Student code faces changes

This year, IU will change its relationship with its students.\nThe Bloomington Faculty Council Student Affairs Committee is planning to revise the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, which applies to all IU students on all campuses.\nThough the Code informs students of their rights and could have a profound effect on their future, many have never taken the time to read its regulations, said Stephanie Reinking, deputy director of the Department of Student Rights.\n"My general take on this is that freshman get it and throw it out the door," Reinking said. "That's what I did. People don't know what it says in there. We want people to open the book and see."\nThis general problem isn't with the students, it's with the Code, said Justin Barnes, director of the Department of Student Rights.\n"The Code is a bit cumbersome," Barnes said. "It does a good job of protecting student rights, but a better job of confusing students about their responsibilities. The rules are verbosely written and there's a lack of understanding about how far the Code extends."\nThe Office of Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs faculty has compiled a list of recommended changes to the student code, which can be viewed online at www.indiana.edu/~bfc/BFC/Revision of Code of Student Rights.doc. \nSome proposals include prohibiting students from selling class notes, adding classroom disruption as an example of academic misconduct and requiring students to carry their ID at all times or face a policy violation.\n"Some of these are tough sanctions," Barnes said. "We need to talk about what they mean. I worry about regulations that regulate debate and control the flow of ideas."\nThe current list of suggestions have come from all IU campuses and will undergo thorough evaluation by several levels of University officials before becoming a part of the next code, said Mary Popp of the Student Affairs Committee.\n"We have a lot of work to go," said Popp. "The document we sent out is just a list of suggestions. Some things may not be appropriate; some may need more discussion."\nPopp also noted the confusion surrounding various aspects of the Code and said much of the revision will involve specifically defining the regulations so that students have a better understanding of their rights and responsibilities. \nThe BFC Student Affairs Committee will also welcome suggestions, comments or ideas from any student or student group, Popp said.\nStudent involvement is essential to result in the best code, Barnes said.\n"It's going to structurally and fundamentally redefine how IU treats its students," he said. "This is a major revision."\nThe Department of Student Rights even conducted presentations at several campus organizations in order to raise student awareness and invite suggestions. The department has many student members on the code review committee.\n"There's a lot of confusion and uncertainty," Barnes said. "We're trying to clear up that confusion."\nThe Department of Student Rights can be contacted at iusasr@indiana.edu. To provide suggestions to the Code contact Mary Popp at popp@indiana.edu.