Dean Williams attends packed Senate meeting on off-campus policy
Isaac Napell '13 / Wire Staff
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: News
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Many students attended the SGA meeting to pose their questions and voice their concerns about these issues. Dean Williams, Senior Associate Dean Jack Kuszaj, Associate Dean Alex Vasquez, Dean of Health and Wellness Craig Andrade, and Director of Public Safety Chuck Furgal, were there to clear up any misconceptions on the issue.
The first question was straight forward: Zaheer Faizi '10, asked if the school had an official policy regarding off-campus parties, and whether the school ever contacted Norton Police about such activities.
The Dean responded that no, the school never contacts Norton Police about parties, although "we have been contacted by Norton Police once about a party at your place."
To the policy query, she said, "we don't have an official policy that permits or encourages us to meddle in the off-campus activities of our students unless the student is arrested," although the school "might get involved if [the NPD] get complaints from neighbors."
Dean Williams said that the college's "alcohol policy as its written is specific to on campus residences; off campus the policy is just Commonwealth of Massachusetts law. We leave it in the capable hands of NPD to deal with incidents off-campus."
About whether she or anyone on the administration ever contacted the Norton Police, Dean Williams just smiled and said, "Anyone who thinks I can contact NPD and get them to do something doesn't understand law enforcement. I do not outrank them."
Many of the students' questions were directed at uncovering some vast conspiracy between the college administration and the NPD.
One students asked if Wheaton provides the town of Norton with a list of off-campus residences and their respective addresses, to which the Dean replied that the only list of that sort is requested by the town to verify the legality of rental properties that students may be inhabiting, but that "no list of housing is provided [for patrol]."
Dean Williams took a moment to address the students on a more personal note. "The problem is you don't trust us [the administration]." She went on to request that since she has only been a member of the Wheaton community since July 1, she hopes that the students will "give me the opportunity to earn your trust."
Students also inquired about the Dean's "liberal" point of vie in contacting parents.
Dean Williams said, "I have a pretty high threshold at which I will call parents…when there's serious alcohol abuse or the student is engaging in behavior that might put at risk their ability to continue here at Wheaton. I do not do it often."
Apart from these questions, the majority of the attendees commented and suggested that Wheaton take cues from other liberal arts colleges.
The idea of an amnesty program, which would allow intoxicated students to request help for their friends without being in danger being reprimanded themselves was mentioned, as well as the possibility of the school providing some sort of safe transportation to off-campus parties from the campus.
Though the answers to these questions were non-committal, the Dean was open to hearing suggestions from students. "I'm a big fan of democracy. I would love your input. Hopefully we are going to be working with SGA to provide conduits for that kind of input."
Off-campus senator Mohammed El-Rufai 11 said he felt the need "to credit the administration for accepting various ideas, both from a number of Senators, and students."
SGA President Gabe Amo '10 also thought that the meeting went well, and hopes "that students remember that SGA is supposed to be a representative body and the meeting demonstrated that SGA is everyone's space to address life at the College. At the end of the day, I just want my fellow students to be safe and happy. We'll continue to work to see that happen."
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