewart Sponsor: Dr. Joan Barber Staff Writers: Rebecca Booi, John Bowman, Jordan Classman, Camille Hawley.K'Shana Haynie, Caroline Hon, Carrie Johnston, Erica Jones, Jocelyn Kearney, Sriyesh Krishnan, David Lawson, Jennifer Li, Alex Mann, Karen Master, Monica McClain, Kim McCumber, Anna Morrison, Sara Nataraja, Dominic Pazzula, Phillip Stewart, Adam Tarleton, liale Tawake Photographers: Sam Boyarsky, Lakhdeep Deol, Clara Holzwarth, Steven Stewart, Julie Thibodeaux, Nitche Ward Layout Staff: Belinda Borelli, Whitney Duff, Celeste Moore, Kristin Wright Advertising Staff: Amy Choi, Daniel King, April Kinsey The Stentorian can be found on-line at: http://iluvatar.ncssm.edu/~stewarts/Stentorian/main.htm
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Student Newspaper
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Dec. 1, 1996, edition 1
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