Case in point, not a closed case

Justin Barnes had a friend in trouble, and he wanted to help. His friend was facing an all too common alcohol violation and a student judicial board hearing, not to mention a complete confusion about the system he was about to become a product of. \nAs the new director of the Department of Student Rights, Barnes assisted him through the judicial process by educating him about his rights and the procedures. But what began as a simple inclination to help a friend turned into something more.\n"I just figured there were probably more students out there like him," Barnes said. "I knew it was time to create a more formalized program."\nNow entering its second year, the case manager program within IUSA's Department of Student Rights has helped hundreds of students navigate their way through the student judicial system at IU. Trained student counselors are paired with students who request assistance with their case after being accused of breaking the Code of Student Rights, Responsibility and Conduct. The involvement of the case manager in the case is entirely up to the student, whether it's just to answer a couple questions or to attend the hearing. \n"We're not lawyers," Barnes said. "But we make sure students have the chance to make the best case they can possibly make. We are going to serve that student to the best of our ability, beyond our ability if we can."\nAfter contacting the department, a student will be assigned a case manager within a few hours. The case manager meets with the student to discuss the case, alleged violation and what to expect. A case manager can also discuss strategy and points they need to keep in mind when facing the board, explained case manager senior Grace Overmyer.\nThough the case manager may have extensive contact with the student to prepare for the hearing, the amount of action the case manager is allowed to partake in at the hearing depends on the level of the hearing.\nAt the informal hearing, most likely in front of a judicial board, the case manager, if the student wishes that he or she attends, is not allowed to speak, only whisper, write notes or take the student aside.\n"We try to keep them on track and focused," Overmyer said. "Students get really nervous in front of the board and cannot focus properly on the fact at hand. An outside perspective can tell them to concentrate more on another point, say what they need to say. Somebody's got to help them know their rights."\nAt higher levels of the process, the duties of the case manager can become greater and may include witness questioning and speaking on behalf of the student. However, Barnes said they encourage students to speak for themselves as much as they can to help their case.\nWhen hiring case managers, the department looks for motivated and dedicated students who truly want to make a difference.\nAfter a selective process of application and interviews, case managers are trained in the rules, regulations, procedures and confidentiality. Training and trust are the department's most important tenets, Barnes said.\n"Trust is beyond important," he said. "Without trust, we can't do our job."\nAssistant Director for the Student Judicial Program, Stephanie Reinking, reiterated the importance of confidentiality.\n"We do uphold the attorney/client privilege," Reinking said. "This isn't something we go home and tell our roommates about." \nOvermyer said case managers aren't even allowed to acknowledge their clients out on the street or in public.\nThe department is proud of the fact that the program is entirely student run. Barnes said the strength behind the program is that the students involved have been through the same situations and may have even broken the same rules at some point in their college career.\nReinking admits, that like most freshmen, her Code of Students Rights, Responsibility and Conduct was thrown in the dorm room desk drawer where it sat for the remainder of the year. Most students never really read it, she pointed out, and don't know where to begin when they receive a letter in the mail informing them of their hearing. \n"Case managers make sure students are aware," Reinking said. "Whether it's a freshman caught drinking in the dorm or a grad student accused of plagiarism on a thesis."\nReinking got involved with the program last year as a business major who, like many case managers, was looking for pre-law activities. She pointed out how efficiently the program runs though it is still fairly new.\nBarnes added they strive for improvement and quality.\n"We are always looking for ways to improve and become a stronger department," Barnes said, claiming an obsession for perfection. "We are good at what we do and we want to be even better. We want to reach past our potential."\nUp to 40 students are expected to be certified as case managers by the end of the semester, and Barnes said he is hoping for expansion to serve more students, including more outreach programs that educate students about the process. Already in progress is the Your-Rights-Explained division of the department that speaks to groups about the judicial process and informs students about their rights and options.\n"Students are always better off if they come to us first," Barnes said. "We work for that final outcome. We work for justice"