Laurelhurst Community Club
Serving 2800 Households and Businesses in Seattle’s Laurelhurst Neighborhood
May 22, 2007
Gail Stygall, Chair
UW Faculty Senate
36 Gerberding Hall
Box 351271
Seattle Washington 98195-1271
RE: Student Accountability Pilot Program
Dear Ms. Stygall,
At its April 9th meeting, the Laurelhurst Community Club Board of Trustees reviewed the proposed two-year pilot project for a Student Accountability Program and the statement of principles for possible modifications to the existing student code of conduct. Our Board voted unanimously to endorse the project and the proposed changes to the administrative code.
We support the principle that UW students should be held accountable for illegal off-campus conduct that affects the University’s relationship with the community or poses a threat to the health, safety and security of members of the University community. We believe that the University has a responsibility to teach its students to be good citizens. There should be consequences when students engage in behaviors such as noise violations, public lewdness, theft and destruction of property. The complaint process in the proposal is fair. The first citation would involve a warning letter from the University; the second a mediation with the accuser and the third a police citation and possible disciplinary action by the University.
While the pilot project will only cover a small area of the University District, we are hopeful the program will be successful and can be extended to the broader University community, including Laurelhurst and other neighborhoods in northeast Seattle impacted by illegal conduct of University students.
Since 1995, the Laurelhurst Community Club has supported legislation at the state level creating an off campus student code of conduct. Laurelhurst joined its neighboring communities in the most recent master planning process in supporting inclusion of an off campus code of conduct. The pilot project and statement of principles are a good start to addressing the problems that have existed for many years.
We urge the Faculty Senate to endorse the student accountability measures. Thank you for considering the views of the Laurelhurst Community Club.
Sincerely,
Jeannie Hale, President
3425 West Laurelhurst Drive NE
Seattle, Washington 98105
206-525-5135 / fax 206-525-9631
cc: Mark Emmert, Aaron Hoard, Theresa Doherty