Make an informed choice: Organ donor sign-up shouldn’t be rushed OPINIONS, 4A
Thinking in color How color affects your perception FEATURES, 6A
The Daily Illini
Wednesday September 19, 2012
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www.DailyIllini.com
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
Vol. 142 Issue 18
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Discipline from UI independent of courts STAFF WRITER
Brian O’Donnell , senior in AHS, was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday after being charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault of a fellow student almost three weeks ago. But even if the verdict returns not guilty, the outcome may not affect any punishment from the University. While Brian Farber, associate dean and director for the Office of Student Confl ict Resolution , would not comment on O’Donnell’s case, he said the results of a criminal case do not correlate with disciplinary decisions made by the University. “The criminal system and the student disciplinary system are completely independent processes with different goals, different procedures and different
standards of proof,” Farber said. O’Donnell and his personal assistant, Thomas Roman Jr., were both charged the morning of Aug. 31 with sexual assault after Roman helped O’Donnell, who uses a wheelchair, commit the assault, University Police Capt. Roy Acree said. Thomas Betz, directing attorney at Student Legal Services highlighted the difference between the criminal and student disciplinary processes. He said that the administrative system at the University and the U.S. court system are “very separate systems.” “There isn’t a presumption of innocence (with the University) because it’s not a procedure in which they are determining moral guilt in the legal sense,” Betz said. “They are simply determining whether or not the terms and conditions of the code of conduct
were violated, and it does not require overwhelming evidence.” Committing sexual assault violates the Student Code’s standards regarding sexual misconduct. And if found in violation of any portion of the code, a student may suffer a variety of repercussions, including possible dismissal from the University. “If the University (finds you in) possible violation of the code, you are given notice,” said campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler. “At that point, you can come in and talk to the University and try to explain the situation if you think there are mitigating circumstances.” An undergraduate student conduct subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline will then listen and make a decision regarding each case, Kaler said. The subcommittee is composed of both faculty and student members.
Farber said that the subcommittee makes decisions “based on all of the facts and circumstances of each case.” According to the 2011 annual report for SCSD, the committee met 14 times in the last fiscal year. In total, 2,033 discipline cases were evaluated, 15 of which revolved around sexual misconduct. Of those 2,033 cases, 44 resulted in a student’s dismissal from the University. Although Farber could not confirm that O’Donnell or Roman will go through this disciplinary process, he said the vast majority of respondents, or those found in violation of the Student Code, will go before the subcommittee. He said that after the final ruling, students can potentially petition to be readmitted at a later time. “The petition committee will determine whether or not the
petitioner will be readmitted and under what conditions or restrictions if they are,” Farber said. These conditions can range from required substance-abuse counseling, appropriate- and healthyrelationships workshops, service to the community, research, and reflective essays on the impact of assault on the victim and the community, Farber said. Betz said that the attorneys at legal services represent students in a court setting if they are charged with misdemeanor crimes, such as a traffic violation, but not a felony. However, legal services will not represent the student in front of the University subcommittee. “In the administrative process at the University, we will advise students, ‘This is what the process
See STUDENTS, Page 3A
Sexual misconduct cases up since 2007 Since Fiscal Year 2007, the amount of sexual misconduct cases that the Senate Committee on Student Discipline has seen per year has increased, according to the committee’s annual reports. 15
15 2011
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BY EMMA WEISSMANN
2010
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Source: Annual Reports of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline SHANNON LANCOR Managing Editor of Visuals
RAs quit over conflict with management
Chicago teachers back to work
Ex-employee of Illini Tower raises attention online BY LAUREN ROHR STAFF WRITER
Ryan Kuramitsu said that at the time of his hiring, he and about 14 other resident assistants at Illini Tower were under the impression that they would receive free room and board, parking and meals. But when he went to the private certified housing unit for spring training, the sophomore in DGS said he and his co-workers were informed that if they wanted to continue working there, they would
have to pay $5,745 for housing fees. The story gained attention among students after Kuramitsu posted about his experience in a blog post that has since accumulated over 140 Facebook shares. Kuramitsu said upon being handed the new contract in May 2012, most RAs quit on the spot, with only a few remaining. He said he agreed to stay and pay the housing fees “for the experience,” but “the team was shattered.” IT is owned and operated by Australia-based Campus Living Villages. Kuramitsu said he thinks management was trying follow the international trend
See ILLINI TOWER, Page 3A
REX ARBOGAST THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates celebrate after the delegates voted to suspend the strike against the school district Tuesday in Chicago. The city’s teachers agreed to return to the classroom after more than a week on the picket lines, ending a spiteful stalemate with Mayor Rahm Emanuel that put teacher evaluations and job security at the center of a national debate. More inside: Turn to Page 3A for a full story on the resolution.
Beyond Coal campaign takes further step After agreement to end coal use by 2017, group aims to divest UI of coal interests Following last year’s success in making the University pledge to stop using coal power by 2017, members of a University branch of the national Beyond Coal campaign are looking to take a further step: end any University investment in coal companies. The group will strategize ways to persuade the University to suspend investments in coal companies at its kickoff meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the University YMCA. They hope to present their fi ndings at an upcoming board of trustees meeting. The University of Illinois Foundation invests donors’
money in various areas, but because the foundation is an independent organization, this information is private. “We’re pushing for the campus to divest in coal as soon as possible,” said Katrina Underwood of the Beyond Coal Campaign. “It’s becoming globally recognized that coal is an outdated energy source. There are so many health hazards, and the mining practices are extremely destructive.” The foundation, which fundraises for all three campuses, had a total of $1.6 5 billion dollars in private donations as of last June, said Donald Kojich , vice president for marketing
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and communications for the foundation. Kojich said can choose where their money goes. “Our foundation board, which consists of 20-plus members has fiduciary responsibilities to help forward and advance the University and the University’s assets,” he said. Kojich could not provide information about whether the foundation invests in coal companies by press time. Because the University agreed to the 2017 deadline, representatives from the plant have been looking for alternative energy sources, such as natural gas and biofuels, campaign members said. The group formed about a year ago after a group of students had the idea to push for the University to sign a pledge to stop using coal-fueled power. “Since our campaign to get
College Campuses That Have Committed to Being Coal-Free by 2017 University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamapign Cornell University Penn State University Case Western Reserve University Ohio University University of North CarolinaChapel Hill Clemson University Oberlin College University of Louisville Western Kentucky University SUNY-Binghamton Eastern Illinois University Western Illinois University Missouri University of Science & Technology University of WisconsinMadison Miami University of Ohio SOURCE: SIERRA CLUB
See BEYOND COAL, Page 3A
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PRITEN VORA THE DAILY ILLINI
Many resident assistants have quit at Illini Tower, above, because they had to pay for room and board, were expected to work jobs in the dining hall and front desk, and were underpaid, overworked and undertrained.
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