OUR VIEWS Consensus Opinion

The current Student Code of Conduct has been problematic because of its complicated language and often lengthy, involved adjudication process. In the past students have found themselves caught up in Code violation cases for multiple semesters with no resolution. It is only appropriate that Student Affairs is updating the Code to make it more student friendly. Although John Stein, interim Dean of Students, could have chosen to avoid tackling the problem and let the permanent dean handle any changes, his choice to make this effort is admirable as well as better for students, who continue to face charges for violations and will benefit from changes made sooner rather than later.

Nothing seems solid yet, but the plans to "streamline" the system sound promising. However, "streamline" needs to be more than just a convenient buzzword. The committee revising the Code should focus on cutting down the time it takes to get through the process of clearing up infractions as they have planned. Cutting down the length of the process means that students will have holds removed from their records faster. Priority, of course, should be given to graduating seniors. The more rapid the process, the sooner students can get on with their academic careers.

The Code is very long and often confusing for students, who rarely look at it until they need to see where they stand for a judiciary hearing. Even if students do read it, the code is difficult to understand. However, it should be simple and straightforward enough to understand for those it applies to-Tech students who most likely have no knowledge of legal language. Student Government and others involved in the revision process need to look at the new Code critically to ensure that the necessary changes are made before a final version is approved.

Students facing charges for Code violations often have a lot of questions, and providing a simple, condensed form of the policies outlined in the Code to these students, such as a flow chart, timeline of procedures or general summary is important. Realistically, all students should be presented with a general summary of the Code, whether it is through an Institute-wide email or GT 1000 professors, because most students will never read the code in its entirety. Most professors do a good job of outlining prohibited academic conduct in their syllabi at the beginning of the semester, and they should continue to do so.

While some groups are taking appropriate action to inform students of their responsibilities, the responsibility is still the students'. As long as the proper parties continue to make an effort to keep students informed and the process truly streamlined, the proposed changes to the Code will be beneficial.