JOB SECURITY AT RISK IF RAS BOW TO SSDP PRESSURE

Resident Life officials responded to a student organization's efforts
to lobby Resident Assistants to use discretion in reporting marijuana
use in dorms, telling RAs they are barred from deciding whether or not
to call police over drug use.

Several RAs in North Campus said they ignored Resident Life's e-mailed
warning, which came last week after Students for a Sensible Drug
Policy began hand-delivering its letter to RAs last month. The letter
urged RAs to consider what they said are unfair consequences students
face when police are called to investigate drug use.

But RAs said the fact that they ignored Resident Life's letter doesn't
mean they endorse SSDP's position, which questions why Resident Life
is willing to expel students from housing for a single marijuana
violation but rarely does so for alcohol use. Some said they call
police because they fear losing their jobs if they don't while others
said students have a responsibility to adhere to policy.

"While there is a human aspect to it, [residents] should know the
rules," said Aja Johnson, a senior and LaPlata Hall RA. "If they're
personally invested [in their education], they shouldn't want to grab
attention."

Both the Residence Halls Association and the Student Government
Association approved resolutions last year that urged administrators
to punish both alcohol and marijuana as B-level - or less serious -
violations. Resident Life administrators declined to change the policy
last semester, citing fears that guns and drug dealers would
proliferate university-run student housing if penalties were relaxed.

But RAs interviewed for this story, many of whom were granted
anonymity because they feared reprisal from Resident Life for speaking
to reporters without permission, said they are already using
discretion when it comes to marijuana - whether they supported SSDP or
not.

"Marijuana is illegal, but I overlook some of the kids" if they're not
disturbing anything, said an Easton Hall RA.

Resident Life officials require RAs to call police each time they
suspect drug use.

Although some RAs said they disagree with Resident Life's policy, they
said they still feel obligated to call police if they suspect
marijuana use.

"Our own personal convictions are well, marijuana's not like a drug,
it grows and it's not a big deal," an anonymous LaPlata RA said. "A
lot of RAs believe that, but we still have to follow our job."

Many said they fear being fired.

"I don't know what [Resident Life ] would do, but I'm afraid of being
reported," said the Easton RA.

After SSDP began distributing the warning letters, North Campus
Resident Life officials began to send out letters aimed at gutting
SSDP's efforts, several RAs said.

"This is not an area where you have any discretion," says the letter,
which was provided by a North Campus RA. "There is always the
potential that students may be high on other types of drugs and we do
not want you to inadvertently interfere with a police investigation or
damage police evidence."

Over the summer, the department lightened the policy and gave
community directors the ability to suspend students from housing
instead in cases where "small amounts" of marijuana were found.

That amount, however, hasn't been defined, and Resident Life
administrators will deal with it on a case by case basis.

Several RAs said that smelling marijuana would prompt an immediate
call to police. The Easton RA said a concern for her was getting in
trouble because someone else might report it to police before the RA
did. By not writing up the incident and reporting it to police, that
RA would get in trouble.

"I have to" call police, she said. "But it's difficult. I don't really
have a problem [with marijuana]."