In the Student Senate meeting on Monday, February 15, 2010 the group passed a resolution that will likely lead to a campus-wide marijuana policy.

The “Typical Minimum Sanctions for Marijuana-related Violations of College Policy” consists of a grid system that outlines the College’s response to marijuana violations. Based loosely on the College’s Alcohol Sanctions Grids, the proposed marijuana policy includes three levels of violations and their corresponding disciplinary actions.

The tiers will be divided based on whether the student possesses, consumes or distributes marijuana. The punishments range from a $50 fine and meeting with Residential Life staff for a first-time Level I offense to suspension, which will occur in the case of any Level III violation. Most violations will result in a fine, disciplinary censure or probation and educational workshops.

The push to create a separate marijuana policy began in the 2007-2008 academic year, as Residential Life and the Alcohol and Drug Education office looked for ways to consistently enforce marijuana-related violations.

“The area coordinators asked for it,” Associate Dean of Students Deirdre Rosenfeld said. “If you got caught with marijuana in Sohre, the consequences might be different than if you got caught in Complex.” With the proposed campus-wide policy, all marijuana violations will be treated equally.

Last spring, the administrators approached Student Senate hoping to gain a student perspective on the issue. “It shows that students have a say in the process,” Student Senate Co-President and Senior Economics Major Matt Olson said. “It’s better to have a student voice than having it forced upon students.”

This fall, Student Senate tasked the housing and health committee with exploring the policy. The committee researched the policies that have been enacted at campuses both in Minnesota and across the United States.

According to Committee Chair Phil Helt, many of the colleges had zero tolerance policies in which police were automatically involved. In the Student Senate’s proposed sanctions grid, there is no such automatic trigger. “We wanted to create an educational component that helps students instead of punishing them,” Helt said, stressing that the proposed policy was more realistic than those found at many other colleges.

One sticking point that may upset students is parental notification. The proposed grid specifies that a student’s parents will be notified the second time a Level I violation occurs, or any time a Level II or III violation is committed. “If a student is at risk of being suspended or expelled, we feel that parents should be notified,” Helt said.

Now that Student Senate has created a sanctions grid, the Dean of Students Office, Residential Life and the Alcohol and Drug Education Office will have to sign off on the proposal. Next month Student Senate hopes to host a forum where students may speak and ask questions about the proposed policy. “It’s a fluid process,” Olson said. “Any input from students is important.”

If students are interested in viewing the draft of the marijuana sanctions grid, it can be found on Student Senate’s website or at GACspot.com.