The Committee on Standards has not released a report to the community since the 2009-2010 academic year, though it is expected to publish one each year on individual and organizational student cases, according to the Dartmouth Student Handbook.
The lack of recent annual reports is a result of the Undergraduate Judicial Affairs office being "in transition," Kate Burke, assistant dean for campus life, said in an email. She added that full updated reports will be issued before the end of the summer.
A student on COS said in an email that she was unaware the committee had not released a report since 2010, or that the student handbook outlined the annual report requirement. The student, who requested anonymity because she did not want to jeopardize her position, declined to comment further.
COS, which is chaired by the Dean of the College or the dean's designee, hears cases on undergraduates who have allegedly violated the honor principle, standards of conduct or academic standards and requirements, as well as appeals of certain actions by the registrar. COS enforces rules for undergraduates, while the Organizational Adjudication Committee enforces alleged rule violations for recognized undergraduate organizations such as Greek houses.
The 2009-2010 report inconsistently states that judicial affairs, deans and the COS heard 261 or 262 disciplinary cases in the 2009-2010 academic year. While it was an increase from 206 in the 2008-2009 academic year, the number of cases heard annually decreased significantly in the most recently reported years. COS heard 358 cases during the 2007-2008 school year, and from 2001 to 2007, the committee heard from 427 to 666 each year, with a peak in 2004-2005.
Of those heard during the 2009-2010 academic year, 27 cases were alleged violations of the honor principle, compared to 22 in 2008-2009 and 20 in 2007-2008. Of other incidents deemed serious in 2009-2010, the highest percentages, or 30.6 percent in each case, were alleged cases of disorderly conduct and alcohol-related violations. The highest percentage of serious non-academic misconduct cases involved violence or threats and intoxication or disorderly conduct in the two preceding academic years.
The 2009-2010 report states that reports are issued annually "in the interest of informing and educating the Dartmouth community about the College's standards of behavior and about the work of the Committee on Standards, the Organizational Adjudication Committee and the Dean of the College Office in implementing those standards."
Sophia Schwartz '13 said she was not very informed about the processes of COS, though she was aware of the body's broad influence.
"I think being able to see their data is important to keep the student body informed, and it seems mischievous that they haven't released any," she said.
Pranam Chatterjee '15 said he is "slightly aware" of the committee's operations, though he has never had any contact with it. While he was unaware that COS had not released reports in recent years, he said that sharing the data helps the community define its sense of right and wrong and understand the consequences for breaking College code.
"It seems as though the administration seems to lack transparency in that regard," Chatterjee said.
UJAO held a COS mock hearing of a sexual misconduct case last May in an effort to increase transparency. Some students who attended the mock hearing complained that the system seemed subjective, unprofessional and unstructured. There have been no COS mock hearings so far this year.
Judicial affairs is seeking a new director to replace Nathan Miller, who will leave at the end of the academic year after five years at the College. A search committee chaired by Burke began reviewing applications to fill his position on Feb. 15 and aims to secure a candidate by July 1.
