The student court at UTM has not heard a case in six years, while other student judicial and disciplinary bodies at schools across Tennessee say they hear on average two to three cases per academic year.

Associate Dean of Students Dwayne Scott said that the student court at the University of Memphis hears cases involving traffic violations and other disciplinary cases. “The student has to choose that venue. In a given academic year there are usually from zero to two cases heard involving disciplinary cases other than traffic cases,” Scott said.

Angi Smith, director of Student Judicial Affairs for the University of Tennessee, said that the UT student disciplinary board hears three to five cases a semester.

“They hear everything. They can hear all disciplinary infractions at the university, with the exception of academic dishonesty,” Smith said.

The student court at UTM is appointed by the student body president and then approved by the Student Government Association. Chief Justice of the court, Erin Young, said that she has been told that students do not want to take their cases to the student court because repercussions, in the past, were usually a lot worse when cases were handled by the court as opposed to Student Affairs.

Other students involved in hearing conduct matters agree with Young. One student disciplinary board member at the University of Tennessee, Jamie Wilson, said students tend to judge other students rather harshly. “If the person that comes before our board is not remorseful for what they have done, then their punishments tend to be pretty harsh,” Wilson said.

When faced with deciding the fate of students who have been cited for serious violations, Wilson said the matter becomes a principle of looking out for the entire student body “We have to ask ourselves if this person is the kind of person we want walking next to us on campus or sitting in the classroom with us,” Wilson said.

Dean Scott at the University of Memphis said he believes students rarely choose to go before a court of their peers out of fear. “Peer courts have a tendency to be harder on their peers as opposed to faculty and staff. Peers have a tendency to be harsher and to hold students accountable at a higher level because of their behavior,” Scott said.

Young said that she is not sure whether the student court at UTM would be harsher than the Division of Student Affairs. “I’m a student and we are all going through the same thing here at school. We’re on a ground level with students and may be able to see more easily if something is not fair,” Young said.

However, because no cases have been recently heard, UTM has no recent precedent to show whether the court would be harsher than the Division of Student Affairs. Former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Katie High told The Pacer that the student court at UTM never heard a case during her tenure from 2001 to last year. Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs David Belote said that the court has not held a case during his current tenure as interim or during his tenure as interim prior to High taking the position as vice chancellor, confirming that the student court has not heard a case in at least the past six years.

UTM Student Conduct Officer Vishenia Huery was contacted by The Pacer, but was unable to comment before press time.

Former Chief Justice Haley Simmons says that the reason that no cases come before the student court may have something to do with how the student court is explained to students. “She (Huery) says she tells students their options, but I don’t know to what extent these options are explained to students,” Simmons said.

Simmons added that during his time as a justice, the court placed table tents in the cafeteria and other advertisements around campus advertising that the students could take their cases to the student court. No cases came before the court despite the advertisements.

“When it comes down to it, it is up to the students to decide if they want us to hear their case or not,” Young said. “We are trying to get information about the student court out to students. It would be refreshing to have a case.”

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The Pacer would like to speak to students who have gone through the student disciplinary system. Please contact us at 881-7780 or by e-mail at pacer@utm.edu. You may choose to remain anonymous. — Ed.