Your neighbor's stereo always too loud? Your roommate just has issues? If you live in the East Wheelock Cluster, you can now take your troubles to the Peer Review Board, a group of students who will rule on incidents involving housing policy violations.
The board will consist of two cluster residents from each class and two at-large members who will fill the positions of any member who leaves. East Campus Area Director Jeff DeWitt and Cluster Dean Steve Cornish will advise the board, although neither will have a voting or speaking role.
DeWitt said he plans to hold board elections in the first week of October.
The board will adjudicate offenses such as noise complaints, dorm damage, violation of the pet policy or roommate conflicts that affect the East Wheelock community.
DeWitt said the board allows the residents of the cluster rather than members of the administration to deal directly with incidents of housing violations that concern them. He said he hopes this project will further develop the sense of community in the buildings.
Students who commit a housing violation will receive a letter asking them to appear before the board. In a process DeWitt likened to having a conversation with the student, four or five members and the board's chairman will hear potential witnesses and allow the student present his or her point of view.
The board will then privately judge whether the student is responsible and will decide what sanctions to recommend.
Sanctions imposed will mostly have an educational focus, rather than simply disciplinary, although some punishments may include probation and fines.
Sanctions such as projects related to the student's offense will give students the opportunity to learn from the experience, he said, to "get away from the punitive aspects," DeWitt said.
The Peer Review Board is supposed to be a pilot program and will expand to the rest of the campus if it is successful, according to DeWitt.
He said the East Wheelock Cluster was chosen for the pilot program because it already has an administrative base through its cluster office and the resident dean.
DeWitt said he spoke about the new judicial board to the residents of the cluster last week at a community dinner. He said the announcement received very positive reactions from the students.
