Last spring the Senate approved Laurier’s update to the Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct, which was last updated in 2001.

Separate from the Academic code outlined in each professor’s syllabus regarding plagiarism and late assignments, the code includes the processes that complainants and respondents go through as well as the interim measures.

“I think it’s a much needed update. I really like the way the code leaves it open enough to be inclusive … because it’s very succinct in how it approaches it, it allows it to be adapting to the ever-changing ways that students interact with each other,” said Melissa DiLeo, the first coordinator and Student Leadership and Conduct staff member on Laurier’s Brantford campus.

Drew Piticco, Student Conduct Adminisrator at Laurier’s Waterloo campus explained that the change began three years ago when Leanne Holland Brown, Laurier Waterloo’s Dean of Students, expressed her concern about the code’s lack of attention towards student’s current needs.

“The focus groups really helped to shape the language, some of the sanctions, what the restorative justice process would look like. It was very much a community driven feedback when it came to the actual development of the code,” said Adam Lawrence, Dean of Students on Laurier’s Brantford campus.

The renewal includes social networking due to its popularity amongst students as a means of communication.

“It’s going to be reviewed more often but with social media stuff, who knows? We’re getting into social media sites like YikYak, where it’s totally anonymous and some of the stuff said on those sites are extremely problematic,” said Lawrence.