GT Listens creates dialogue about policies

A large number of students turned out to the open forum Tuesday to ask administrators about the implications of the changes to the Residence Hall Community Policies made in compliance of a federal court order. A panel of administrators from Housing, Student Affairs and the Dean of Students answered the questions presented by the students.

The administrators present at the forum were John Stein, interim Dean of Students and director of Success Programs; Dan Morrison, assistant director of Housing; Ericka McGarity, assistant dean of students and director of Student Integrity; and William Schafer, vice president of Student Affairs.

Tim Gallagher, president of the Residence Hall Association, monitored the forum and Alison Graab, the undergraduate student body president, introduced the administators to the students present.

The forum had two parts. The first part consisted of the administrators commenting on the changes that were made. The second part consisted of the students asking questions to the administrators.

The questions asked by students ranged from how the changes affected their recourse from potential harrassment to why the changes were made in the first place.

The first question of the event was submitted by Alison Murray, a fifth-year Biology major. "What protection do students have against hateful or intimidating speech?"

"There is freedom of speech here just like there is anywhere in the U.S. If a student feels threatened [or] intimidated, contact me or John Stein....If you live in the residence halls call your PC, CA....We will treat that investigation like any other one," McGarity said.

"Look through 'Technically Speaking' guide online, the policies haven't changed. That is how we would go about investigating," Morrison said.

The next question was from John Vaughns, a freshman representative in SGA. "What issues need to be debated in which you need hateful or harmful speech?"

"That's a first amendment question. [Tech is] an academic environment where questioning the status quo is important...There may be times when someone has to listen to something that makes them uncomfortable," Morrison said.

The next question came from Bjorn Cole, graduate student in Aerospace Engineering. "With the changes of language in the policy is there also a change in the weights of evidence that are required to take disciplinary action?"

"No, it has always been preponderance of the evidence - more likely than not, that's the policy we go by." McGarity said.

Anu Parvatiyar, a third-year Biomedical Engineering major, was next to ask a question. "If a student feels insulted but not necessarily in fear, is there someone they could turn to?"

"Start with the Dean of Students, RHA, academic advisor... Anybody who is a member of our community would want to step up and help that individual," Morrison said.

Another student asked the question, "You keep emphasizing that there has not been a change, so why was a change in the policy needed?"

"There is a lawsuit... and that is why. The first part of [the lawsuit] has gone to changes being mandated in the Acts of intolerance. [The changes] were 100 percent mandated and changed because of the lawsuit," Morrison said.

Grant Farmer, a fourth-year Earth and Atmospheric Science major, submitted the next question. "Are there any laws at the state or local level defending students from hate crimes?"

"None of us are sure about that. The laws I'm aware of are federal laws," Morrison said.

"The Code of Conduct is for Georgia Tech," McGarity said.

Lauren Miller, a Management major, posed the next question. "Can you go through the changes that were made, line-by-line, and tell us what was unconstitutional?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot. These decisions were not made with input from us," Morrison said. When asked who the students could contact to find out that information, Morrison said they could contact the Attorney General's office for the state of Ga.

Anthony Harris, an Electrical Engineering major, asked the next question. "What are some examples of speech that was not acceptible but now is acceptible?"

"I cannot give you a specific example. What I will say is if the statement is backed up with threats to harm someone, that's when you come to our office," McGarity said.

Christopher Clarke, a Biomedical major, asked the final question. "Is Housing allowed to remove hateful symbols from Residence Halls?"

"What we are doing is no different than what we have been doing in the past. We have never done that. We always sit down and have a conversation with the people involved.We have the right to take it down. Do we plan on exercising that right? No." Morrison said.