September Citizen-of-the-Month

For those of you who have never heard of this award, the Office of Community and Ethical Standards once a month, honors a student who has served as a role model to other students by exhibiting the Clemson core values of integrity, honesty, and respect. Anyone from the campus community can nominate a student for this award. If you know of someone that serves as a role model for other students and exhibits these three values, feel free to email a nomination to Justin Carter, Associate Director of the Office of Community and Ethical Standards, at jcarte2@clemson.edu. All nominations are due by the 20^th of the month.

Rickey E. Taylor, Jr.

For the first time in the two-year history of this award the Office of Community and Ethical Standards collectively would like to nominate one of our own, Rickey E. Taylor, Jr. When Rickey first came to our office, he was facing some personal problems that quite honestly affected the quality of his work. He did not take responsibility for his actions, he made excuses, he would not show up to scheduled hours, and he generally showed distaste for volunteer hours.

I will let Rickey tell you in his own words what he was going through at that time, “When I came to OCES it is was because of a DUI. When they didn’t suspend me, I was like cool! But when they told me what I had to do, I was like man I don’t want to do this. Some days I just wanted to find an excuse about why I couldn’t come and I felt like I could not make that big of an impact.”

All of this came to a climax in the Fall 2008 after Rickey had missed several community service hours. After a meeting with our Director and a conversation with his mother and others, a noticeable change occurred. Not only was Rickey appearing for his hours, he was hanging out in the office beyond his community service hours looking for things to assist with. He became a part of a student group in our office dedicated to community education called the Community Educators. Through this opportunity he talks to other students about his experiences with drinking and DUI and encourages students to make smart decisions. He has impacted many students with the pictures from his accident and his personal story.

This year he not only is a part of the Community Educators he has taken over as Chair of the organization. His goal is to grow the organization and aid in the transition from being a departmentally sponsored program to an independently recognized student organization. This is one of the many good things for the Community Educator organization this year. Thanks in part to a young man, who didn’t want to participate in anything community service related to begin with. Rickey also, wanted to make sure we mentioned that if you have an interest in learning more about the Community Educators, they meet every Thursday at 6:00pm in 700 Union.

CONGRATULATIONS Rickey!

Sincerely,

Justin Carter

Associate Director, OCES

The Truth About File-Sharing: The Actual Cost of Downloading Music

Have you fully read the licensing agreement to popular file-sharing websites? A very popular file-sharing site talks about using their network to download what they describe as “Illegal Materials” (i.e. music, movies, materials with an associated copyright, or pornographic materials):

 

[This program], like all peer-to-peer (“P2P”) programs is capable of being used to share materials that the copyright owner has not authorized be shared. It is unlawful to use [this program] to infringe the intellectual property rights of others, or to share, distribute, or download others protected, proprietary and/or confidential information without authorization, or to share, distribute or download unlawful pornographic materials (collectively “Illegal Materials”). By using [this program] you agreed and represent that you will not use [this program] to share, distribute or download Illegal Materials.

 

So what does all this legal language mean? Basically, the file-sharing service is warning you that their service should not be used to download music and movies, or other copyrighted materials without permission of the author or the copyright holder. Ironically, this is the best-known use for popular file-sharing services. Also, by agreeing to use this service, you have agreed to not download, share, or distribute these types of files. Now read this from the same file-sharing service’s licensing agreement:

 

You hereby agree to indemnify and keep indemnified (name withheld), any of its officers, employees, agents, subsidiary companies, holding companies and/or the officers, employees and/or agents of each from and against any and all costs, claims, demands, liabilities, expenses, damages or losses (including without limitation consequential losses, loss of profit and loss of reputation, and all interest, penalties and legal and other professional costs and expenses) arising out of your breach of any of the terms of this License or in any way connected to your use or misuse of the Program or any part thereof.

 

Did you know…?

 

Did you know that music and movie companies have sued individuals in the past for downloading and/or sharing a music or movie file without permission from the copyright holder? The paragraph above basically says that if you happen to be sued by the record company, you agree that you will not hold this website responsible for the money you are being sued for (damages) in the event that you are sued.

 

You can search Google® for John Tenenbaum, Ciara Sauro, and Jammie Thomas. What we can learn from their stories is that no matter how easy file-sharing networks make music and movies obtainable, rarely can you receive something for free. Unfortunately, there is a cost. Either you pay the cost upfront, or that cost may be charged to you later on. Networks such as Kazaa, Bit Torrent, Limewire, etc., do make the sharing of files easier, however we need to make sure the files that we choose to download and share were offered by the actual copyright holder.

 

An easy way to not have to deal with this hassle is to simply obtain our music and movies from trusted media vendors. On our campus, iTunes® seems to be the most popular, but there are other sources available as well.  Find the best way for you to enjoy your favorite music and movies responsibly.

Welcome New Tigers!

Clemson University and the Office of Community and Ethical Standards (OCES) is so excited to see the many new Clemson Tigers here for Orientation. OCES strives to ensure a safe campus environment by encouraging everyone to uphold Clemson University's core values and community standards. The Core Values for our community are integrity, honesty, and respect. Our community standards can be found in the Clemson Student Handbook in the form of the Student Code of Conduct. You can access the Student Code of Conduct on the Division of Student Affairs website at: http://www.clemson.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/index.php

The Student Code of Conduct includes a list of student regulations that help to create a safe campus community. It is the responsibility of every student to familiarize themselves with our policies. Also, included in the code are procedures for the administration of the student conduct process that we follow as well as list of sanctions that may result from a violation of one or more of the student regulations. This is not an exhaustive list. Throughout the process we make every attempt to be educational in our efforts and we take seriously the growth and personal development of every student we meet with and each student here at Clemson University. Here are just a few remarks from past students:

"I thought it was going to be a lot different than what it turned out to be. It was clearly pointed out to me what I did wrong, I was able to tell my side of the story and the process went well."

"I was expecting an actual judicial hearing...but found that the process was very informal and the people in the room were in there to help me and the community of Clemson."

"I was expecting a fair judgement [sic] through the student conduct process and let me fully understand the situation and the sanction. The process lived up to every expectation and more."

"I was worried that my side of the story would not be taken seriously, and whomever I talked to would not believe me, but Justin Carter was very understanding and open minded."

"I thought Wade Livingston was great and helped me to feel comfortable. I also liked talking on a friendly level as opposed to being talked down to [sic] or feeling attacked."

This is just a sample of the many glowing comments about OCES this past year from the survey we send out to students after an encounter with our office. Please understand that we are here for you and not "the place you go to when you get into trouble." We want to make sure Clemson University continues to be a safe place for you and your friends. We also try to honor those students that help us create a safe environment through our Citizen-of-the-Month program. Reading some of the archived posts, you will be able to learn more about our past winners. These are all individuals that have served as role models of the Clemson Core Values. Please give consideration to nominating yourself or a friend for this award.

 If you have questions about university policies, about OCES, or our educational programs feel free to post those questions here and we will be sure to answer them. Otherwise, you can send your question via email to jcarte2@clemson.edu. You can also find answers to many questions on our official website. Please go to http://www.clemson.edu/oces. Thank you so much for choosing Clemson University as your home and we look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Justin Carter

Associate Director

Educational Programs, OCES

Free Speech on Campus

By now, all of you have heard about our latest campus visitor. I will not refer to him by name, but if you don't know who I am referring to then please just ask anyone on campus. I was there Thursday afternoon taking the sight all in and watching the reactions of some of our students. There was a majority in the group that seemed to disagree with the views of our visitor. A riot seemed close at hand when CUPD officers showed up to keep the animosity under control. Feeling the pressure from inside the circle of people, these men and women in blue explained to the crowd that our visitor had a right to be there. While some feebly tried, no one could really argue against that point.

In America, we may not agree with the views of someone else, but we all should fight for someone's right to express them. I have the right to say that the Office of Community and Ethical Standards is the greatest office on campus. While my statement may or may not be accurate (it is), I have the right to say it and there will be some that disagree. This simple right is what makes us so different from other countries. The freedom we have here is why people are willing to pay someone a hefty sum to get across the border, travel in swirling seas in a dingy just to make it to the coast, or use up all their savings to send a family member on their own just so they can have a better life.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This simple statement means so much to a country that so many love. What are some views that you hold onto that others may not support? However, aren't you glad you have the right to say them? If you disagreed with President Bush, you did not have to fear retribution by raising your concerns. If you disagree with President Obama's foreign policy you have the right to express your disagreement. And in this country which is diverse in so many ways (e.g. culture, ethnicity, style, religion, beliefs, values, etc.) there is bound to be some disagreement. 

Now Clemson is a public university. Given that we are an entity of the state, the orange and purple streets upon which we walk belong to the people not the institution. Therefore, because of free speech anyone can come onto campus can express their opinions. Now there are certain regulations that one must abide by in order to do so. Having said that, all precautions were taken for the appropriate exchange of ideas. An exchange of ideas. However, if you know you cannot have a civil conversation with a member of the community then it is time to practice another right we have as Americans...the ability to simply walk away.

Last week of classes...GOOD LUCK!

-J-

Link to Application

For anyone interested in any of our positions listed below, here is a link to the application: 

https://secure.stuaff.clemson.edu/forms/index.php?id=13373

Thanks,

JC

Prepare for Global Impact

Students have been the best ambassadors for telling others about our vision of OCES. We do more than hold disciplinary conferences and hold students accountable for their actions, but we work hand in hand with students, faculty, and staff to promote change in our community. The best way to promote change is to educate others. THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HELP US! We are looking to prepare for next year and we looking for students who would like to help us change the campus and learn skills necessary to compete in a global economy or in any professional position. Hence, the term, "Prepare for Global Impact." We have volunteer opportunities for students in the following areas: 

BE A COMMUNITY EDUCATOR

If you are creative, or would like to be more creative then consider being a Community Educator. Community Educators help develop and facilitate some of the learning opportunities presented by the Office of Community and Ethical Standards. Some examples of workshops we present are: Community Core Values, Conflict Mediation, Restorative Justice Facilitation Training, and Judicial Training. This group also creates posters, handouts, brochures, and anything else we can imagine to help educate the community.

BE A CAMPUS CONFLICT MEDIATOR

Our office is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to help our students work through problems. A student discipline conference is not appropriate for every situation. Starting in the Fall 2009 Clemson University will begin two new processes for addressing student behavior and problems. First we are creating a Restorative Justice program. Restorative Justice is a way to address the harm of an offender upon those that are considered the harmed parties and/or the community. Restorative Justice requires everyone involved (including the offender) to agree on the appropriate actions to address the impact on those harmed and restore the relationship(s). Second, there is a program for those situations where no one was harmed and no conduct violations have occurred. When two people are having trouble seeing eye-to-eye (e.g. roommate conflict), conflict mediators will be needed to help students in these situations communicate and come to some form of an agreement or understanding. We need facilitators for both of these programs. 

Training is simple and there is not a huge time commitment. Conflict Mediation has two parts: Introduction to Conflict Mediation and Being a Conflict Mediator. These workshops will be offered all throughout the summer and the fall. After attending both of these workshops you will certified to participate in on-campus mediations. To be a Restorative Justice facilitator you will need to attend both Conflict Mediation Workshops and attend a Restorative Justice workshop. All three workshops will last no longer than three hours. As a facilitator your time commitment will be 1-3 hours per month.

BE AN INTERN

We have internship opportunities available to students in a variety of disciplines. If you would like to know more about the various internships and if your academic program will provide academic credit for the internship, please schedule an appointment with Justin Carter at jcarte2@clemson.edu, or fill out the application and post a comment about internships in the memo field. We have two internships available in the fall. First we have a Restorative Justice internship (open to Sociology majors or a related field only) and we have a Community Outreach internship (open to all Clemson majors) that will supervise the Community Educator program.

it will BE A BENEFIT

We hope you take this opportunity as there will be many benefits for you volunteering with our office: 

• Learn critical skills necessary for any work environment (e.g. your future career, co-op, internships, campus leadership position, campus employment, etc.)
• Learn and practice conflict mediation techniques
• Obtain artifacts for your e-Portfolio (Gen. Ed. Requirement: Ethical Judgement)
• Build your resume
• Gain skills to compete in a global job market

PREPARE TO APPLY

By Friday, March 27th there will be a link on our website to an application. You can find this link at http://www.clemson.edu/studentaffairs/oces/communityed/index.php . Once there you will able to list the position you are interested in, answer a few short questions, and your done. I will also post the link in this blog once the application goes live. If you have any problems, please contact me at jcarte2@clemson.edu. 

Good luck and I hope to see you working with me next fall!

Always,

JC

Hey It Can Happen to You!

Hey It Can Happen to You!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

7:00pm-Vickery Hall

Real Clemson Students presenting Real Clemson Stories

Sponsored by Clemson's Safe Spring Extravaganza

The Office of Community and Ethical Standards 

and the Healthy Campus Initiative