Discipline Committee Reports Large Number of Major Disciplinary Cases
During the 2015-16 school year, the Academy’s Discipline Committee (DC) heard and ruled on a total of 60 discipline cases, 25 of which were major cases and 36 of which were regular level cases as of May 15. Though the number of regular level cases has decreased compared to last year’s total—from 42 to 26—the number of major cases has increased from last year’s high number of 23 major cases. As a result of this year’s cases, 4 students were required to withdraw, for the charges of being in the presence of marijuana, using marijuana, plagiarism and unsatisfactory conduct, 19 students were put on probation, all for major cases, and 36 were put on restrictions or restrictions with review as a result of minor cases.
Of the major cases, two were for plagiarism, two were for dishonesty, two were for use or possession of alcohol, nine were related to marijuana, two were for cheating, five were a result of recommendation for probation by the attendance committee, one was for leaving the dorm after hours without permission and two were for unsatisfactory conduct.
From the regular-level cases, 26 were for illegal visitations, three were for lying, two were for failure to follow faculty instructions, two were for inappropriate behavior and two were for riding in an unauthorized vehicle.
“I hope to be an accurate, empathetic and honest voice for the student body and plan on voicing an opinion that is unbiased.”
Dean of Residential Life AJ said that there weren’t any particular patterns displayed by the discipline case statistics from this past school year. “There really aren’t any particular trends here,” he said.
However, he noted that the number of plagiarism cases have dropped substantially from the previous year. Cosgrove believed that this was the result of students being well educated on academic honesty by faculty members this year.
“I attribute this to a culture of honesty that is pervasive on campus and good work by departments and teachers helping students learn about plagiarism and academic honesty,” he said.
Senior and DC member Nick Madamidola credited the decreasing number in plagiarism cases to a better informed campus and to the notably high number of plagiarism cases last year. “I think cases in plagiarism have dropped because people are more informed about what it means to create your own work. [There] were a significant amount last year, so I feel like people got the message,” he said.
Senior and DC member Yena Cho believes that there has not been a significant difference between the subject of the cases. “We have had DCs ranging from plagiarism to use of illegal substances (such as marijuana) this year,” Cho said, noting that she has not seen any specific trends in disciplinary cases over past years. “I think it’s difficult to call anything that happens a ‘trend,’ per se. Each case is very unique and often stands on its own,” she said. Similarly, Madamidola also did not notice any particular pattern in the cases this past school year, describing them as mostly “random.”
To help serve on future cases, four members of the lower class, Winslow MacDonald, Chi-Chi Ikpeazu, Athena Stenor and Menat Bahnasy, joined DC this year. They were selected following a school-wide election, which limited the pool of candidates to eight students.
Through interviews and evaluations, the 2015-2016 DC members then chose the final four. Although they have not officially begun serving on DC, the new members have begun observing cases and will officially commence their duty in the coming fall.
Bahnasy recognized the gravity that comes with her new position, saying, “ I realize it’s an important role in our community. and I will work my hardest to live up to its expectations as a member.” She expressed excitement at being given the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience of getting involved as a DC member. “I’m hopeful that I will learn more about the world and the people around me, as well as about myself during my experience on the committee. I feel the discipline process allows for time and space for growth and learning, even for those on the committee, which I hope to be able to use during my future years,” she said.
Stenor too recognized the seriousness of her position and expressed a desire to serve her fellow students and those in the community through her work on DC. “I’m honored to have been selected for the committee, and I will certainly try to be the best committee member I can be,” she said.
“That said, I’m a bit nervous, and I’m still trying to figure out exactly how students fit in on the committee, and how I will fit in...[Serving on DC] is a little daunting at first, but the work is rewarding, and I get to play a crucial role in the operation of the school,” Stenor continued.
Similarly, MacDonald hopes to serve the community as a mouthpiece for the student body into the discipline process and to provide an honest standpoint. “I hope to be an accurate, empathetic and honest voice for the student body and plan on voicing an opinion that is unbiased,” he said.
He further noted the importance and weight that comes with the role held by DC members and expressed confidence in his ability to fulfill his duties in the following year. “I think it is crucial to interpret the details of every case before coming to a conclusion, and I am confident I am capable of doing so,” he said.