Peer Boards
What is a Peer Board?
Peer Boards are part of the judicial system at the University of Puget Sound. Student peer board members are volunteers who will hear minor conduct cases. The goal of the board is to positively impact our community by providing educationally focused consequences for students found responsible for violating the Student Integrity Code. This is a challenging, interesting and rewarding opportunity for involvement.
How does a Peer Board function?
Incident Reports will be received in the Associate Dean of Students' Office for review. Students who are involved in their second (and possibly third) incident will be assigned to appear before a Peer Board. Peer Boards will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00-8:00 pm (depending on the number of cases each night). Four Peer Board members and a chair from the Honor Court will hear all cases for an entire evening. Each student will be assigned 15 minutes to have their case heard. At the end of the evening, Peer Board members will deliberate each case and assign sanctions as appropriate.
Who is on the Peer Board?
In order to be eligible for a Peer Board position, you must:
• Have a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.25 at Puget Sound.
• Be a full-time undergraduate student at the University of Puget Sound.
• Be available to participate in Fall and monthly training sessions and be able to perform on a Peer Board for the entire academic year.
• Peer Board members may not be a Resident Assistant, Resident Community Coordinator or work for Security during their term on the board.
• Learn, interpret and implement all policies and procedures as outlined in the Student Integrity Code, Campus Policies and all other university and residence hall policies.
• Attend and participate in scheduled hearings and trainings.
Details
• The time commitment averages six hours monthly.
• We currently have 12 peer board members and are accepting applications on a rolling basis in search of one more team of 4.
• There will be an information session on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at noon in Wheelock Student Center 106.
• Continued training sessions will be set once per month throughout the year.
• Applications need to be submitted to the Associate Dean of Students' Office in Wheelock 209.
• Applications may be downloaded here or via request by E-mail.
What Qualities do we look for in a Peer Board member?
• Assertiveness Skills - express self honestly without infringing on the rights of others.
• Communication/Listening skills - show an awareness of verbal and non-verbal skills. Express self clearly, hear ideas and opinions of others, attentive.
• Confidential/Discrete - composed, willing to take and unpopular stand, able to support ones ideas, strong self concept.
• Ethical/Problem solving - makes decisions objectively after thinking through most aspects of the issue.
• Flexibility - willing to reconsider viewpoints given new and significant information, willing to make compromises, willing to work as a group member.
• Leadership - can direct others without being overbearing, encourages participation, and earns respect.
• Maturity - exhibits sound judgment, can set goals and evaluate progress, purposeful, reliable and responsible, ability to be fair and honest.
• Motivation/enthusiasm - express sincere interest and enthusiasm for working with other students, general understanding of the position, desire to learn more.
• Minimum GPA of 2.25
