(-- The Beacon)
By - Laura Frazier
UP students don't need to be caught throwing back a beer in order to be cited with an alcohol violation.
"When people are stumbling back from a party, you can't ignore that," Villa Maria Hall Director Ben Helms said. "This happens just as much as a student with a beer or shot glass in hand."
According to Natalie Shank, student conduct coordinator, 34 percent of conduct violations last year were alcohol-related.
Helms said he sees more freshmen violate policy.
"By mid-semester they get their act together," he said. "They find their limits and realize it's not fun to puke all the time."
Shank said she meets with students of all class standings.
According to Shank, Residence Life never gives sanctionsbefore they hear the whole story.
"The hearings that we have are meant to be conversations," Shank said. "It's our job to put the pieces together."
Examples of violations include excessive noise or number of people in a room, and/or charging for alcohol or public consumption.
Punitive process:
The Resident Assistant who handled the situation fills out an incident report.
Typically, the hall director writes a charge letter to the student to set up a meeting and explains how the policy was violated.
For a first violation, the student can be fined or sent to an alcohol education class organized by the Peer Health Educators (PHE).
For a second violation, the fine is increased or the student could be put on probation, which means any future violation could lead to suspension.
Shank meets with students if they violate policy a third time.
