Students Caught With Marijuana Sent To Judicial Board

Smokin Moose

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex Moderator
Four students were referred to the UA Judicial Board after they were discovered to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana Oct. 27, according to a UA Police Department crime log report.

The students were not arrested, said Gary Crain, public information officer for the UAPD. There are three courses of action an officer can take upon discovering an offense in the case of students, Crain said. These courses of action are left to the discretion of the officer. Every time a student is arrested, they are also referred to the judicial board. In some cases, the officer will not arrest the student but refer them to the judicial board or the officer will issue a warning, Crain said.

In the case of drug-related offenses, officers have other options. "If there's a usable amount, and it is confiscated, there will be a report," Crain said. "Whether there is a referral is up to the officer's discretion."

In some cases, the officer can request a person to destroy the contraband, Crain said. The Office of Community Standards and Student Ethics holds jurisdiction over the Judicial Board.

According to the Student Conduct and Disciplinary Proceedings section of the Code of Student Life, "use or possession of a controlled substance, narcotic or drug paraphernalia" is a violation of UA policy, as well as violations of pertinent Arkansas laws.

"Any student found responsible for a violation outlined in the Code of Student Life is subject to disciplinary sanctions and may expect more significant sanctions relative to the severity of the offense and/or if found responsible on multiple occasions," according to the code.

Students reported to the OCSSE for violations of the code are considered not guilty until they are proven responsible by a preponderance of evidence, according to the code.

In many cases, an all university judiciary hearing is held to determine the responsibility of the matter. The judiciary consists of eight undergraduate students, eight graduate students and eight faculty members. These student members are chosen after they have made applications to the dean of students or to the dean of the graduate school in the case of graduate student applicants.

The applicants are then interviewed by the dean of students or the dean of the graduate school. Graduate applicants are appointed by the dean of the graduate school and undergraduate applicants are selected by the vice chancellor of student affairs.

"If you look at the last three years on the Clery report, you'll see there has been an increase [in drug-related offenses]," Crain said. There were 16 arrests in 2004, 24 in 2005 and 30 in 2006. Data for 2007 was unavailable but will be available later this week, Crain said.


Source: Arkansas Traveler, The (AR Edu)
Copyright: 2007 The Arkansas Traveler
Contact: traveler@uark.edu
Website: The Traveler
 
Back
Top Bottom