Pubdate: Tue, 06 May 2003 Source: LSU Reveille (LA Edu) Copyright: 2003, LSU Reveille Contact: http://www.lsureveille.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2879 Author: James Gaddy A 'JOINT' EFFORT Residence Halls Crack Down On Drug Use During Derek's second semester at LSU, he and 12 other students from his residence hall dropped acid the day before a final exam and wandered "tripping nuts" around campus for 10 hours. This is in addition to the different times he smoked marijuana on the Parade Ground, in the War Memorial, the Quad, the Enchanted Forest, the Observatory in Life Sciences Building, Memorial Oak Grove and Tiger Stadium. In the last two years, there have been 21 drug-related cases referred to the Dean of Students. The repercussions for possession of illegal substances are different for students in the residence halls than for students who live off-campus. It can be the difference between going to live with your parents and going to jail. James Welles, associate dean of students, estimated between 25 and 30 drug-related cases will be referred to the Dean of Students' Office this year. The ones who are not caught are lucky, he said. "Regarding what percentage of the students get caught, certainly most of those who smoke marijuana get caught," Welles said. "The pungent aroma is nearly impossible to hide from alert RAs." Welles was optimistic the general population does not use drugs, but he said it was widespread enough to be relatively common. "It'd be rather foolish of me to think we got all of them," Welles said. Students engaging in drug-related activities in the residence halls, if caught, face punishment from three areas -- the LSU Police Department, the Dean of Students and Residential Life. Kara Hegelson, judicial coordinator for Residential Life, said an extremely high percentage of students caught with illegal controlled substances in the residence halls are kicked out. "We take a harsh stance against drugs on campus," Hegelson said. Welles said the punishment handed down from the Dean of Student's Office depends on the severity of the crime. Usually, disciplinary measures result in disciplinary probation, a "second chance," Welles said. "Any serious violation while on probation very possibly results in suspension," Welles said. Suspension from the University can last one semester, two semesters or indefinitely. Only "egregious violations" on a first offense would result in suspension, he said. Whether the student is on or off campus, the police department makes its own decision as to whether or not to press criminal charges, Welles said. If police only find paraphernalia, residue or ash in an ashtray, they usually will not press criminal charges. "But they are the sole determinant of that factor," Welles said. "The police and the DA's [District Attorney's] Office make the decision to file or not to file criminal charges against students allegedly involved in drug violations." If LSUPD and the District Attorney's Office decide to press charges, the students will be arrested and taken to jail, he said. Christine Day, associate director of scholarships, said students do not lose LSU scholarships such as the Chancellor's Alumni Scholarships and the Centennial Award if caught in a drug-related activity because financial aid is not aware of a student's status regarding drug use. A criminal conviction, however, renders students ineligible for state-funded scholarships such as TOPS, said Gus Wales, director of public information and communication in the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance. The State Department finds out who is ineligible through the student's own integrity when filling out the applications and random audits, Wales said. Welles said his office makes a notation on a student's transcript that states action was taken, which is enough to alert a potential employer or graduate school admissions counselor. "All medical and law schools check religiously because of the competition," he said. Welles said he always gives students a chance to defend themselves. "I don't want anyone to leave this office and say it was unfair," Welles said. "It may not always be what they want, but not getting what you want and not being treated fairly are two different things." Despite the extra set of precautions Derek had to take in order to smoke in the residence halls, he said he had more access to drugs and dealers there than he does now in his apartment. "They're still the same connections," he said.