URI seeks new ways to control student parties

11/06/09 - In the light of escalating student rowdiness off campus this fall University of Rhode Island officials along with the town of Narragansett have been looking for alternative ways to combat the student parties.The Vice President of Student Affairs Tom Dougan met with the Narragansett town council last month to discuss issues of off-campus student behavior, such as loudness, underage drinking and large crowds. The university is aware of the situation and calls it a problem.

"We know it is getting worse because of the number of police reports and the number of large gatherings," Dougan said.

During the last town council meeting a town council member brought up the idea of an on-campus bar.

"I don't remember any kind of discussion of an on-campus bar," Dougan said. "[URI President David Dooley] said we will be reviewing all policies in regards to alcohol."

Many students may have received disciplinary action for their conduct off campus and are wondering how the school has this ability.

URI's jurisdiction actually expands to off-campus housing and can discipline students in the most severe cases. This change in the student handbook occurred in the spring of 2006.

"We always were able to get involved and take misconduct action against students even if the violations occurred off campus, but they intended to be for only two types of things, one if it was a university sponsored function or if the behavior was such that it threatened the health safety and welfare of the URI community," Dougan said.

These instances include selling drugs and committing assault or sexual assault. Dougan described these misconducts as the "extremes."

Dooley has also said there will be another resident hall put in, which will have another 450 rooms, set to open in fall 2012, to try and keep students from moving off campus.

"I think it will help, but won't solve [the off-campus issues]," Dougan said.

During the meeting some people in the town expressed to Dougan that they want the university to do more, like build 4,000-5,000 more rooms on campus so fewer students will live off campus.

Dougan said they have worked well with the police, the realtors and the students to try and combat the off-campus "rowdiness."

There has been progress in the past, with a decline in arrests and orange stickers, until this semester.

URI juniors and residents of Eastward Look, Colleen Kutcher and Danielle Riportella, were upset by the action of the police this year.

"They're definitely more strict this semester and when they come to our houses they don't even treat us like adults," Kutcher said. "They basically act like we're crazy."

Riportella told a story of how a friend was maced by the police this year under what she called "unfair circumstances."

"They're disrespectful and assume that we're all up to no good," Riportella said.

Kutcher said she thinks the cops are targeting only the college students. If a family party got a little crazy after 11 p.m., she says, the police wouldn't check on them.

Narragansett police Chief Joseph Little could not provide a reason why the parties "down the line" are crazier this year.

"The numbers show we are busier this year than in the past couple of years," Little said.

Little did say that they have not done anything different this year than in past years about how many officers are on duty during the party nights of the week, like Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

"The suggestion that I have is to make sure people follow the law and that people under the age of 21 don't possess or consume alcohol," Little said.