A new university policy, designed to crackdown on campus littering, will fine students who are caught littering, but these fines are not your average campus parking ticket.
For first time offenders of the policy, students have an option of either paying $50 or participating in 10 hours of campus community service, which essentially would be litter pick up.
Second time offenders will see the fine and community service hours doubled, but students will no longer have the option of choosing, both are required. However, it is the third and fourth time offenders who will see detrimental university consequences.
As stated in the litter policy, third time offenders will pay $200 and work 40 hours of community service, as well as being put on disciplinary probation by the university for a year.
Fourth time offenders will see the largest penalties for their littering habits. Students who are caught littering and are ticketed four times will be suspended from the university for one year. Besides the suspension, once students return to school, they will be responsible for paying $400.
The policy does not exclude university staff, faculty or visitors, reading “All members of the university community and visitors are required to utilize trash receptacles to dispose of any unwanted items or debris.”
Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Eric Summers said the onslaught on littering was cause for major change to the university’s past, or lack of, policy.
“Believe it or not, prior to 2012 littering was not a Student Code of Conduct violation,” said Summers. “Because we noticed that littering had become a huge issue in parking areas we made the change in the student code.”
According to the Director of Public and Governmental Affairs Erin Cowser, the university’s physical plant reports that on average, the two employees charged with litter collection on campus pick up 15 full 30″ x 36″ bags of litter each day. This does not include days when any type of special event is held on campus.
But even Cowser acknowledged that the policy will not entirely diminish littering on campus.
“Although we hope our efforts will curb litter, it is unlikely that the litter problem will immediately disappear,” said Cowser.
Cowser said the policy is the “brainchild” of a committee of students, faculty and staff formed by University President John L. Crain.
“In order to make sure the [litter] blitzes are taken seriously, the committee decided they should involve consequences for those who do not choose to do their part in keeping Southeastern clean,” said Cowser. “The choice of either a $50 fine or 10 hours of litter pick up duty is intended to dissuade individuals from littering. We’d be thrilled if nobody ever littered again and no tickets or fines ever had to be given.”
University employees who are assigned to picking up litter on campus will continue to do so. However, Cowser said that once the litter problem subsides, those employees will assist in other ways on campus.
Officially, the littering policy went into effect on Aug. 1, and the Southeastern Police Department will be issuing tickets and referrals to the Office of Student Conduct.
This is one of two prominent policy changes to the university. The other involves a state smoking ban on college and university campuses, which was signed into law back in June.