Investigation into policy violations concludes:

NU expels 3 cadets for regulations violations; 14 others face sanctions

By Amanda Tracy
Norwich Guidon Managing Editor

"This Corps of Cadets needs to realize that they are carrying the reputation of 183 years on their shoulders. They have no right to screw up every other alumni's school's reputation, which they have done," said Norwich University President Richard Schneider, referring to the campus secret society known as LOS. "They have put our Corps of Cadets again at risk."

Schneider made his comments following the conclusion of a month-long investigation, which resulted in the expulsion of three cadets and severe university sanctions for 14 others.

According to a university press release, the investigation started when campus officials found stolen property in a student room during routine dormitory inspections at the beginning of the holiday break last December. Mike McKean, Commandant of Cadets and Vice President of Student Affairs, said that the stolen items led to closer scrutiny of the room.

The officials found videos, photographs, and other paraphernalia which revealed that the students were members of a secret society called "LOS."

The possibility that this secret society existed was not unknown to members of the university administration, but they had no "credible evidence" of its existence until the confiscated items surfaced.

Schneider confirmed that the rumors were "rumbling" about LOS. "When I even was in my candidacy for the presidency, I heard about an LOS," he said. "We could never find anything."

"These are great opportunities to teach the students about what is right, and what is wrong, and that they are responsible for their actions," Schneider said. "The fact that we had three students dismissed is terrible."

Schneider added that he hopes students will pay attention to this incident and learn that such behavior is not acceptable. "Schneider will keep throwing 'em out, and this is what to expect," he said.

On Jan. 16, McKean held an open meeting with the juniors and seniors of the Corps of Cadets, although civilian students were allowed to attend if they wished. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss certain aspects of the investigation as well as the specific policies which were broken by the students under investigation.

"What was going on with this group stealing property?" Schneider asked. "Underage drinking, being an underground, fraternity-like group, ---where is the leadership on this?"

The students watched a PowerPoint presentation featuring several quotes about leadership from prominent graduates and military leaders, interpretation of the university policies by the Commandant's staff, and two graphic evidentiary photographs which had been seized from a student's room. Following the presentation and McKean's comments, the meeting was opened for discussion.

In the meeting, McKean reiterated the school's standing policy on room searches and reminded the students that these searches will continue. He said that the incident was an opportunity to "teach students what's right from what's wrong," adding that there were many valuable lessons to be learned about honor and integrity.

The purpose of the meeting, McKean said, was to "let everybody know what the rules are, what's allowed and what's not allowed, and to get it out, or turn themselves in."

Students, however, had mixed feelings about the meeting.

"I think it was pretty effective," said Vladimir Gutierrez, 22, a Communications major from Montvale, N.J. "[The Commandant's presentation] showed pictures of people's parts being destroyed. You don't want that to happen to you, and you don't know why anyone else would want that to happen to them, but in terms of effectiveness, people already know the punishment for being in a secret society. It's just another reminder."

Though Gutierrez said that he was disgusted, he still didn't think that the presentation would have as tremendous an impact as was intended. "I don't think it's going to sway anyone one way or the other, because people already have their minds made up," said Gutierrez.

"I think the younger students are going to listen, but for the juniors and seniors that are already sort of set in their ways, they'll listen, but I don't think it'll really change their minds," said Todd Mansfield, 21, a Communications major from Northfield, Vt.

The names of the students dismissed or disciplined will not be released by the university administration, Schneider said, because of the Family Rights to Privacy Act (FERPA). The federal law requires that schools not release information about students.

"If someone calls for a reference, all we tell them is when the student was here, and if they got a degree or didn't get a degree," Schneider said.

During the meeting that followed McKean's presentation, many students had questions regarding whether the school's room search policy is legal.

"One kid came up to me after the meeting and said that this is going to turn into a witch hunt, and I want to make it clear that this is not a witch hunt," McKean said in a later interview.

Schneider said that he doesn't understand why anyone would object to the room search policy if they had no disciplinary record and nothing to hide.

"First of all, we need to inspect the rooms to see if there's no coffee pots turned on, no open food, that the room is clean, in the same way that your folks would walk into your bedroom at home," Schneider said.

Regarding the room search policy, Schneider and McKean both said that it will not change in the foreseeable future.

"If (the students) want to go to a school where the schools don't enter the rooms, no matter what, then go there. That's not my responsibility to this school," said Schneider of the policy, adding that there is "no reason" that the university officials shouldn't be able to search the room during inspection times or at any other time.

"If the students don't like the policy, they can go somewhere else to school, I don't intend to change the policy," Schneider said.

Schneider was adamant about the university's commitment to teach the students who were sanctioned, rather than destroy their reputations. He said that while he was "disappointed that these students felt that they could steal property, and that they would endanger their welfare, and that of each other," the university's action was "not vindictive against them personally."

"I'm very proud of 99.99 percent of my students," Schneider said. "There are many students, I think, who saw some of the things, I think, that the Commandant showed them, and they were repulsed. This is not the Norwich that we love."

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