What is the Judicial Board?
The Smith College Judicial Board was established to ensure that students are not acting in ways that endanger themselves or others within the community. It was also created to make sure that incidents of student misconduct at Smith, at the Five Colleges, and within the greater community do not go unheard.
How does the Judicial Board work?
The way that Judicial Board works is that at each hearing, five members serve as a panel that hears a case in which a student is accused of breaching the Student Code of Conduct. We hear from both the person who has filed the complaint and the person who is the subject of the complaint. After the hearing, we deliberate about whether or not the student who is the subject of the complaint is actually responsible for breaking “school rules.” If that student is found responsible, we discuss what the appropriate sanctions should be. These sanctions are not meant to be punitive in nature but are meant to either provide support to someone who may need some extra guidance or to provide educational experiences that can help students reflect on how their actions affect the Smith community and the greater community.
How did you first get interested in getting the involved with the Judicial Board?
My sophomore year, I had a sudden epiphany that I would not be at Smith forever. I realized that Smith had given me so much, and I felt that it was only right for me to give back to it. I applied to be on the Judicial Board because I felt that it was one of the Smith committees that would most benefit from my strengths as an Education major, and I felt that the Judicial Board would help me develop better perspective-taking skills.
What should other students who are interested in getting involved with the judicial board do?
If juniors, seniors, or Adas of either of those standings are interested in getting involved with Judicial Board, they should contact either Sarah Walton, my amazing Vice-Chair, or me in the spring, as we will be recruiting for the 2015-2016 academic year in late March/early April. The application will be out on the Judicial Board website at that time.
What are some of the changes you’re making to the Judicial Board?
My Vice-Chair, Sarah, and I feel that there are many misconceptions about us as an organization. We recognize that there is a lack of transparency between the Judicial Board and the Smith community, and we want people to know more about us. We are hoping to make our presence more visible on campus by hosting House Teas, Fireside chats, and meet-and-greets. We are not mean, scary people. If anything, I am the most approachable person ever. I had a Frozen-themed 21st birthday party! We just want people to feel comfortable asking us questions about what we do and who we are. We hope that if we increase our visibility on campus, people will better understand what school policies are and will put us out of a job.