The status quo dictates that when students are written up, stomachs drop and dread takes over – along with a complete and utter hatred for the acronym “OSCCR” (Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution). Most students are not familiar with the process OSCCR follows and see it solely as the repercussion for their wrongdoing. However, OSCCR’s operation is actually functional, efficient and benefits students compared to the alternative – which is real law enforcement.
OSCCR is the board to which students are referred after breaking Northeastern’s Student Code of Conduct in some way – ranging from noise violations to providing alcohol to minors, to violent acts around campus.
Most students don’t realize the “judicial process” of OSCCR until they are forced to attend a hearing, which helps feed distrust of the organization. But if students understand what being “referred to OSCCR” means, it might clear up some of the tension.
There are two types of hearings: administrative and Student Conduct Board. Administrative hearings are one-on-one meetings between a student and staff member of the Office of Housing and Residential Life or OSSCR, and are for less severe offenses (as determined by staff), according to OSCCR’s website. Student Conduct Board hearings happen before a group of three to five students.
Students have the choice to accept responsibility for their actions or dispute the charges. If determined necessary, the student will be given a sanction. Sanctions can be as small as a written warning, a reflection paper on the inappropriate action, or monetary compensation. Only in extreme cases will students face suspension or expulsion.
Everyone knows that college is a transitional period, and more often than not, students will drink too much alcohol before they’re legal and experiment with drugs. That doesn’t change the fact that these things are illegal. That isn’t Northeastern’s call, but the university does have to abide by the law. If there were absolutely no repercussions for breaking the rules, it wouldn’t only become a hassle for administrators, but students as well.
During the 2009-10 school year, the majority of cases had to do with consumption of alcohol. According to OSCCR’s website, 624 of the 1,554 cases were an issue of underage possession of alcohol in the residence halls, while 781 of them were possession or consumption of alcohol. That’s more than 90 percent of the cases that went through the board.
A majority of the sanctions issued? Warnings. There were 461 warnings that came out of the 2009-10 academic year. Second place was a tie – 375 instances of disciplinary probation, and 375 instances of a written assignment.
Of the 1,558 cases, only 50 of them went before the Student Conduct Board. The rest were a one-on-one meeting with a staff member or were scrapped when the student admitted responsibility.
And having to write a reflective paper seems a much better alternative than answering to the Boston Police Department and having it go on your record that you provided alcohol to minors.
Last month, Mary Wegmann became the new director of OSCCR. In an article published today in The News, Wegmann said she would like to make the group more proactive than reactive, and for OSCCR to become more engaged in the student community.
This would be a good step for OSCCR. Perhaps creating a more open dialogue between the students and the group will improve the way students see OSCCR. It may even help to prevent some instances of bad behavior before they happen.
And unless the law changes, students should understand and accept the consequences if they are caught doing something illegal. If you’re underage and drinking, don’t get to the point that you’re going to run through the quad half naked at 1 a.m. Besides ending up in Crime Log, you will get in trouble and you will have to defend your actions to OSCCR. And you should. There’s nothing worse than sloppy underclassmen who can’t hold their liquor.
