On Feb. 26 my tenure as a student-at-large member of the Code of Conduct Review Board ended with the conclusion of the board’s last meeting. The purpose of the board, which was comprised primarily of the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR) staff, faculty, representatives from the Northeastern University Division of Public Safety and the Office of Government Relations and Community Affairs, and students, was to evaluate the Code of Student Conduct and compile suggested changes to be submitted for approval to the university’s attorneys. To wrap up my time on the board, I would like to report back to the student body on what became of their ideas and concerns.
Overall, the ideas and concerns of the student body were belittled, discarded and, in a few cases, openly mocked. The students who sat on the board were treated like insubordinate children. We were frequently rewarded after presentations of student ideas with condescending figurative pats on the head and gushing remarks about how ‘proud’ the OSCCR staff was.
But they did not listen to the students. Some undergraduate and law school faculty members were refreshingly open and receptive, but it was apparent to me the OSCCR staff had crafted what the board would decide before meetings began.
Much of what was suggested by students came from a student-only committee, on which I also served, that met in previous months to survey the student body about changes they would like to see in the Code of Student Conduct. We proposed adding to the Code a Student Bill of Disciplinary Rights, which would codify the rights students possess while going through the disciplinary process, as well as add some new ones. We also proposed relaxing disciplinary probation; a forgiveness policy for minor offenses after a year of good behavior; and the option to write an educational essay in lieu of paying a fine after the first alcohol violation. All of these proposals are current policy at other universities and were officially endorsed at Northeastern by the Student Government Association, Resident Student Association, Council for University Programs, Interfraternity Council and Latin American Student Organization.
The arguments levied against the above suggestions by the OSCCR staff on the board are as follows:’ Students are not smart enough to understand the implications of this change; the change would require our office to explain something new to students; this change violates student privacy rights; and this is not the way we do things.
The last argument was backed by references to the ‘best practices’ supposedly observed by every sane and legitimate university in the nation (which obviously excludes any institution with policies more progressive than ours). ‘Best practices’ are embodied in a document titled ‘Navigating Past the ‘Spirit of Insubordination.” I am not kidding. Google it.
Not shockingly, with the exception of the educational letter suggestion (which is already somewhat of an unwritten practice), none of the student-initiated suggestions were adopted by the OSCCR staff members of the board, and therefore were not accepted. My guess is that the OSCCR staff would argue the board debated student suggestions at length, and that proves the suggestions were taken seriously. Look back at the list of arguments and judge for yourself if you believe any legitimate debate occurred.
I’ll end with a statement made by an OSCCR staff member at the last meeting in response to this student asking the person to justify a suggested change OSCCR had produced:’ If we told students they couldn’t wear red shirts tomorrow, you wouldn’t be able to.
Granted, this may be technically true, but that kind of outburst begs me to question the ability of the OSCCR staff to perform their jobs without being completely punitive.
While I cannot speak for the other students on the board, I am intensely embarrassed that student participation in these meetings may be touted as proof of how ‘fair’ this process was. OSCCR staff has agreed to allow meetings on the Bill of Rights to continue (indefinitely) and I wish the best of luck to the dedicated students who will continue in this process. As far as I’m concerned, this experience will forever be my worst memory of my generally wonderful time here.

‘- Katie Bendoraitis is a junior
political science major.