Grambling State University’s judicial board received training on Thursday, March 16. Nan Delafosse, Director of Judicial Affairs at Texas Southern University, facilitated the workshop.
The judicial board is the primary judicial body of the university. It has original jurisdiction over all cases referred to it by appropriate university officials. Also, it has jurisdiction over all cases from immediate interim suspension.
Delafosse said, "You must be fair and consistent with the decions that you make. You should not be biased."
Senior Houston native Leonard Simpson, a student on the board, said, "I learned the importance of being open-minded and not biased when dealing with student cases."
The Office of Student Judicial Affairs is responsible for adjudicating academic and non-academic violations of the Code of Student Conduct.
To achieve this end, the office works with other campus departments such as University Police, Residential Life, Student Counseling Center, and the Freshman Year Experience program.
Off-campus collaborations include Ruston Addictive Disorders Clinic (RADC) and the Piney Hills Sexual Assault Center.
Beverly Crawford, GSU’s Director of Student Judicial Affairs, said that the judicial board members are trained annually. "The training is mandatory for faculty, staff, and students who are appointed to the board by the Vice President for Student Affairs," said Crawford.
In addition, Student Judicial Affairs promotes student learning, growth, and development by increasing students’ awareness of the university’s expectations of acceptable behavior, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Crawford’s experiences at GSU have prepared her for her current position. She worked in law enforcement for ten years, and she was a counselor for two years.
Crawford is assisted by Paula Hicks, Administrative Assistant and graduate assistants, Kara Jackson and LaTrena Robinson. Jackson and Robinson coordinate the Peer Mediation program.
Jackson said that the training was helpful because it stressed the importance of being fair and impartial. "She said to remember that the sanctions should provide a learning and educational experience for students, not just a punishment," said Jackson.
This was echoed by Crawford who said, "Sanctions are not intended to be punitive. They are established to provide an educational experience. Our goal is to ensure that university policy regarding acceptable student behavior is maintained."