Pubdate: Thu, 06 Mar 2008 Source: New Paltz Oracle (SUNY, NY Edu) Copyright: 2008 New Paltz Oracle Contact: http://oracle.newpaltz.edu/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3783 Author: Gina Marinelli Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular) MARIJUANA PENALTIES CHALLENGED Judicial Board Structure Causes Disagreement Between Students And Administration At a college that is well known to be politically and socially active, SUNY New Paltz's drug policy has always been a persistent issue on the agenda of the student senate and among many students. There are several variables to the entire drug policy reform issue that complicate it. "Last time I checked, smoking weed is illegal," said Eric Karnis, a junior communication and media major, who suggested that the student senate should focus on issues such as funding the children's care center. Other students, such as Martina Liguori, a junior psychology major, said the student senate has more important things to discuss than marijuana, but agrees that there should be some changes to the school's two strike expulsion policy. The school's policy for use or possession of marijuana requires a minimum of disciplinary probation after the first offense and expulsion after the second offense. Liguori suggested that students should face other repercussions if caught with marijuana, such as removal from a sports team or mandatory community service. Sen. Jessica Coleman agreed that the policy was unfair. "For a crime that really has no victim, it seems silly to be unwilling to make sensible changes," she said, also adding that the drug policy has always been an issue during the three years she has served in student government. "I don't know if the student senate alone can solve this problem. I feel that we need the support of the student body." Certain members of the student government, as well as other students, reject the school's two strike policy. One way student association government attempted to change this policy has been by appointing students to the judicial board who oppose it. This board decides disciplinary cases, including those that deal with violation of the school's drug policy. According to the administration, New Paltz's policy regarding marijuana is the same as other SUNY schools. The Judicial Board has existed in its current format for decades, according to Vice President of Enrollment David Eaton. There are three members chosen by the student association president and three chosen by the vice president of academic affairs and the dean of students. During each hearing, there is one student, one faculty member and one staff member. The goal, Eaton said, is for students to have an equal voice in weighing evidence of cases concerning their fellow students. President Steven Poskanzer said that SUNY New Paltz has a judicial board instead of a dean of students to determine disciplinary cases so that any possibility of bias is removed. The main responsibility of the judicial board is to listen to and examine cases brought forward involving students. Eaton said that most cases brought to the judicial board are not concerning marijuana, but usually student verses student cases. During judicial board appointments at student senate meetings last semester, Coleman nominated several members who the senate would then vote upon. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Governance Ben Olsen said that some senators tried to stack the judicial board with students who oppose the drug policy. "A lot of students had felt that the judicial board was a powerful avenue through which students could express their discontent with the current campus drug policies," said Council of Organizations Chair Igor Gembitsky. Gembitsky also said the student handbook was worded in a vague manner on the question of exactly how many students sit on the board for hearings. According to the Student Association, three students should attend hearings, but SUNY feels that as long as quorum is reached, it does not matter who is represented on the board. "Due to the way most students interpret the handbook and the way the procedure is practiced, a lot of students feel disenfranchised," he said. Another goal of the Student Association, Olsen said, is to the change the way faculty members are appointed to the board. "The faculty is currently appointed by the administration, we would like to see them appointed by a vote of the entire faculty," Olsen said. The other SUNY schools have similar judicial board structures. SUNY Geneseo's board consists of three faculty members, three administrators and three students, each picked by the respective group. One member from each constituency is then used for hearings. The dean of students acts as a non-voting member. Some students who have protested the composition of the judicial board have also claimed University Police have illegally searched student rooms to obtain evidence. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom