By ABIGALE M. ROTHSCHILD
abigale@du2.byu.edu
In response to a student's concern that the dress and grooming standards do not reflect the multicultural diversity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nolan Reed recounted 20 years of experience in dealing with the Honor Code at BYU-Hawaii. Reed, associate dean of students, talked to students at an Honor Code Office forum in the Cougareat on Wednesday.
Reed said most dress and grooming violations were not from multicultural students. He said close to 80 percent of dress and grooming violations are from middle-class white students.
'The people (from Polynesia) came to BYU-Hawaii with the expectation that the dress and grooming standards would be agreed to,' Reed said.
Janet S. Scharman, dean of Student Life, added that although there is a point to which students can influence the dress and grooming standards, there really isn't opportunity for input now. She said there are reasons the Board of Trustees has made the dress and grooming standards the way they are.
The Board of Trustees consists of the First Presidency of the LDS Church, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and a few other selected people.
Steve Baker, director of the Honor Code Office, said if a student doesn't understand certain university policies, handouts are available at the Honor Code Office.
'Some people think the Honor Code Office is just a dark crevice on the fourth floor of the Wilk, or that we have people (spying). We don't go out looking for (people who violate the Honor Code). If a person does contact the Honor Code Office to discuss an issue about themselves or with someone else, we are obligated to look into it. That's our job, but only if someone makes a referral or a report,' he said.
Baker said after a student is referred to the Honor Code Office, the office talks to the student before the committee makes a decision. The committee consists of people from the Honor Code Office, Counseling Center, and dean's office.
The committee sends recommendations to the administration when a violation requires probationary action.
The Honor Code Office is also involved in providing counseling for the individual, and giving official warnings to individuals.
According to Baker, the Honor Code Office will probably host two more forums before the end of the school year.