UCSD’s Office of Student Conduct released its annual report for the 2014–15 school year indicating an increase in reported incidents of both Student ID Card trading and visits to detox facilities. The statistics were made available on Sept. 1.
There was an increase in cases of non-academic dishonesty which occurred because students were required to bring their ID Cards to Sun God Festival 2015. Forty-five cases of attempted selling or purchasing were processed altogether, a spike from the two cases reported last year.
Students found responsible or who accept the charges faced several consequences, including a year of probation, completion of the Ethics Workshop (now called the Practical Decision Making Assessment and Reflection workshop) and inadmission to 2016’s Sun God Festival.
Additionally, the report found that 60 percent of student incidents ended in admission to UCSD’s Detox Center, a 13 percent rise from last year. In comparison, the Sun God Detox Center admitted 20 percent more students than the previous year.
Collectively, the amount of students sent to general detox facilities had escalated relative to prior years.
“We have seen an increased number of incidents involving students sent to detox facilities,” the report described. “During 2014–15, there were 45 percent more students taken to detox than in 2012–13.”
A.S. Associate Vice President of Student Advocacy Lavinia Osilesi told the UCSD Guardian that availability of these reports is significant for students.
“I’m glad that these statistics [were] released because now student leaders can critically analyze them to determine what the next best method of reaching out to students to prevent future student conduct code violations,” Osilesi said. “The Office of Student Advocacy will utilize the information and documentation in order to develop more effective strategies for communicating with and sharing knowledge with students.”
Sixth College senior Rachel Fisher was not surprised with the report’s findings in regards to ID sales.
“I find the increase in alcohol consumption and overall misconduct slightly surprising,” Fisher said. “I was expecting the rules to be ineffective due to the general dissent toward them expressed by students. I also think, of course, that the increase in ID sales makes sense as well due to the university no longer allowing outside guests to attend the festival.”
Warren College sophomore Adam Abadilla stated that students are unaware of how detox centers are run and how the university may reduce alcoholic incidents.
“There should be more resources that allow students to detox while still enjoying the festival (hydration stations, adequate seating),” Abadilla said. “Also more transparency in regards to ‘Detox Centers,’ so many students opt not to get help because they fear getting in trouble.”
Osilesi shared similar views and noted the importance of the Responsible Action Protocol, an amnesty program for referred students under alcoholic, or controlled substance medical, health and safety emergencies.
“The statistic about RAP caught me by surprise,” Osilesi said. “I thought that our utilization of RAP would have went up, especially with the large push that the [Office of Student Conduct], RA’s and OSA put on the protocol. I still believe that RAP is an effective protocol that students should be aware of; however, I think that it should be more widely publicized.”
