Student Conduct Committee seeking new board members

Naphtali Rosenberg / Contributing Writer

FIU has a Student Conduct Committee which is comprised of both students and FIU staff. The committee has multiple roles and missions. They seek to encourage safe demonstrations and exercises of First Amendment rights, they look to promote correct campus conduct and etiquette and they hold actual hearings where the board assesses possible infractions and delivers judgment.

The opportunity to participate in this democratic project, to be voice for the student body, is presenting itself right now. The SCC is currently looking for more students to join the Council.

There are a number of requirements for potential student board members to meet: a student must have completed at least one semester at FIU, he or she must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours for undergraduates or 5 credit hours for graduate students, a student must be in good academic standing and conduct standing with FIU, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and be available to serve on at least three hearings, 3 hours each, a month. Interested applicants can find a link to apply in the FIU Student Affairs website under the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution section.

The deadline to apply has not been listed on the SCC official website or recruitment page.

The director of student conduct and conflict resolution, Kristen Kawcynski, describes the SCC as “responsible for adjudicating cases for students, but also trying to promote safe environment for our students so they can have an educational environment.”

“We think about Florida International University as a community. There are certain expectations and norms that govern the behaviors of all of us. And for students those are governed by the code of conduct,” said Kathy Atkins of student affairs.

At an SCC hearing, a student presents his or her case in front of a board of two students and one faculty member. This is a right that every student has.

Kawczynski describes their objectives: “We promote the concepts of respect, integrity, and community for our students. Every student has the right to have a hearing in front of the board, so this gives them the opportunity to present their side of the case and to bring any witnesses forward.”

Many cases have been presented before the SCC, such as hazing incidents, dorm room conduct violations, campus demonstration infractions and many others. The SCC has been involved in many high-profile incidents at FIU. For example, the SCC investigated the tragic death of Kellie Fullilove last year to determine if there was cause for a Conduct hearing.

Between its promotion of free expression and its commitment to providing students with due process, FIU’s Student Conduct Council is seeking to promote students’ Constitutional rights. They manage to do this on a micro level: the SCC is mechanism for First Amendment and Fifth Amendment preservation housed entirely within the university.

Looking for ways to connect to the Student Conduct Council? If a student has a case and would like to appeal before SCC, said student can visit GC 311 in MMC, where the SCC office is located. Students who have an incident they would like to report then they may do so by visiting studentaffairs.fiu.edu.

The Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution webpage also features the FIU Student Code of Conduct, and a link to apply for a position on the Council. Students can follow @conductFIU on Twitter for updates and weekly conduct tips from the SCC mascot, Cody the Camel.