The values of personal responsibility and accountability for one’s actions should be encouraged in nearly every facet of life. A new University judicial policy targeted at a surprising group of students has questioned if organizations should be the ones to enforce that accountability.
Following a strange new trend, fraternities on campus are now being aggressively coaxed into implementing a drug testing policy for members. This is in exchange for University approval of major projects, initiatives and renovations. In some cases, fraternities have been directed to put drug policies into practice after small, isolated incidents involving only a small fraction of the total membership.
The new drug testing directives grossly violate student privacy by requiring members who were not involved in any hint of misconduct to be given a sanction typically reserved for drug violations – all for simply being a member of the fraternity.
In essence, these innocent students are charged, tried and convicted without ever being given due process, without having any say in what information the University can unilaterally demand from them.
It is comforting to know the University takes student privacy concerns seriously when dealing with external entities, using protections in federal privacy laws stipulated in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Yet the same administration that relentlessly demands student privacy also asserts the authority to gather highly personal and unwarranted information from students who have committed no offense.
Through these programs, the administration is discriminating against fraternities. No other university-recognized student organization is required by the administration to drug test members.
The Student Code of Conduct conveniently contains a clause, in Article IV, Section B, Subsection 2, that relates specifically to organizational responsibility for misconduct.
It states that an organization may be held liable for a member’s misconduct if the administration believes that the organization is not taking proper steps to ensure that the misconduct does not continue.
Additionally, before the organization is held liable, they must receive a formal notice from the Office of Student Affairs clearly stating that any similar misconduct would constitute the organization as responsible. The Code of Conduct clarifies this formal warning by stating: “The notice will be in sufficient detail to notify the officers of the precise nature of the offenses and the length of time the notice shall be effective.”
Sources with direct knowledge of the recent drug testing programs have confirmed that no such notice was given to their organization prior to being coaxed into signing a binding contract implementing a drug testing policy. Sources also confirmed that failure to sign the contract would result in strict organization-wide sanctions.
It is puzzling that only one campus subgroup would be required to implement such drastic policies by the mostly unchecked power of the Office of Student Judicial Affairs.
By no means do I intend to advocate leniency on drug usage; I simply believe that only the students who have been found guilty of misconduct should be reprimanded.
By the same token, I am also realistic about the feasibility of eliminating all drug use in student organizations – whether it be fraternities, sororities, intramural clubs, teams, etc. Complete drug eradication would be near impossible.
This is an opportunity for the administration to take more effective steps to promote a drug-free lifestyle by encouraging greater education and more dialogue about drug use through these organizations. Instead of targeting these organizations, education offers a more proactive and fair option than an enforced drug test.
Members of our University’s judicial office must comply with the guidelines set forth in the Student Code of Conduct. I strongly urge the administration to carefully review its use of drug testing programs to ensure that certain organizations are not targeted and students are protected from egregious privacy invasion.
Austin Gaddis is a junior majoring in communication studies and pubic relations. His column runs on Thursdays.
