The AMS executive hopes to gauge student opinion on several clauses in the draft code of conduct with two plebiscite questions on next week’s referendum ballot.
“It’s going to be able to gauge student opinion but it will also get them to ask questions,” said AMS Vice-President (University Affairs) Julia Mitchell.
The first question asks whether students agree with what Mitchell said has come to be known as the “rat” clause, requiring students to report violations of the code to the Judicial Committee. The second asks whether or not students agree with having certain non-academic transgressions noted on their academic transcripts.
“These were the clauses we received a lot of student concerns about both at the forum and in our own consultations,” she said. “We’ve been hearing so much about it from students we wanted to see what the student body as a whole, what they thought about it.”
Clause 9 of the draft states students should report any misconduct or leave the scene as soon as possible.
Mitchell said it’s unrealistic to expect students to follow this clause.
“If you go to a party and see someone underage drinking, you’re not going to leave,” she said “It’s like you have to be responsible for other people’s actions.”
Sanction 5 of the draft says JComm can note violations to the code on a student’s transcript.
Mitchell said she’s worried about the clause’s vagueness, and believes a notation should be made on a student’s transcript only in cases of extreme misconduct.
“If you do something egregious enough that you were removed or expelled, that should go on your transcript.”
Mitchell said the results of the question will be used to determine the AMS’ stance with senate.
“It gives us a little bit more credibility in that we’ve gone out and collected the facts.”
She said the referendum’s timing is good, giving students more than a week to think about the questions before Senate’s open meeting Nov. 15.
Students who want to speak at the meeting should call the University Secretariat Georgina Moore before Nov. 15 to have their names added to the speakers list.
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