ISU officials enforce action against this year’s Veishea offenders

Abbie Moeller

Iowa State students who were arrested for alcohol-related offenses during Veishea are being reminded of their transgressions with disciplinary action enforced by the university.

Promoting a dry Veishea dramatically reduced the number of arrests from 500 in 1997 to 150 during this year’s celebration.

Only 38 of this year’s arrests involved ISU students, but these cases currently are being reviewed by the university, which will execute several levels of action.

Action ranges from a disciplinary reprimand, which is an official warning and written notice to the student, to deferred suspension, under which the student cannot serve as an officer of a student organization and immediate suspension follows further violation of the student code, said John McCarroll, director of university relations.

McCarroll said the consequence is likely based on the seriousness of the violation to the student conduct code.

The university looks at Ames Police and Department of Public Safety reports to identify students who were in violation of the code or involved in arrests, McCarroll said.

“It is not unusual to face [both civil and university] consequences for these violations,” McCarroll said. He said students in question have already faced civil action regarding their choices.

McCarroll said this year’s Veishea pledge was an overall success in reducing the number of arrests.

“I’d like to think students took the [dry Veishea] pledge very seriously,” he said. “Certainly the fact that the students were disciplined shows the university followed through with what they said they would do,” he said.

Substance abuse assessments and screenings have been required and recommended for some students. These procedures involve at least a meeting with a counselor and are usually imposed where a minor in possession charge or intoxication and repeat offenders are involved.