DC Sees 101 Cases This Year

The Academy’s Discipline Committee reviewed 101 cases during the 2012-2013 school year, in which 23 were major cases and 78 were minor cases, such as illegal visitations. According to Dean of Residential Life AJ Cosgrove, a majority of the cases were related to either academic dishonesty or marijuana or alcohol abuse.Ten of the major cases were related to mari- juana, alcohol, or other drugs, nine came as a result of academic dishonesty and cheating, two from unsatisfactory conduct, two from stealing, and one because of an attendance probation.Like the causes, the outcomes of the discipline cases were also varied with eight issuances of requirements to withdraw and 15 probations for the major disci- pline cases. The minor discipline cases ended in 26 restrictions with review and 52 restrictions. Ac- cording to Cosgrove, restrictions with review most frequently re- sulted from inappropriate behav- ior and lying, whereas restrictions were mostly caused by illegal visitations.
As drug- and alcohol-related cases use took up 43 percent of Discipline Committee’s delibera- tions over major cases drug use among students became a topic of discussion on campus during winter term.The Exonian published a series of articles investigating drug use at Exeter beginning in the February 7, 2013 issue. The articles featured a series of anonymous students who offered insightful perspectives into the drug culture that exists behind the scenes at the Academy.One student, whose name was changed to Vincent in the article, said that dorm living gave him exposure to drugs and their use as a common social activity.“Before coming to Exeter I didn’t have a lot of exposure to drugs, and I didn’t really think about them nor have an opinion about use,” Vincent said. “Being in the dorm setting showed me that it seemed fun and not scary or dangerous. Smoking with people, I've found, helped me get much closer to them as well.In addition, Vincent com- mented that there is not a specific type of student that abuses drugs at Exeter, and that reasons for us- ing drugs differed among people. For example, Adderall was used almost strictly for academic pur- poses while there was an observed link between depression and marijuana.At the time of the story’s publishing, there were seven discipline cases resulting from drugs or alcohol, six of which were related specifically to mari- juana, according to Cosgrove. At the time, Cosgrove commented that the number was more than the previous academic year, but was not unusual; however, since then, there have been three addi- tion cases as a result of drug or alcohol use.Additionally, Cosgrove also disclosed that all seven cases featured male students, giving an underlying sense of a gender imbalance, in the use of drugs or who gets caught.This year, the Discipline Committee experienced sig- nificant changes, with science instructor Jeff Ward stepping
into the role of the Chair of the committee and English instructor Becky Moore, classics instructor Matthew Hartnett, and mod- ern languages instructor Evelyn Christoph beginning terms as new members. Returning to the Com- mittee were history instructors Erik Wade and Giorgio Secondi, classics instructor Paul Langford, science instructor Anne Rankin, and modern languages instructor Joseph Reiter.Moore commented on the new opportunities that her role as a Discipline Committee member has presented for her.“Working on the DC on Thursday evenings has given me a chance to listen to my more experienced colleagues as well as this year's student members ask useful questions as they help the student brought before the com- mittee learn more about his or her responsibilities, motivations, and plans for change,” Moore said.She continued, “Seeing a stu- dent's reports and hearing his or her reflections during a restriction or probation review often confirm the important and effective educa- tional opportunity our disciplinary process affords the individual and the community.”In addition to the new faculty members, lowers Morgan Burrell, Emily Lemmerman, Will Li, and Christina Rossitto were selected, in a two-step process, from an original pool of 21 lowers to be the newest student representa- tives to the Discipline Committee. Eight lowers were voted by the school body to be interviewed by the faculty members of the Com- mittee, which decided the final four that would join the discus- sions every Thursday.Li, who will officially be- come a student member of the Discipline Committee this coming fall, said the weight of decisions made by the Committee was an important factor to keep in mind.“I've realized how much time and thought go into each deci- sion,” Li said. “There have been many big cases this past year, and their outcomes haven't always been good, but I can honestly say that each person on the Commit- tee truly does care and take their responsibility very seriously.”Burrell echoed Li’s senti- ments that being on the Commit- tee is a highly esteemed role in the community.“It is a very stressful process, and my best advice is to not get a DC case,” he said. “They are stressful for everyone involved, and to put it bluntly, they’re scary. That said, I am still honored to be serving on the Committee and to be a part of the disciplinary process.”Rossitto added that despite the scary context of being in- volved in a DC case, the members
of DC work to foster an open, candid environment. “Walking into the Latin Study can have an intimidating effect, but of course this isn't the goal. All of the DC members are friendly and approachable,” she said. “I espe- cially respect all the members of the DC, so it's an honor to sit with them at the table.”Although this school year was full of its own changes, the 2013-2014 school year is pre- dicted to bring more.English instructor Ellen Wolff and science instructor Rich- ard Aaronian were elected to serve on the Discipline Committee for the 2013-2014 school year. They will join the Committee starting fall term, replacing Rankin and Reiter.Aaronian is not new to the discipline process at Exeter. Earli- er in his teaching career, Aaronian served on the Executive Commit- tee, which, unlike the Discipline Committee, simply discussed the case and made a recommendation to the faculty body which voted on the entire case.He is looking forward to listening and discussing cases with fellow colleagues on the committee. “I think you can learn a great deal from a student who is going through a disciplinary case and the same can be said from a faculty member,” Aaronian said.In addition, members of Stu- dent Council have been recently brewing proposals to integrate a step between probation and re- quirement to withdraw for major discipline cases. Incoming Stu- dent Council Vice President and member of the Discipline Com- mittee lower Emily Lemmerman believed that the step would be a valuable addition to the current discipline system.“Our Executive Board wants to work with the DC, or work on establishing a committee includ- ing members of the DC, as well as other faculty and students, that would look at what the DC does, and how it can be improved upon,” Lemmerman said. “It’s essential to explore, because the discipline process is something that is very important to our com- munity, in having to do with who makes up our community, and what it stands for.”Ward, however, noted that making such a drastic change in the Academy’s policies would re- quire the vote of the entire faculty body, which is unlikely to occur. “A step between probation and re- quirement to withdraw won’t hap- pen without a full faculty vote,” he said. “I don't see it happening.”

Moore agreed with Ward. “There does not seem to be much interest in such a step between probation and requirement to withdraw within the community,” she said.

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