The Rice Thresher

Location: http://the.ricethresher.org/opinion/2006/09/01/college_court_power

September 1, 2006 > Opinion > Power to the college courts, with caution

Power to the college courts, with caution

The newly revamped college courts should benefit partiers, non-partiers and administrators alike — as long as chief justices work together to maintain consistent enforcement of their new responsibilities from college to college. (See story, page 1.)

While this new system may seem to add a level of bureaucracy to Rice’s student conduct policies, it merely shares the administrative oversight of Class 2 violations. We believe it is about time college chief justices and court members were enabled to suitably serve their colleges.

The changes will allow colleges to handle minor alcohol-related infractions internally, preventing them from showing up on students’ permanent disciplinary records and potentially easing the workloads the Rice University Police Department. Additionally, chief justices will have the power to enforce the threats they are forced to make when parties become too rowdy.

However, we have a few reservations about the courts’ abilities to organize themselves, create penalty policies and enforce the decisions they are expected to make, especially at the beginning of this new system: Chief justices will have to work together to set uniform standards for each college’s penalty framework. We believe regular communication between chief justices will improve the effectiveness of each of the courts and ensure that comparable penalties are being assessed at each college.

The policy of handing out monetary fines for minor, alcohol-related offenses makes perfect sense. It is a concrete threat that should get the immediate attention of intoxicated students, and if it is enforced correctly, the policy will hopefully result in campus-wide benefits.

This sudden power and responsibility may overwhelm unused courts and underworked chief justices. Colleges should make sure to fill these positions wisely. But with proper formation and leadership, these courts can provide an increased level of self-governance for colleges.

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