Pubdate: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 Source: Athens News, The (OH) Copyright: 2002, Athens News Contact: http://www.athensnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1603 Author: Kim Kiracofe Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) COMMITTEE CONSIDERING POT CRACKDOWN HEARS STUDENT CONCERNS Ohio University's Review and Standards Committee on Monday listened to arguments from a student group that's fighting an OU proposal to enact harsher drug penalties on campus. Jessica Markwood, president of OU's chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), and Abby Bair, vice president of the chapter, spoke during the Review and Standards Committee meeting in Baker Center. "The meeting was productive and turned into a roundtable discussion of the pros and cons for amending the Code of Conduct," Bair reported. The two SSDP leaders spoke against the "closed voting" procedures used by the Review and Standards Committee and also recommended that an SSDP member be added to the committee, Bair added. Members in attendance included Richard Carpinelli, chair of the Review and Standards Committee and Vice President for Student Affairs; Judy Piercy, director of OU Judiciaries; Joe Burke, director of Residence Life; an OU professor; Student Senate President Jim Hintz; and another representative from Residence Life, according to Bair. "The Review and Standards Committee (meeting) was devoted solely to hearing from SSDP," Piercy said of the meeting on Monday. "We listened and then all engaged in a discussion about the issues, sharing viewpoints." Another issue at the meeting was SSDP's objection to a proposal to make possession of drug paraphernalia a Class A offense in the Student Code of Conduct. Class A violations have a maximum penalty of expulsion, whereas lesser Class B violations, which currently cover paraphernalia and marijuana possession, have a maximum penalty of disciplinary probation. The stricter marijuana penalty is the main thing that has prompted protests among some students, including the SSDP, though their concerns aren't confined to that. "We voiced our opposition to (including drug paraphernalia) on the basis that it is incredibly difficult to distinguish what is or is not paraphernalia," Bair said. "The paraphernalia part of the amendment has the potential to affect even more lives than the marijuana part of the amendment. They are the same amendment." SSDP had hoped to have a solidified coalition of student organizations to present at the Monday meeting, but were unable to complete all the necessary networking, Bair said. "SSDP is in the process of forming the coalition and hopes to invite organizations to sign on in the next month," Bair said. "We will invite all campus organizations to sign on to the coalition, including Student Senate, Faculty Senate, sororities, fraternities, Habitat for Humanity, etc." The group does not foresee the Review and Standards Committee taking action before a coalition can be formed. Bair observed, "The committee is still in the 'thinking phase', and I do not expect a vote to be made (on sending the proposed amendments to the Board of Trustees) in the near future." Also proposed at the meeting by SSDP was a public forum to involve students and faculty in the decisions on amending Code of Conduct. This way students and faculty can express their concerns and have questions answered, SSDP members argued. "I am imagining a discussion similar to what took place today, except it will be public and there will be a Q&A opportunity for concerned students and faculty," Bair said. The meeting on Monday was closed to outsiders, despite a request from SSDP and an earlier request from The Athens NEWS to keep the committee's meetings open. In responding to the newspaper's past queries about ad hoc committee meetings, OU has said that in most cases these committees are not "decision-making bodies" as defined by Ohio law, and as such don't need to hold open meetings. The Athens NEWS has argued in the past that university-appointed committees discussing and voting on business of importance to the campus and/or community should hold open meetings under the state's Sunshine Law. While the standards committee doesn't have a final vote on amending the Code of Conduct, its members do vote on recommendations to the president and Board of Trustees. Referring to Monday's meeting, Bair said, "We asked that the meeting be open to the public to assure democracy and accountability, but Carpinelli and other members believe that it is more difficult to hold honest discussion if the meeting is open." Piercy of OU said earlier this week that the committee has not made any decision yet on when the vote on the Code of Conduct amendments will take place. "I believe the next step will be to process and discuss the issue again as a committee and see where we stand," Piercy said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth