Page 54 - Phoenix1998-99

Thursday, November 5, 1998 - Page 6 COMMENTARY Staff Open in the name of the law Editor-In-Chief To cheat or Kate Hampson '00 Congress amends FERPA, opens crime logs AdvertisinglBusiness Manager not to cheat? Laura Kelley '01 Vince Chesney brings the newest law News Editor to affect campus crime into light Emily Stamathis '00 Chris Taugher asks the college The new law; How to apply it; What it means/or WMC Assistant News Editor to take the honor system more lcniferSirkis '01 What it means/or WMC The Department of Campus Safety seriously Features Editor (DoCS) will have to disclose the nature, date, Sarah Radice '01 The new law time and general location of each crime as In my two months as a college student Assistant Features Editor A major victory has been won in the name well as the disposition of any criminal com- I have come to the realization that most plaint. This information must be open to the Rich Simmons '99 of Liberty. The Higher Education Act of of the students at WMC don't take the 1998 (HEA) is now a law. public within two days of the crime. Honor System seriously. To be honest Editorials Editor All crimes must be logged. There can be with you, I didn't even know what it was Megan Martin '01 HEA knocks down the doors of secrecy on campuses across the country. It states, in no more holds, blocks or obstructions. If until a few days ago. During orientation Sports Editor no uncertain terms, that campus crime it was briefly discussed, but not everyone Mike Puskar '99 records must be made public. pays attention during orientation. The Assistant Sports Editor The newly passed law amends the Fam- HEA outlines several improve- Peer Mentors should set up skits to ex- MikeYestramski '01 ments campus security offices ily Educational Rights and Privacy Act of plain it. First-year seminars should spend Photographers 1974 (FERPA). must make. Listed below are class lime discussing the Honor System Nathan Birdsall '99 For years college administrations have some of the major points. and every class should at least review it. Trang Dan When I applied to Wingate University Robyn Hill '02 misapplied FERPA. They have claimed that Paul Himes '02 FERPA categorized crime records as educa- I had to write three pages of response es- David Szepest '98 tional records, thus protecting crime reports - Victims of nonforcible sex of- says on Wingate's Honor System. It's Hsin-LunTsai '02 fenses can be informed of disci- as "personal and confidential." obvious they take their system seriously. Staff Writers Congress never intended crime records plinary outcomes, including ac- I'm still a little unsure as to what our honor Claire Adams '02 to be hidden by colleges, and now the per- system is at WMC. In some classes I've Lisa Dale-Van Auken '02 verted FERPA has been straightened. quittals. Previously only victims had professors monitor exams and in some Anne Butler '01 of violent crimes could learn how Colleges and universities across America classes I have not. On some exams I've lu~?~~:v!~~1~61 must open crime logs or lose federal fund- colleges disciplined their alleged had to write, "I have neither given nor re- Shauna Dominguez ing. attackers. ceived help on this examination," and on Joan Faulkner '02 KristenG. Fraser '00 HEA clearly states that colleges that do some exams I have not. That's another Sara Gruber '99 not make the necessary changes in Public - Parents of students under 21 who problem with the existing Honor System: Shannon Hess '02 it's not always properly enforced. Brooke Joseph '02 Safety policy will not be eligible for federal are disciplined for drugs and al- Aaron Knitzcr '02 grant money. It's that clear. At the October 6 faculty meeting Pro- Mollie Land '02 Another'FERPA flaw was in the area of cohol can be informed about those fessor Sam Case made a motion to abol- Nicole Lehmann '98 versus public colleges. violations. ish the existing Honor System so that stu- Karen Millar '98 private Ron Mojica '02 Private schools simply wrote off FERPA dents would rise up and form a purer sys- Francesca Saylor '00 as a public institution issue'. HEA corrects - Crime statistics reported by co~ tem. Some people may argue that having Shawn Sprague '01 Michael Stokes '00 that problem. leges and universities must include .' I no Honor .System, for il ~!n ti1p.~)PS" Chris Taugher '02 Any college that receives, and wants to riod, would create total "academic chaos." Matthew Thomas '01 continue receiving, federal funding must alcohol, drug OJ weapons viola- I disagree. Having no Honor System Emily Wilson '02 tions that are referred to campus Ted Witiak '02 comply with HEA. doesn't mean that everyone is free to Kevin Worley '00 courts for discipline. even when a cheat. Ithink Professor Case's motion to Raini Wright '00 How to apply it formal arrest is not made. abolish the Honor System is a good idea. Distribution Parents can use the information uncov- First, it would allow the students to estab- Rich Suchoski '00 ered by HEA to make educated decisions - Crimes occurring on the side- lish the type of Honor System they want. Graduate Assistant about where to send their daughters and sons. walks and streets on and around Second, it challenges the students. Hav- Vince Chesney In the past, administrators have been able campuses must be included in the ing no Honor System forces us to look Adviser to hide information on certain crimes to make inside ourselves and ask: "Does our col- Terry Dalton their college look better. Now the truth must schools' annual crime statistical lege really care about its Honor System?" be told. disclosures. Now the important question is: What The Phoenix is published biweekly. The Students already at college can use the - Source: SPJ News type of Honor System will work? We opinions expressed do not necessarily rep- crime information when making personal should have a pure system where faculty resent those of The Phoenix staff, the fae- safety decisions. would not monitor exams and exams would be scheduled by students. This sys- ulry, or the administrarors ofWMC. General location of the crime must be DoCS responded to it or received a complaint tem would have severe penalties for cheat- made public through the open crime logs. The paper welcomes free-lance submts- Students will be able to determine how to about it, the incident must be divulged. ing and would require students to tum in sionson Macintosh disks in most word pro- approach each area of campus. Currently DoCS is not even compliant offenders. Not turning in offenders would cessorfonnats.1beed.itorreservestheright Fear can be replaced with knowledge. with FERPA in regard to publishing summa- be a violation. ries of annual crime FERPA states totals. to edit for clarity, length, and libel and to Mistrust can be replaced with understand- that violent crimes must be published for the That, however, is the sale flaw of the publish as space permits. All submissions ing. Campuses can become safer. last three years. DoCS most current pub- ideal Honor System. In order for the sys- (exchding self-addressed diskettes) become lished summary lists crimes from 1994-96. tem to work, students would be forced to the property of The Phoenix and cannot be HEA goes a step beyond FERPA in this turn in other students. Things haven't returned. area too. changed over the years. It's still not "cool" Please include a name and phone num- HEA states that all "murders; sex of- to be a tattletale. I don't know if I could ber for verification. Names will be with- fenses, forcible and nonforcible; robbery; tum someone in, especially if it was one of my friends. And how would you catch held only by the discretion of the Editor -in- aggravated assault; burglary; motor vehicle people who don't report cheaters? Set up Ollef. theft; manslaughter; arson; and arrests of sting operations? persons referred for campus disciplinary ac- This school's Honor System dilemma The Phoenix does notdiscriminate based tion for liquor law violations, drug related is complicated. There are definitely prob- on age, race, religion, gender, sexual orien- violations and weapons possessions ... " be lems with the existing system. There tation, national origin, condition of handi- reported annually for the "most recent cal- needs to be a new system. But what type cap, or marital stems. endar year, and during the two previous cal- of system? I don't know. I do know that endar years." Mail to: in order for a system to work it will take 1'hePhoenix Up to this point, the Phoenix has pub- total dedication from both the students and WMC, 2 College Hill lished some of the information HEA makes the faculty. I also know that this system Westminster,MD21157 WMC's 'open book' seal and Latin lucid. Now your newspaper will have the legal won't work overnight. In order for it to translated motto "[ call you out of darkness • right to publish all of the disclosures HEA run smoothly it will take time. If the (410)751-8600 into light" have new significance due to Honor System is abolished, the students FAX, (410) 857-2729 HEA. demands. HEA sets the framework for a will rise up and create a new system that E-Mail.pl\oenix@wmdc.edu better DoCS, a better newspaper and a bet- will work. My college cares about its tercampus. Honor System.