STUDENTS CAUGHT WITH MARIJUANA SENT TO JUDICIAL BOARD

Four students were referred to the UA Judicial Board after they were
discovered to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana Oct. 27,
according to a UA Police Department crime log report.

The students were not arrested, said Gary Crain, public information
officer for the UAPD. There are three courses of action an officer can
take upon discovering an offense in the case of students, Crain said.
These courses of action are left to the discretion of the officer.
Every time a student is arrested, they are also referred to the
judicial board. In some cases, the officer will not arrest the
student but refer them to the judicial board or the officer will issue
a warning, Crain said.

In the case of drug-related offenses, officers have other options.
"If there's a usable amount, and it is confiscated, there will be a
report," Crain said. "Whether there is a referral is up to the
officer's discretion."

In some cases, the officer can request a person to destroy the
contraband, Crain said. The Office of Community Standards and Student
Ethics holds jurisdiction over the Judicial Board.

According to the Student Conduct and Disciplinary Proceedings section
of the Code of Student Life, "use or possession of a controlled
substance, narcotic or drug paraphernalia" is a violation of UA
policy, as well as violations of pertinent Arkansas laws.

"Any student found responsible for a violation outlined in the Code of
Student Life is subject to disciplinary sanctions and may expect more
significant sanctions relative to the severity of the offense and/or
if found responsible on multiple occasions," according to the code.

Students reported to the OCSSE for violations of the code are
considered not guilty until they are proven responsible by a
preponderance of evidence, according to the code.

In many cases, an all university judiciary hearing is held to
determine the responsibility of the matter. The judiciary consists of
eight undergraduate students, eight graduate students and eight
faculty members. These student members are chosen after they have
made applications to the dean of students or to the dean of the
graduate school in the case of graduate student applicants.

The applicants are then interviewed by the dean of students or the
dean of the graduate school. Graduate applicants are appointed by the
dean of the graduate school and undergraduate applicants are selected
by the vice chancellor of student affairs.

"If you look at the last three years on the Clery report, you'll see
there has been an increase [in drug-related offenses]," Crain said.
There were 16 arrests in 2004, 24 in 2005 and 30 in 2006. Data for
2007 was unavailable but will be available later this week, Crain said.