Violations of the Standards of Conduct, commonly referred to as a "VSOC," are now part of the past, Resident Life Co-Chair Adam Reitelbach said.\nA VSOC signified a breach of the 12 Standards of Conduct, which are applicable to all University students. Examples of breaches include physical and sexual assault and any violation of federal, state or local laws. After filling out a VSOC form, resident advisers in the past forwarded the information to a senior resident adviser, who then dealt with the student individually.\nReitelbach said the Office of Resident Life is simply revising the procedure through which resident advisers deal with alcohol violations by underage students, citing due process as one reason for the change.\n"The [University Judiciary Committee] is the only one charged by the University to deal with violations of the Standards of Conduct, which is what the VSOC [was] for," Reitelbach said.\nOther than the elimination of VSOCs, Reitelbach noted that the process through which RAs report underage students who consume alcohol in University housing will not change.\n"It's really the same thing that RAs have been doing." Reitelbach said. "We're really just not handing out pieces of paper called VSOCs."\nMeanwhile, the University Judiciary Committee will continue dealing with alcohol violations as it always has, UJC Chair Michael Chapman said.\n"[The Office of Resident Life] chooses to have their own system of keeping track of alcohol violations, and when they see a pattern they can bring those cases to us," he said, adding that "[the changes] won't pose any problems for us."\nWhen students are found guilty of alcohol violations, the punishment is decided by a UJC trial panel, Chapman noted.\n"There are instances where you can end up with a variety of sanctions like doing community services, oral or written admissions, and taking an alcohol class with the Center for Alcohol and Substance Education ... It's really up to the trial panel as they have full discretion."\nReitelbach noted that the revision will not eliminate alcohol consumption of underage students all together.\n"Some students will still choose to disobey policy, but we're taking the educational approach," Reitelbach said.\n-compiled by Jane Ma
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