2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Know your student rights
by Rebekah Scruggs
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Connections
Some students, especially freshmen, might not be aware of their rights on campus. This is especially true when it comes to room checks, smoking and alcohol.
According to Drew Davis, dean of student affairs, health and safety checks are conducted every semester. When an RA, or resident assistant, checks a room, he or she looks in the refrigerator and the general area of the room. If something suspicious is found in the room, the RA has reasonable cause to search more.
"The purpose of room checks isn't to catch a student with something they're not suppose to have and get them in trouble," says Davis, "but to make sure the dorm is secure to live in."
Piedmont sophomore and Getman-Babcock RA Aimee Garner says, "The main focus of room checks is the health and safety of the students."
Smoking is another issue that students need to be aware of. Piedmont College is a smoke-free campus, meaning smoking isn't allowed. Some students feel a smoke-free campus is a safer environment.
"I think no smoking on campus is a good thing because second-hand smoke can harm other people," says freshman Hannah Peppers. "Some students, like myself, have allergies to smoke, and so no smoking on campus makes it healthier for us."
If students are caught smoking on campus, they're written up and have to attend a Judicial Council meeting. There they receive a certain number of hours of community service as punishment. After the second and third write ups, students receive a more severe punishment.
The third and final issue on campus is alcohol. According to Davis, whether a student is underage or 21 and older, there are consequences for drinking on campus. If a student who is 21 or older is caught drinking on campus, he or she is given community service.
Davis says, "Piedmont enforces it's rules about on-campus drinking based on federal drinking laws and the fact that early-age drinking can lead to alcoholism."
When an underage student is caught drinking on campus, local law enforcement is called. The student is arrested and given community service. Both groups of students, no matter how old, have to complete their community service and attend a four-hour Alcohol Education Program, or AEP, class.
As with room checks, Piedmont administration doesn't want students to get caught for doing something they aren't supposed to. Piedmont gives its students a chance to learn from their poor decisions with alcohol. After a student pays for what he or she has done, the incident is wiped from their record.
Davis says, "Luckily Piedmont College has an affiliation with the local judge in Demorest so that any underage drinker who has been arrested and followed through with the judicial repercussions has a chance to have that expunged from their record."
According to Drew Davis, dean of student affairs, health and safety checks are conducted every semester. When an RA, or resident assistant, checks a room, he or she looks in the refrigerator and the general area of the room. If something suspicious is found in the room, the RA has reasonable cause to search more.
"The purpose of room checks isn't to catch a student with something they're not suppose to have and get them in trouble," says Davis, "but to make sure the dorm is secure to live in."
Piedmont sophomore and Getman-Babcock RA Aimee Garner says, "The main focus of room checks is the health and safety of the students."
Smoking is another issue that students need to be aware of. Piedmont College is a smoke-free campus, meaning smoking isn't allowed. Some students feel a smoke-free campus is a safer environment.
"I think no smoking on campus is a good thing because second-hand smoke can harm other people," says freshman Hannah Peppers. "Some students, like myself, have allergies to smoke, and so no smoking on campus makes it healthier for us."
If students are caught smoking on campus, they're written up and have to attend a Judicial Council meeting. There they receive a certain number of hours of community service as punishment. After the second and third write ups, students receive a more severe punishment.
The third and final issue on campus is alcohol. According to Davis, whether a student is underage or 21 and older, there are consequences for drinking on campus. If a student who is 21 or older is caught drinking on campus, he or she is given community service.
Davis says, "Piedmont enforces it's rules about on-campus drinking based on federal drinking laws and the fact that early-age drinking can lead to alcoholism."
When an underage student is caught drinking on campus, local law enforcement is called. The student is arrested and given community service. Both groups of students, no matter how old, have to complete their community service and attend a four-hour Alcohol Education Program, or AEP, class.
As with room checks, Piedmont administration doesn't want students to get caught for doing something they aren't supposed to. Piedmont gives its students a chance to learn from their poor decisions with alcohol. After a student pays for what he or she has done, the incident is wiped from their record.
Davis says, "Luckily Piedmont College has an affiliation with the local judge in Demorest so that any underage drinker who has been arrested and followed through with the judicial repercussions has a chance to have that expunged from their record."
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