Campus Connection

UW-L students overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new campus policy related to underage drinking and an expansion to the Recreational Eagle Center.

Responsible Action Policy gets green light

About 96 percent of students who voted in an online referendum April 15-16 showed strong support for a Responsible Action Policy at UW-L, validating the administration’s view that such a policy would be a positive step for the students and the university, notes Larry Ringgenberg, director of University Centers. The policy would protect students from being charged for underage drinking if they call campus police for help when they or another student are dangerously intoxicated. A total of 2,831 students voted in favor of the policy and 119 voted against it. Campus police will be working with the chancellor to implement the policy. UW-L student Devin Remiker, director of local affairs with the Student Association, was pleased that the vast majority of students supported the policy. “If students ever end up in a bad situation, I don’t want them to have to make the decision about whether they should call or not,” says Remiker. “Saving a life is more important than any number of citations. If this ever saves just one person, I will be very happy.” The policy idea has come up a number of times over the years, but the challenge was finding a way to implement it without undercutting university police ability to enforce laws, says UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow. “I’m really pleased that our student leadership collaborated closely with university police to find the appropriate approach to this,” says Gow, noting that the policy really says that the university makes student safety a priority. Police Chief Scott Rohde doesn’t anticipate the Responsible Action Policy will have a big impact on campus police because about 90 percent of alcohol violations on campus are handled through a campus police Alcohol Diversion Program. The program is an alternative to an underage alcohol citation. Offenders take an alcohol-at-risk behavior class, write an impact paper and meet several other requirements. Where the policy could affect students is in cases where a crime is committed in conjunction with underage drinking. However, many of these cases are already handled in line with the policy language, says Rohde. Campus police evaluate the situation to see if the person truly was seeking help to protect the life of another person and honor that by not charging the individual. For instance, if a victim of a sexual assault who has been drinking comes forward, campus police wouldn’t cite the individual for drinking.

REC Center expansion also approved

Students also overwhelmingly approved an expansion to the Recreational Eagle Center with 2,605 students or about 87 percent voting in favor of the expansion. The expansion would mean that students pay an additional $14 a year in student fees to build a 30,000-square-foot addition to the building designed to help students meet their recreational, social and wellness needs. The REC project will be forwarded to the UW System Board of Regents for consideration as part of the 2015-17 capital budget. The project must also be approved by the State Building Commission before UW-L could begin the design process. The goal is to have the new addition completed by the start of fall semester in 2017.

High turnout

A total of 3,100 students voted in the referendum and election on April 15 and 16, the highest turnout in recent years. The number surpassed the total that turned out in the April 2012 referendum to increase student fees to fund a new student center and reauthorization of the green fund. However, student participation did not reach the record number of students who voted during a November 2009 referendum about doubling student’s academic initiative fee. UW-L students voted both April 15 and 16 because of a technical glitch that meant about 600 students were not included in the original April 15 vote. The vote was continued on April 16 to allow those students an opportunity to weigh in. “Our students have turned out again in near record numbers saying they want to invest in making their campus better,” says Ringgenberg. “I’m constantly amazed how positive our students are about improving their environment.” The referendum also included the Student Association election. Students elected a new president and vice president. Kaylee Otterbacher, a sophomore double majoring in political science and communication studies, will be the next Student Association president and Hayley Kresnak, a junior double majoring in political science and communication studies, will be vice president. Otterbacher says she has seen the student organization make huge changes on campus during her past two terms on Student Senate. She plans to focus on making changes to dining services, grading policies and an improved Student Association presence and involvement on campus. Kresnak says her priority is listening to student input and making sure student concerns get a response. New student senators were also elected for the College of Business Administration, College of Liberal Studies, College of Science and Health and School of Arts and Communication. Students also voted in favor of a series of changes to the student association constitution.