After a year of debate, the Board of Regents has passed a response to student rioting at this university that could successfully squelch rowdy celebrations on Route 1 if enforced properly.
However, the policy, which permits the university to punish students who are not necessarily convicted of a riot-related offense in a court of law, also has the potential to become a slippery slope.
This means in the next few months, as a policy is being solidified and passed, it is important for the process to remain open, observable and heavily influenced by student input. The specific punishments and the extent to which events fall under the policy are still unknown. It is imperative a reasonable and fair policy is developed with which both students and administrators can be satisfied.
The policy passes specific responsibility of drafting and enforcing a final riot policy to individual universities. This allows for greater local control rather than a blanket statement by the regents. System Chancellor Brit Kirwan assured student leaders Friday this would prevent students who were merely passing by a riot from being punished. It is imperative this university uphold Kirwan’s assurances.
The Board of Regents should be commended for expediting the process, giving the university an April 15 deadline to finalize the policy. In addition, the University Senate will be bypassed in the creation process – resulting in a realistic possibility of meeting the deadline.
Though it is undoubtedly positive a firm date has been set, April 15 is still well past the conclusion of the basketball season, which has traditionally been prime territory for riots. Students will be left in limbo as the season proceeds – an uncertainty magnified by a significant rule change from the “zero-tolerance” administration policy from 2002.
With the university gaining control beyond what students are accustomed to, it must make public and understandable exactly how it will exercise such power so students don’t end up suffering from unintended consequences of shutting down riots.
