Student government leaders who violated the Student Conduct Code during an October Sunriver retreat will complete their punishments, including community service and extended office hours, by the end of May, ASUO officials announced Friday.
Multiple retreat attendees smoked marijuana and drank alcohol on the Oct. 8-10 trip, but the ASUO has refused to disclose their names or how many of the 39 students who went on the trip committed the violations.
Students who participated in the retreat will perform 100 total hours of community service as a group by the fifth week of spring term, hold 10 extra office hours each by May 25 and will create a “dos and don’ts” video and other retreat guideline material by March 10.
In a letter regarding potential punishments delivered to Student Judicial Affairs Coordinator Chris Loschiavo on Nov. 19, retreat attendees initially proposed paying back all of the incidental fee funds used on the trip in addition to other punishments.
While Loschiavo approved of the committee, video and community service, repayment was not finalized as a punishment because ASUO officials said it would not be feasible to raise the money or determine how much money would be necessary since most of the activities on the retreat were productive.
ASUO Public Relations Director Nathan Strauss said the group of retreat participants formulated the schedule.
“Like everything else, like the punishments, (it was done) as a group and it was sent to everyone in the group to be discussed,” he said.
Strauss said officials sent a letter with the schedule to retreat participants for approval by Friday morning. No suggested changes had been received as of Friday afternoon.
He said the timeline was designed to allow participants reasonable time to complete
their punishments.
“We basically just consider everyone involved is really busy with their positions and focusing on getting all their other duties accomplished,” he said.
ASUO President Adam Petkun said there is no formal plan for who will record the hours, although he will probably oversee the community service.
“I might probably do it since I’m kind of an outside party, so I’ll be going along for the ride and doing the community service because I think it’s a good thing for the community anyway even though I wasn’t in the retreat,” he said. “So that way I can also kind of, from afar, keep track of who has (done service).”
ASUO Vice President Mena Ravassipour said retreat participants will do service both on and off campus.
Strauss said the group will be notified when service opportunities arise. Opportunities for participants to serve as a group will be beneficial, Petkun said.
“That way we can also track if people actually show up for the hours, whether it be for FOOD for Lane County or what have you,” he said.
Strauss said the number of participants was factored into the requirement of 100 hours. If each of the 39 participants does an equal share, each person will perform about two hours and 36 minutes of community service.
“The number of people was one of the things, I think, that was considered when coming up with that number, but I’m not sure what it was,” Strauss said.
Petkun said group members aren’t required to do an equal amount of community service hours.
“I think the hope would be that people all put in a solid effort to it,” he said.
Strauss agreed.
“That’s part of taking responsibility as a group is that this is a group number, and however it gets done it just needs to be accomplished,” he said.
Retreat participants are also working on new retreat guidelines for all student groups, including a quick reference guide, Strauss said.
Ravassipour said the new guidelines will be presented on March 10 to the Programs Council, a body comprising representatives of student groups on campus, so the council can ratify the rules.
Petkun said the group is working from guidelines student leaders discussed last year.
“Basically what’s going on between now and that date is we’re essentially dusting of those old records and going through them,” he said.
ASUO sets punishment timetable
Daily Emerald
January 31, 2005
0
More to Discover