Students at the University of Colorado at Boulder are being advised to keep their end-of-the-year celebrations in check or risk disciplinary action.
Ron Stump, interim vice chancellor for student affairs, recently issued an e-mail message to students with information on university and municipal sanctions for public misconduct, as well as tips on how to celebrate safely.
"Many students have encountered -- and overcome -- academic and personal challenges during the course of the year," Stump said. "They have reason to celebrate their accomplishments.
"We want them to know that they can celebrate in a responsible way, without damaging their neighborhoods and putting their academic career and their personal safety, as well as the safety of others, at risk."
CU-Boulder has a student code of conduct based on promoting a safe and healthy campus environment. Students are expected to conduct themselves according to accepted standards of social behavior, and to abide by university regulations, as well as the laws of the city, state and nation.
The consequences of disorderly conduct can be severe. A student can be suspended or expelled from the university for violating any one of the following university standards:
脽 Standard 2: Interfering with, obstructing or disrupting police or fire responses.
脽 Standard 5: Violating any federal, state or local laws.
脽 Standard 13: Assaulting or threatening the health or safety of another person.
In crowd situations, failure to disperse once dispersal is demanded by the police can result in criminal charges. Videotapes of crowd behavior are being used more often to identify people who injure others or damage property.
Several state laws can be used to bring charges against a student participating in a disturbance, including inciting or engaging in a riot, disorderly conduct, and damaging personal property. If convicted of a felony, a student could get a criminal record, which will have to be reported on graduate school and job applications. Cost for damages, fines and legal fees can also put a dent in a student聮s bank account.
Following are some tips for making end-of-the-year celebrations safe and enjoyable, courtesy of the City of Boulder Environmental Enforcement Office and the Vice Chancellor聮s Office for Student Affairs:
脽 Notify neighbors of party plans in terms of size, hours, music, etc., and make quick, definite changes in problem areas if they occur.
脽 Keep the size of a party in line with the capacity of the house.
脽 Control access to a party by watching out for strangers. Residents are responsible for guests and their actions, whether they know them or not. Designate someone to be near the door to avoid problems before they happen.
脽 Designate a non-drinking monitor to control stereo volume. Noise is the No. 1 reason that neighbors call the police about a party. Turn off the music as it gets later.
脽 Feel free to call the police at (303) 441-4444 to report a problem or suspicious behavior of people that you don聮t know, or stop by the community police center at 1310 College Ave.
脽 After the party, clean up the trash outside of the house, in neighbors聮 yards and on the street.