Sanctions could result in damaged record

Receiving a sanction at the University of South Dakota is a two-step process, sometimes resulting in reinforcement by local authorities.

Depending on the severity of the documentation, students are generally confronted with a verbal warning by community advisers first, followed by a written censure, said Aaron Polkinghorn, senior and former CA for Burgess and Norton Residence Halls.

“We would record incidents and documentation on the computers,” Polkinghorn said. “In the information document, we would write about a page worth of information about what happened, who was involved and how the CA came upon the situation.”

Polkinghorn said CAs would write down their observations, type it up later and then send it to the hall director for further inspection.

Teresa McDowell Johnson, director of Student Rights and Responsibilities, said it is up to the students to know and comply with campus and housing rules.

“Students are provided with the student handbook which includes the code of conduct,” McDowell Johnson said. “The code of conduct is also available online, so students should have no trouble understanding what is expected.”

McDowell Johnson also said community living policies are addressed through housing, and censures can range from noise complaints to alcohol or drug possession.

“Generally, a verbal warning is issued, and if that doesn’t work then the student is written up or referred to a hall director,” she said.

Polkinghorn said further disruption is handled by Dean of Students Kim Grieve. He also said sanctions do not haunt students after graduation, unless the local authorities are involved, in which case the incident is left to police.

“The most common incident I wrote people up for was alcohol consumption,” Polkinghorn said. “If they’re 17 or under, then the cops will get involved.”

Polkinghorn said one particular documentation left things messy and complicated.

“The resident was of age — he was 28,” he said. “We found him with alcohol possession in the dorms Halloween night and we asked him to leave, but he tried to get in our face and get physical. We wrote him up for possession of alcohol in the dorms.”

Nicholas Tifft, a junior and former CA for Beede complex, documented several alcohol-related censures during his school year.

“I wrote up about five students during my time as a CA,” Tifft said. “Four of them were alcohol-related. That’s nothing compared to some of our hall directors who wrote close to 20 write-ups in one semester.”

There is also an appeals process for students who feel their due process rights have been violated or who feel they have been wrongly documented have the opportunity to appeal their censure.

“Appeals must be made in writing within five working days of the hearing date,” McDowell Johnson said. “Students who wish to make an appeal should direct it to the dean of students in the Muenster University Center, room 218.”