Open the Doors and Let Them In: Admitting Students with Criminal Convictions

1. Open the Doors and Let Them In: Admitting Students with Criminal Convictions W. Mack Palmour Dr. Alicia Caudill Gainesville State College

2. Goals for the Session • Overview GSC’s process for admitting students with previous misdemeanor and/or felony charges • Share our philosophy underlying the process • Provide data about these students • Practical Exercise

3. Overview of GSC • Public two-year institution offering a limited number of 4-year degrees • 8000+ students • Two campuses • One campus 50 miles north of Atlanta • One campus located near Athens, GA (UGA)

4. Why a process? • Mandate from Board of Regents • Created policy and process in fall 2006 • Approved on campus by Exec. Council • Implementation: Spring 2007 • Have made small adjustments to questionnaire • Relies on students to self-report

5. We couldn’t make this up! • Two friends and I were involved in a high school prank that was blown out of proportion by the police. We put a small amount of cleaning solution into an empty 16 ounce water bottle and then added a couple of small balls of tin foil. There is a chemical reaction involved that causes pressure to build in the bottle and make the bottle pop. The fact that we threw the bottle out into someone’s yard makes it “intent to intimidate”. My attorney says we were grossly overcharged and most likely the charges will not be pursued.

6. Guiding Philosophy • Are students admissible (can they do college-level work)? • Does the student pose a threat to him/herself or others on campus?

7. We couldn’t make this up! • Charge: Urinating in public and knocking over a sign. I was arrested behind my dorm room for urinating in public. The second arrest came a few months later; there is a parking spot in front of the dorm building that people like to park, the school decided to make that a spot for maintenance vehicles. Some of the students didn’t like it, so they started pulling the sign out of the ground. After many of these instances, the campus police put a camera up. I decided to uproot the sign one night and next morning I was arrested. Between the two arrests I’ve learned a lot.

8. Our Process • Policy Overview • Students self-report information on Admissions application • Admissions counselors, using policy as a guide, send questionnaire to those who meet criteria • Completed forms are reviewed by Director of Admissions and Dean of Students

9. Our Process • Criminal Conviction Questionnaire • Contact Information • Details about charges Felony/Misdemeanor and dates • Detailed explanation of charges and circumstances • Probation/Parole Information • Signature

10. Our Process • Review of Questionnaire: • Make decision to process application • Deny Admission • Send “Final Adjudication” Letter asking student to re-apply once case outcome is finalized in court (for more serious “pending” cases) • Meet with student in-person or through phone conference to gather more details and ask questions then make decision

11. We couldn’t make this up • Possession of marijuana. Student wrote an essay “It Can Be Done”. In the essay he stated, “I feel like I have a renewed life since starting my job at Lowe’s and it feels great. My brain has been deprived of knowledge for too long. The history and discovery channels only have a selected amount of knowledge, I need MORE!

12. We couldn’t make this up • First arrest - I had a fraternity function and was walking back toward what I thought was the direction of my dorm. I was picked up by the police when they realized I was drunk and was arrested for underage drinking. • Second arrest – I was downtown at a fraternity function and was walking back to the fraternity house, I tripped over the curb, I was found lying down by the campus police. The police asked if I had been drinking and I admitted that I had, I was arrested for underage consumption.

13. Additional Follow-Up • Make contact with resource on campus • Dean of Students • Counseling Center (resource connection) • A Developmental/Helping Process • Connection on campus • Accountability • Support • Focus conversations on transition and academic success

14. Number of Applications

15. Types of InfractionsSpring 2007 - April 2010 • Infraction • Alcohol/Drug • Alcohol/Drug/Driving • Alcohol/Drug Misc. • Alcohol/Drug/Theft • Alcohol/Drug/Weapons • Driving • Driving and Misc. • Driving and Theft • Number • 394 • 239 • 56 • 14 • 5 • 7 • 5 • 3

16. Types of InfractionsSpring 2007 - April 2010 • Infraction • Miscellaneous • Theft • Theft and Misc. • Weapons • Weapons and Misc. • Total: • Number • 209 • 92 • 11 • 5 • 2 • 1042* • *includes summer and fall 2010

17. Data from Fall 2009* • All StudentsCC Students • Enrollment 8804 248 (2.8%) • Average Course Load 11.3 hours 11.3 hours • Average Term GPA 2.57 2.38 • Academic Standing (EOT) • Good Standing 79.3% 69.1% • Probation 11.8% 17.3% • Continued Probation 4.6% 7.2% • Suspension 4.3% 6.9% • Total Withdrawal from GSC 2.8% 8.8% • *Data is updated EOT each fall.

18. We couldn’t make this up • Charged with battery: Student’s girlfriend attacked him with a 3 pound totem pole and he had to go to the hospital. She split his eyebrow and busted his lip open. Student had to have stitches. Student included photos of the totem pole and his face.

19. Group Activity – You Decide

20. Question and Comments

21. Success Stories

22. Gainesville State College, Gainesville, GAW. Mack PalmourDirector of Admissionsmpalmour@gsc.eduDr. Alicia CaudillAssociate Vice President for Student Development & Dean of Studentsacaudill@gsc.edu