The Designated Driver Shuttle, a student-funded service that provides intoxicated students rides home from parties, has been shut down by the ASUO after two DDS staff members violated rules by taking two official vans out during winter break.
The shuttle service was shut down about a week into the break because staff members violated rules when the service was already on probation for earlier incidents, said University student and DDS co-Director Travis Edwards. Edwards said he and co-Director Luke Ettinger were asked Monday afternoon by ASUO Programs Administrator David Goward to resign from their positions. Edwards said he didn’t know which employees were involved.
Edwards said he didn’t know when the student government’s executive branch would allow the DDS to resume service.
“I think the only thing definitive that they’ve planned out is that they’re shutting down DDS and re-evaluating it,” Edwards said.
In early October, DDS was put on probation for the next year by the ASUO Executive after an EMU custodian found alcohol containers in the group’s office and reported it to the Department of Public Safety. It was the second time the group had been accused of alcohol violations in five months.
In May 2005, two DDS dispatchers were fired after Goward, who worked for the Assault Prevention Shuttle, reported seeing them drinking beer in the DDS office. Goward said the dispatchers were not answering the phones for an hour to an hour and a half.
The shuttle service was put on probation in October so the executive could monitor the group’s practices, hiring techniques and general operations. Goward told the Emerald in October that if DDS violated ASUO rules, failed to abide by its mission statement or elicited negative press, the executive would intercede. Also, the DDS director would be asked to step down and the executive would hire an interim director to determine the organization’s problems and find solutions, Goward said.
Edwards said he thinks the executive’s decision to halt the service was only warranted because “they laid out their plan at the start of the year.
“I completely understand the ASUO making a plan and sticking to it,” Edwards said.
Edwards said he knew few details of the most recent incident, such as what exactly the employees did with the vans and how long they were out. He found out about the incident during winter break after DPS received a call about a DDS van parked off campus and contacted him.
Edwards also said he doesn’t know specifically which governing bodies’ rules they broke.
Goward, in a brief interview Monday, told the Emerald he met with Edwards Monday to discuss the situation, but couldn’t speak about the meeting or about what the executive would do until after he consulted with the University General Counsel’s Office at 10 a.m. today.
Goward said a rule violation was involved, but he wouldn’t elaborate until after consulting legal counsel.
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