The Board of Regents will vote Thursday on proposed revisions to the UW System conduct rules that could allow universities within the system to punish students for severe off-campus misbehavior.
David Giroux, UW System communications and external relations director, said under the proposed revisions, off-campus behavior would be punishable if students fall under the list of actions subject to discipline and are serious and repeated.
""Only when you meet both of those criteria at the same time are we talking about any kind of sanction,"" he said.
Giroux also said because an action must meet these two criteria, punishment under the revised rules would be in only extreme and rare situations.
""We are talking about really serious situations that demand the university's attention,"" he said. ""We're not going to go looking for more students to discipline.""
Colleene Thomas, a UW System regent, said before the revisions the rule for off-campus discipline was vague, making it difficult for officials to make decisions and for students to know their rights.
""We're coming forward with a document that provides a structure where students can understand fairly clearly what they are responsible for,"" she said. ""Administrators are provided with clear guidelines about how to proceed.""
Thomas said the revision plans stemmed from community members who live near the UW-Milwaukee campus and were concerned about student behavior.
According to Giroux, the regents also took student rights into consideration when devising the revisions.
""There is understandable concerns from all sides,"" he said. ""The difficulty when you're drafting any law, rule or revision is to find the middle ground.""
According to Giroux, the revisions are part of a two-year review process that began in February 2007 and involved several forums to gain community feedback.
If the revisions get the regents' approval at Thursday's meeting in Milwaukee, they will be sent to the state Legislature for review.
