Proposed changes to COS denied support
By Elliot Mattingly, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Friday, May 26, 2006
April Thompson, director of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs, recently denied support to a draft of proposed Committee on Standards procedural changes issued by the COS Task Force.
The drastic rise in the number of COS cases since 2001, coupled with a Student Assembly survey indicating student dissatisfaction and confusion with the COS process, prompted the creation of the task force by Student Assembly. The task force has been conducting independent research and meeting with legal advisers and deans to discuss possible changes since Winter term.
The proposal included changing the burden of proof of a COS trial from "a preponderance of the evidence," which requires the trier to conclude only that the alleged allegations are more likely true than not, to "clear and convincing evidence," which requires the trier to have a firm belief that the allegations are true.
Another proposed change included allowing accused students to directly question witnesses.
Thompson denied that there were serious flaws in the judicial system meriting radical changes.
"Different students have different perspectives on it," she said. "There are always ways that we can improve the disciplinary process."
COS Task Force member Michael Herman '07 reaffirmed student opinion about the need for changes to the COS procedure.
"Dartmouth is a leader in higher education; it should also be a leader in providing its students with the greatest amount of procedural fairness in its judicial system," Herman said. "This is about making sure that Dartmouth lives up to that goal."
Thompson confirmed receiving a draft of the proposal and speaking with COS Task Force member Adam Shpeen '07, but cited problems with the task force's procedure as her key reasons for not supporting it in its current form.
"I think it needed more input from students outside Student Assembly. After we talked, [Shpeen] said he agreed," Thompson said. "It needs to come from a community effort."
The student-initiated Good Samaritan policy received broad support before it passed, Thompson said.
"We need to see what the [Sexual Abuse Peer Advisors], [Drug Abuse Peer Advisors] and the Greeks, among others, have to say about this," Thompson said.
Herman remained confident about the merit of the proposal.
"It's not done. We're going to come back in the fall," he said. "This is not a final document."
Herman also confirmed that the task force will meet with Thompson today to go over the proposal.
The last changes to the COS procedure occurred in 1993, when members amended voting procedures for the election of committee members.