The Judicial Board (J-Board) recently released its 2010-2011 annual report in an email to students, faculty and staff.
The report summarizes each of the 15 cases reviewed by the J-Board last year, including the circumstances of violations, whether or not the J-Board determined the accused student to be responsible, and the terms of the student's penalty.
Released on September 30, the report was compiled by Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Board Advisor Laura Lee in conjunction with J-Board Chair RJ Shea '12, Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster, and Associate Director of Student Affairs Meadow Davis.
Eight of the 15 cases reviewed last year involved allegations of Academic Honor Code violations.
According to the report, students in these cases were charged with the following violations: plagiarism; use of the same work for multiple courses without prior knowledge of the receiving instructors; receiving, giving, or using of any unauthorized assistance; and acquisition, without permission, of material which would give the student an unfair advantage.
Only one of the eight students charged with an Academic Honor Code violation was determined not responsible for giving unauthorized assistance to another student. Penalties for the other acquitted students ranged from failing grades to multi-semester suspensions.
The remaining seven cases that the J-Board reviewed concerned allegations of Social Code violations. These cases involved charges of conduct unbecoming of a Bowdoin student; failure to comply with the College's sexual harassment, alcohol, illegal drug and fire safety policies; and property theft.
Two students were cleared of their charges: one student was found not responsible for damaging another student's laptop computer and the other was found not responsible for intentionally injuring another student.
The remaining five students who were found responsible for Social Code violations received penalties including social probation, mandatory counseling, or multi-semester suspensions.
Additionally, the Student Sexual Assault and Misconduct Board found one student responsible of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. According to the report, the student was "indefinitely dismissed from the College for a minimum of four semesters, with the potential for readmission only for the purpose of graduation."
In an email to the Orient, Shea explained that the J-Board publishes an annual report in order to provide an example to students of how Academic and Social Code violations are handled, as well as to create greater transparency between the J-Board and the Bowdoin community.
"Above all else, it is beneficial for all to know that we, as a board, are members of the Bowdoin student body as well, and we serve on the Board as a way to help uphold the standards that make this Bowdoin community a safe place to learn and study," he wrote.