ACUHO-I News Blog

Conducting background checks on prospective students is an occasional topic of conversation on ACUHO-I’s forums and listserv. Most institutions don’t do it, usually for a variety of reasons–logistics, expense and doubts about efficacy–but a few do. And many are often curious about the process and usefulness of the results. So when I saw this story on Inside HigherEd on conducting background checks on potential students, I thought of y’all.

Inside HigherEd’s article is based on a panel discussion that took place at the National Association of College and University Attorneys annual meeting. In addition to the  complications mentioned above,the possibility of creating an unwelcome atmosphere for students–either those with criminal histories who intend to stay on the straight-and-narrow, or law-abiding students who simply feel uncomfortable with the privacy issues involved.

On the panel was Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Nassirian discussed an AACRAO survey on backgrounding: While 66% of respondents reported collecting some information on arrests, convictions and crimes, only about 6% of those conduct background checks. A representative of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington said that school only requests background checks from a minority of students whose applications “raise red flags.” The students pay the $20 fee.

Some on the panel wondered if future behavior can be determined by background checks. People change rapidly in their teens and twenties, and young adults are known for making stupid mistakes. Most will never repeat those mistakes again. Also, some information on criminal background is self-reported, which limits its reliability.

Does your institution conduct background checks? Has it been considered? What’s the reasoning for doing so–or not?

Former Student Sues Brown University Over Rape Accusation

This is the sort of situation that university administrators think about in the wee, sleepless hours.

Would this have turned out differently at your institution, or at another institution at which you’ve worked?

Would it have turned out the same?

What would you have done during such an episode without knowing what would happen next?

What would you have done, having the benefit of 20-20 hindsight?

Michael Schultz, the ACUHO-I president and the director of University Housing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is interviewed this month at HigherEdCareers.com on the subject of emergency preparedness.

Having already experienced an apartment fire on his campus during move-in week, Schultz stresses the need to expect the unexpected. In the interview he also discusses campus roles and responsibilities for emergency preparedness, improvements in technology, changing legislation, and more.The interview also provides links to a number of emergency preparedness resources, valuable for anyone reviewing existing plans.

Is your campus prepared for the unexpected emergency? Post your comments and share your thoughts.

A federal appeals court reinstated a sexual harassment lawsuit against the University of Georgia by a female student who alleges that Tony Cole, a basketball player with a full scholarship, encouraged two other athletes to rape her in Cole’s residence hall room in 2002.  Before coming to UGA, Cole had already been booted by two other schools for serious disciplinary infractions. Employees in the athletics department of a community college accused him of sexually assaulting them, and another college team cut him because of discipline issues. The suit alleged that officials at UGA had not only known about Cole’s unsavory reputation, they had not monitored his behavior at UGA or warned him to  behave himself.  Ultimately, the whole men’s basketball program was sanctioned by the NCAA for academic fraud, improper gifts and conduct issues.

The case goes beyond the University of Georgia, which has since  rebuilt the basketball program under new leadership, said speakers at the National Association of College and University Attorneys‘ annual meeting in Toronto. Judges seem to be developing a stricter, more proactive conception of prevention, they said, and if this continues, institutions could be held liable for incidents which could have been prevented by institution action, even if the institution did not have a direct role in the event itself and acted appropriately afterward.

Student athletes are not the only ones who can behave badly, of course. Legal scholars warn that schools may be responsible for the behavior of students who have previous convictions or had serious discipline problems at another college or in high school. It’s a lot to keep in mind, but it may be necessary.

John Buck, the Associate Dean of Students at Webster University, presented “It’s Like I’m Watching TV in My Head: How CHOs Manage Crisis Situations,” on Sunday at the ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition. Buck studied twelve housing officers who have been praised for handling crisis, interviewing them about their experiences. In the session, he shared the results of this project. Buck began his interviews at the 2008 Annual Conference and compiled the data last year. The resulting paper is Buck’s dissertation, as well as an excellent resource for the profession.

Inside HigherEd  and The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on the session.

September is National Campus Safety Month! You’ve been counting the days, and now it’s here!

Okay, maybe you’re not quite that enthused about Campus Safety Month, but we have not encountered an ACUHO-I member who hasn’t given campus safety itself a lot of thought throughout the year, not just in the ninth month.

First, here’s a fine website for information: National Campus Safety Awareness Month.

Secondly, we’ve devoted much of the Talking Stick‘s September+October issue to safety, in all its guises: mental health, cleaning products that are safe for students and those doing the cleaning; disaster preparedness and more. Check it out online and let us know what you think.

It’s been a scholarly topic since 400 BC, with commentary from Martin Luther, Mark Twain, and Vince Lombardi. No, not the nature of good v/s evil or the appropriate use of seersucker. It’s hazing.

A report published in March 2008 by the National Center for Hazing Research and Prevention concluded that 55 percent of students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing, many of them (47 percent) experience hazing before coming to college, 9 out of 10 are unable to identify activities as hazing that clearly are, 95 percent of all hazing experiences go unreported, and generally students perceive positive rather than negative outcomes associated with hazing.

These stats certainly imply student affairs professionals have their work cut-out for them in eradicating hazing.  Given the odds above, there is a good chance that many of your residents are on the receiving or giving end of hazing activities and some may even be related to your hall councils, internal honorary organizations, or even taking place as part of your training programs (behind closed doors gone-bad anyone?).

September 22-26, 2008 is National Hazing Prevention Week and a perfect opportunity to bring these harmful issues to light.  Be sure to review the recommendations from the research report on effective elements of a hazing prevention and education strategy and take a moment to reach out to other campus departments to start or be included in a comprehensive dialogue.

For a glimpse into the minds of the pro-hazer, check out the “fan” submissions to stophazing.org for insight that makes you uncomfortable.

Full disclosure: the author of this post has consulted on high-risk college drinking for the parent company of www.hazingprevention.org before it became an independent non-profit.  He has also ignorantly participated in and been a victim of hazing as an undergraduate.

In 2007, the People’s Burn Foundation of Indiana and Campus Firewatch surveyed college students to see what they knew, and didn’t, about fire safety. They were disappointed, but not surprised, when the results showed most students don’t know much about the topic.

Using these lackluster responses, the People’s Burn Foundation of Indiana, assisted by Campus Firewatch, developed “To Hell and Back: College Fire Survival,” a video on fire safety education. The video has been distributed to every institution of higher education and fire department in the United States. To Hell and Back describes a fictional, but realistic scenario: during a party at an off-campus house, a fire begins. Many fire fatalities on or near campus involve alcohol; 80 percent take place off-campus. Also on the video is the story of two survivors of the Seton Hall University fire.

As a companion to the video, igot2kno.org was developed. Students can access the site to learn fire prevention tips and what to do if they do experience a fire. A release from Campus Firewatch describes the site as “training in a box” that an administrator can use for student education. The site features more videos, one featuring Manoj, a student who was badly burned when a fire engulfed his apartment building a month before his graduation. Tests on the website can be used to quiz visitors on their knowledge.

The materials are cost-free because they were developed with a Department of Homeland Security Fire Prevention and Safety grant.

Of course, the more ways you convey your message, the more likely it is to be heard and understood. William Woods University with the cooperation of the local fire department, will set a furnished mock residence hall room on fire to show how quickly a fire can spread.

No matter what prevention and education efforts you take, there will be more eyes watching. The recently-signed Higher Education Act will require a great deal of reporting from colleges and universities on fire-prevention measures and the number of fires on campus.