UT WON'T ADOPT STUDENT WISHES ON DRUG NOTICES

Trustees To Vote On Plan To Inform Parents Of All Violators Under 21

A student government recommendation that the University of Toledo implement
a policy that would notify the parents of only financially dependent
students who violate the school's drug and alcohol policy is not feasible,
according to UT administrators.

"They have determined that it is not a workable solution to determine if
someone is financially dependent or not," said Joan Uhl Browne, a member of
the board of trustees.

Ms. Browne is chairwoman of the board's committee on student services and
athletics, which discussed the matter yesterday. The committee referred to
the full board a proposal that would affect all students under the age of
21. Action is scheduled today.

The proposal submitted to the trustees will be identical to the one they
considered last month before requesting input from student government.

If the policy is approved, the university would notify the parents or
guardians of students under 21 who violate UT's drug policy or who are
repeat offenders against its alcohol policy. Parents also would be
contacted if such a student requires medical attention as a result of any
violation.

A 1998 amendment to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act paved the
way for the proposal.

Determinations of financial dependency can be made only for students who
file for financial aid. That would exclude more than 7,000 students of the
nearly 19,500 at UT , said Calvin Lawshe, UT interim vice president for
student services.

The issue would be complicated by students who receive scholarships, he said.

John Cooke, a student member of the board of trustees, said the student
proposal intended to accommodate independent students with family troubles
at home or other circumstances where parental notification might do no good.

He said he was reassured by statements from administrators that there could
be exceptions to the notification policy based on extenuating circumstances.

"Basically, I'm somewhat pleased with it," he said. "There was never a
question that we needed a policy."

In other business, the board's buildings and grounds and administrative
services committee recommended redistributing some state funds for 2001-02
capital projects to accommodate changing academic priorities.

One request would postpone until at least 2003 a scheduled $12 million
rehabilitation of the Memorial Field House to increase its academic space.
In 2003, the project would be re-evaluated.

Most of the money earmarked for that project would go instead toward an
$8.5 million renovation of Gillham Hall to make it a suitable home for the
college of education. The college now is squeezed into Snyder Memorial Hall
with some faculty and staff in other buildings, said Norm Koenigseker,
senior director of capital projects and campus planning.

Another project that would be moved up would be the first phase of
renovations to Bowman-Oddy Laboratories. At a cost of $2.75 million, the
project would create much-needed room for the physical sciences, he said.