Assistant Dean of Students Joe Hall visited Allegheny Student Government to present an annual conduct report during its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15. His report included statistics on honor code and student conduct violations, as well as new programs which may be implemented in the future.

For the first time over the summer, Allegheny offered a voluntary online academic integrity module to incoming first-year students, according to Hall. While only about 150 students completed the module, Hall said the module acted as an introduction to the honor code for incoming students and that the administration had decided to continue to offer it to first-years.

While the Honor Committee has continued presenting in first-year seminars, it also started presenting to new faculty members, according to Hall. Along with the new presentations, Allegheny will begin offering two programs in the spring semester, Hall said.

One program will be called the Choices program, which will combine Allegheny’s resources with the Liquor Control Board and state police, Hall said. This program is still in its preliminary planning stage but will be offered to students, according to Hall.

The second program will involve local right constituents, including the district attorney and chief of police, according to Hall.

“It will be an open program to the campus on some of the trends we’ve been noticing,” Hall said. “One of the biggest trends that we’re seeing right now is an increased number of students who are in possession of a fake ID.”

Along with the increased amount of fake identification amongst students, the Loop has also been making more trips from campus into Meadville, according to Interim Associate Dean of Students Gretchen Beck. Throughout October 2016, the Loop provided 11,000 rides, while the Loop provided 14,000 rides in October 2017, according to Beck. The increase in fake identification and bus rides into Meadville can be contributed to the lack of off-campus housing, Hall said.

“Because there are not several houses hosting social gatherings on the weekends, students are searching for other options,” Hall said.

Along with explaining the programs he plans to implement over the next semester, Hall also provided statistics concerning Allegheny’s Good Samaritan Policy, a policy on Allegheny’s campus that protects both the student who called authorities and the student who received help when incidents occur on campus. There have been 15 incidents in which the policy has been invoked this year, compared to eight during the 2015-2016 academic year, according to Hall.

“As the policy and awareness has increased, more students are utilizing it,” Hall said. “But I don’t feel there have been any serious situations where students are abusing it. In most cases, our biggest concern is going to be that student.”

The Good Samaritan Policy is included in Allegheny’s alcohol policy, but it extends past alcohol.

“It’s there to encourage someone if they have been a victim of physical assault or sexual assault,” Hall said. “It makes sure they are not deterred to come forward based on their intoxication level.”

While the Good Samaritan Policy protects students involved in on-campus incidents, the policy does not extend into Meadville, according to Hall.

As Hall concluded his presentation, which included statistics that involved academic and non-academic misconduct incidents throughout the fall semester, he said the majority of incidents have occurred in areas with more first-year students.

Once Hall finished his presentation, Co-Directors of Student Affairs Travis Court, ’18, listed the larger project he hopes to implement.

“I talked to Gretchen about some of the larger projects we have … including some laptop charging stations in Quigley [Hall] and Steffee [Hall], some benches at certain Loop stops, and more lighting on Sherman Street near the library,” Court said.

Along with the larger projects, Court is also trying to get more student discounts in Meadville. The Business Alliance Meeting discussed the possibility of student discounts in Meadville, according to Beck.

“The businesses are pulling together a 10 percent discount for anybody with an Allegheny ID,” Beck said. “They’ll have different things coming out as far as placards and stickers.”