Lydia Mayer – Staff Writer
Students have a new University of Wyoming Code of Conduct to follow in the coming years.
The Code of Conduct, created by the Assistant Dean of Student Conduct Ryan O’Neil and others, rolled out Aug. 26. It was a two-year project in which the creators looked at more than 50 other Codes of Conduct in order to create a satisfactory product for UW’s use.
While some are concerned by the length, the overall change seems to be positive.
Jason Wilkins, ASUW President, said, “I think it’s great they made it [the Code of Conduct] a lot easier for people to understand.”
Mainly, the newly reformatted Code aims to be more accessible and for any and all students, not just legal persons.
Some new features of the Code of Conduct include a table of contents, community aligned standards, and clearer expectations on how students should behave. For example, there are revised freedom of expression and health and safety exemption sections.
One big change, the table of contents, was mentioned by one student, Rocky Cordova, who said, “I personally wouldn’t read it word by word; I don’t think anybody would. That’s why I like the table of contents.”
Cordova said a lot was added to the 2019 Code of Conduct and that it is more transparent for students, so the length doesn’t have a negative effect.
The freedom of expression section now more clearly states that expression is allowed on campus as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others. While freedom of expression was noted in the last Code of Conduct, made in 2015, it was not clear on harmful behavior.
The health and safety exemption gives more leeway for students to help themselves and others who may be conducting prohibited behavior at the same time. This is case-by-case, however.
O’Neil said, “Whether or not a code violation has occurred, prioritize health and safety.”
Others are more skeptical about the change not applying to all instances, such as Cordova, who said, “I think the fear of getting in trouble will defer people from helping others if they’re in trouble.”
This new addition, however, does seem like a step in the right direction in Cordova’s eyes.
Another part Cordova is skeptical about is the community values. He said he likes that the University of Wyoming added community values, but gives a bit of advice.
“I think they really need to look into the internal aspects of how it’s going to be applied rather than just listing them,” he said.
The five community standards that UW is pushing through a campaign titled We Are UW are community, integrity, social consciousness, respect and responsibility. Social consciousness, O’Neil said, is about preserving the dignity and worth of all community members. When it comes to behaviors, intention and impact may be different.
O’Neil said she tells students in the wake of the new Code, “Simply being a member of campus is not enough.”
