The Highlander

I am writing this letter in criticism of a University policy that was brought to our attention in the Highlander on October 3. In this article, we were notified that in any incident that involved the police outside of Regis property and Regis events, we as students could be punished by the Regis Judicial Board, if it was determined that the action we were cited for violated the Regis code of conduct. I will not go into detail on this code, it can be found on pages 33 through 51 of the 2006-2007 student handbook; however, suffice to say it is extremely comprehensive. For example, if a student is involved in an alcohol, drug related citation, or noise citation, that student can be punished by a legitimate court in the City and County of Denver or Adams County, or for that matter any other jurisdiction that may send its report to the university. This student can also be punished by the university according to this policy. In the United States Bill of Rights, amendment five refers to and makes illegal the double jeopardy that is a result of this policy, "nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." This current Regis policy blatantly violates this amendment by stating that the university can punish through its own judicial process students who have been cited by the police or have been taken to a legitimate court. While I do not challenge the legitimacy of the Regis Judicial Board on events that happen on Regis owned property or at Regis sponsored events both on and off Regis property, neither the Judicial Board, nor the University have the right to violate the Bill of Rights by trying students who are already in the legal system of another jurisdiction. Regis does not have unlimited jurisdiction over the rest of the State of Colorado, or anywhere else in the world. While I believe that students should be more responsible in their actions both on and off campus, it is not the place of the university to punish a student for actions they have committed outside of any university property or event. The next question and by far the most important is whether or not Regis is bound by federal laws. The answer to this is yes, Regis accepts federal financial aid, and is required to meet federal and state sanctions regarding treatment of students and employees. This extends to consideration of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, if Regis were to discriminate against students and employees on the basis of race or gender there would certainly be a tremendous outcry based on these documents. Regis does not have the right to pick and choose which parts of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other federal and state laws it can follow. As an institution that accepts federal financial aid and as an institution that exists on sovereign United States and State of Colorado land it must follow the laws of the respective nation and state.

Sincerely,

Noel Rupel, junior

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