The University Judiciary Committee processed 14 cases between January 1 and May 1 — 10 individual and four organizational cases per the spring 2023 statistics report. There are six individual cases pending.
The four organizational cases involved Club Gymnastics, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Phi Society and the University Guide Service. Internal University investigations found Club Gymnastics and the University Guide Service guilty of hazing at the end of 2022 in the University’s hazing misconduct report.
Sigma Phi Society — SERP — pleaded guilty to violating Standard Eight, disorderly conduct, for “extremely loud music” playing at an event they were hosting that resulted in multiple noise complaints. Sanctions included essays and a written risk prevention and cooperation plan.
Kappa Sigma pleaded not guilty to charges of “conduct which intentionally or recklessly threatens the health or safety” under Standard Two — in March, the fraternity held a party in which a room full of packing peanuts caught on fire. They were ultimately found guilty by both the UJC and the Inter-Fraternity Council’s Judiciary Committee. Sanctions included meetings with the fire department and termination in abeyance.
Of the UJC’s 12 Standards of Conduct, the most frequently violated one was Standard Six, which deals with violations of University policies, including those concerning residence and the use of University facilities. The three Standard Six policies violated in spring 2023 were related to restrictions on use of alcoholic beverages, prohibition of hazing and violations of COVID-19 policy.
This year’s organization cases increased by two, compared to the fall 2022 semester. There were 13 organizational cases in Spring 2021 and six in Spring 2022.
For resulting sanctions, the UJC assigned reflective essays nine times, as well as a range of reflective and retributive sanctions that included organizational suspension, degree holds, community service, reflective presentations and mandated counseling. The mean case processing time was 133 days, with three cases being finalized in 56 or fewer days, compared to zero in fall 2022.
Lisa Kopelnik, chair of UJC and third-year College student, reaffirmed the importance of the UJC to the University’s tradition of student self-governance, encouraging everybody to read the attached statistics report and to engage with the UJC if interested.
“The UJC was established on the basis of student self-governance, the philosophy that we as students and citizens of this community have the autonomy, responsibility and agency to shape our institutions and experiences at this University,” Kopelnik wrote.
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