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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Sources: Adam Tank, 785-532-6541, atank@k-state.edu; Heather Reed, 785-532-6432,
hreed@k-state.edu; and Karen Low, 785-532-6434, klow@kstate.edu
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-6415, bbohn@k-state.edu

Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008

STUDENT JUSTICES HAVE ACTIVE ROLE IN K-STATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM

MANHATTAN -- Students involved with Kansas State University's judicial system say they appreciate the educational emphasis and strong student involvement that come into play when handling violations of K-State's student conduct code.

The code covers non-academic issues and specifies a variety of behaviors that constitute student misconduct for which disciplinary sanctions can be imposed. The behaviors include such things as hazing, telephone harassment and theft, to violation of federal, state and local laws. The code also applies when students are participating in university-sponsored activities off campus. The full code is available online at:
http://www.k-state.edu/osas/conductcode.htm

At K-State, judicial boards made up of entirely students can determine if there should be any sanctions when a student is cited for violating the student conduct code.

" K-State is unique in this. This is definitely the K-State way -- students holding other students accountable," said Adam Tank, a junior in microbiology and premedicine, Overland Park, and attorney general for the judicial branch of K-State's Student Governing Association.

As attorney general, Tank oversees the various student judicial boards that can determine sanctions for violations of the student conduct code. When violations occur at a K-State residence hall, one of the Housing and Dining Services Judicial Boards will hear the cases; when violations occur involving a non-residence hall student, the cases are heard by the Student Review Board. Appeals of sanctions made by both boards are heard by the Student Tribunal.

Catelyn Kostbar, a junior in English and pre-law, Tecumseh, is an associate justice on the Student Tribunal and said the main objective of the K-State judicial branch is to educate rather than to punish.

"The focus of our sanctions is to assist students in making better decisions for themselves," Kostbar said. "In a way, our sanctions teach consequences rather than just discipline. We are all human and as human we may often err. The lesson that we learn, as a result, is what allows us to make better judgments."

Fellow Student Tribunal associate justice Ronnie Hernandez agrees.

"I do think that when we make our sanctions, we level them on the severity of their offense," said Hernandez, a sophomore in criminology and pre-law, Manhattan. "It differs from case to case. Each case is unique and so each sanction is unique, but with each, the aim is to educate."

Tank said some of the educational sanctions the judicial boards have rendered include having a 30-minute conversation with a police officer about the consequences of being caught with a fake I.D.; taking K-State's Project ABC -- Assessing Behaviors to Change -- program, often a sanction for underage drinking; or even teaching a class for a day, a sanction that has been handed down to students who disrupted a class in some way.

Tank credits the educational nature of the sanctions with the low incidence of repeat student code offenders at K-State. "Our educational sanctions give the person a chance to think about their actions, what effects those actions can have on their lives and others, and how to make a conscious decision to not make another mistake," he said. "When you give someone the chance to own up to what they did, give them a fair hearing from their own peers, and let them know someone is there to listen to them and not be punitive, good things are bound to happen -- and they do."

Student members of the Student Tribunal and Student Review Board are appointed by the K-State student body president, in consultation with the attorney general, and approved by the K-State Student Senate. Justices also go through training, conducted at the beginning of each semester.

The Student Review Board generally hears between 10-15 cases a year, while the Student Tribunal will typically hear fewer than 10 appeals each year. Along with conduct code violations, the tribunal also is responsible for interpreting the Student Governing Association constitution, by-laws and legislation; trying bills of impeachment at the request of the K-State Student Senate; and hearing appeals that arise from the Student Governing Association election process. Heather Reed, director of student life, and Karen Low, assistant director of student life, serve as advisers to the Student Tribunal and Student Review Boards.

Along with Kostbar and Hernandez, 2008-2009 members of K-State's Student Review Board or Student Tribunal include:

From Greater Kansas City: Jared Wilmoth, junior in biochemistry, chemistry and premedicine, Olathe, associate justice, Student Tribunal; Brian Rector, senior in management, Overland Park, associate justice, Student Review Board; Peter Taylor, senior in marketing, management and pre-law, Shawnee, chancellor, Student Tribunal.

Matt Lloyd, senior in philosophy, political science and pre-law, associate justice, Student Tribunal, and Natalie Scott, junior in political science, English and pre-law, associate justice, Student Review Board, both from Hutchinson; Emma Manning, graduate student in political science, Manhattan, chair, Student Review Board; Steven Townsend, senior in finance and accounting, Topeka, associate justice, Student Review Board.

From out of state: Harry Spencer, senior in history and pre-law, Marshfield, Wis., associate justice, Student Review Board.