Welcome Back! Administration Revises E Book
From the scaffolded facade of Wentworth to a restructured discipline process, the summer of 2019 has brought many changes to the Exeter campus.
One notable change is the updated assembly check system. On Aug. 16, Dean of Students Brooks Moriarty announced in a school-wide email that the Academy would be implementing an electronic attendance system using the phone app Sched. Similarly to past years’ attendance checks at MLK Day or Climate Action Day events, the new system will require students to check in with any faculty as they leave the Assembly Hall.
Last spring, Exeter piloted an attendance system where students were assigned to various sections of the Assembly Hall by grade level and alphabetical order. Additionally, at the beginning of assembly, they had to check in with faculty members through paper lists.
After this pilot program, Assembly Committee Chair and English Instructor Alex Myers received feedback from students and faculty via a survey; the general consensus was that while the program led to a spike in attendance, the check-in process “was chaotic and inefficient.” Myers also noted that “students really wanted the ability to sit where they chose, not in assigned seats.”
Myers believes that the new system will serve as a smoother, more efficient solution to the problem of low attendance while also allowing students to sit wherever they please.
Principal William Rawson emphasized that the goal of the policy was “100 percent attendance so the assembly program can fulfill its intended purpose.” Additionally, he acknowledged the challenge of the Assembly Hall’s limited seating space, expressing hopes that future Academy Building renovations will address this problem.
Myers elaborated on the value of the entire community’s unified presence at each assembly, saying, “we will fall into the pleasant rhythm that assembly allows: showcasing, exploring, and hearing from our campus community and inviting outside speakers to share their experience with us.”
In addition, the Academy’s discipline system has been modified. The Discipline Committee has been renamed to the Community Conduct Committee (CCC), and its policies have been updated to promote student learning and to allow more tailored outcomes. The Discipline Review Committee (DRC) had been meeting since Dec. 2017 to discuss and compile these policies.
Previously, the process labeled cases as either major or minor cases. In an effort to allow more nuanced responses, there will now be three categories, Levels 1, 2 and 3. Moreover, the reforms add two new outcomes to cases—Community Restoration and Dean’s Warning—in addition to the five current outcomes: No Action, Restrictions, Restrictions with Review, Probation and Requirement to Withdraw. Community Restoration is a potential response to a major offense that entails five weeks of restrictions followed by five weeks of additional reflection, as well as some customized restorative work or learning. It was designed to help first-time rule violators atone for their mistakes and repair relationships; such violations are not reported to schools or colleges.
Dean of Residential Life and DRC Chair Carol Cahalane explained that the changes would result in a more constructive process for everyone involved. “The committee hoped to create a process that would include more reflection and learning for students, and would encourage students to examine the impact of their actions on others and consider how they might make amends and rebuild trust,” Cahalane said. “We also hoped to find a way to constructively respond to offenses that might be connected to health concerns.”
Upper and new CCC member Meredith Thomas explained how this shift in language will lessen the stigma surrounding the disciplinary system. “I think these changes in the language of the process—discipline to community conduct, probation to community restoration—much more accurately depict the goals of the committee, and hopefully put students at ease.” CCC members will continue to be non-voting student members who provide critical input on disciplinary cases.
Returning CCC member and senior Matthew Wabunoha agrees with this change. “I think we are taking a step toward the right direction because there are a lot more nuances in these discipline cases,” he said. “The new system offers more varied courses of action.”
One minor E Book revision is that students now have to request for a petition seven days in advance rather than five. Moriarty felt that the new timeline was still reasonable and would not significantly impact student life. “It’s just two more days, after all, and students should be planning ahead well for the kinds of events for which they would submit a petition to miss appointments,” he said.
In an effort to integrate day students with dorm residents, day student proctors now work with their affiliated dorm’s boarding proctors, assuming similar duties like attending faculty-proctor meetings, doing nightly check-ins and organizing events. Senior and day student proctor Emy Li explained, “Day student proctors and boarding proctors work together as a team—we are there for everyone in the dorm community—day students and boarding students alike.”
Senior and day student proctor Lucy Gilchrist noted that due to the novelty of the position, this year’s proctors would be able to shape the specifics of the role throughout the year. “The program is brand new, and I predict that each individual day student proctor will have the opportunity to adapt the role to their dorm,” Gilchrist said.
Moriarty elaborated that these new student leaders are another resource for day students’ support. “This plan gives day students another person on campus with whom they can connect and turn to for advice and guidance,” Moriarty explained.
Although excited for his new position, senior day student proctor Sam Lew shared concerns about being required to shift his dorm affiliation from Abbot to Webster. “This is probably my one complaint about this system,” he said, noting that the problem was exacerbated by the updated visitations policy which stipulates that students can only visit rooms in dorms they are not affiliated with during limited hours.
Concerning policy changes, Rawson expressed wishes to follow through, but said that he would remain open to adjustments. “We want to make the new policies work.”
Rawson continued that he looks forward to furthering his engagement with the community in the upcoming year. “My priorities are similar to last year, in that I want to be a visible presence on campus, listen and engage with students in as many ways as possible, work with students on important issues, and support the student experience across all programs and activities,” he said.