College Prowler Take
Thanks to Grinnell’s policy of self-governance, campus strictness is quite possibly among the most lenient of any college in the country. The concept is that students are responsible for monitoring their own behavior and that of their fellow students. If you turn your music up too loud at 1 a.m. on a school night and you hear a knock on the door, you’re more likely to find your neighbor than a security guard. Self-governance was founded on the principle that only behavior that endangers other students is worthy of intervention by any outside force, and students and faculty alike adhere to this.
Unfortunately, this policy may not be around forever. Occasionally, there are suggestions to have the policy made official in order to save it from being eliminated. So far, though, no one has taken much action. Another factor that contributes to the reigning benevolent anarchy on campus is the fact that rather than paid Resident Advisers, Grinnell has volunteer Student Advisers living on each floor. Since the SAs aren’t paid, they don’t feel overly obligated to report every unlawful incident that happens on their floor. In fact, SAs often drink and smoke right along with their first-years.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
Campus security is very lenient...
Campus security is very lenient about student drug use. The SAs here work as volunteers and nothing more. |
Anonymous says: |
Policies are extremely lax in an...
Policies are extremely lax in an official sense, with a strong emphasis on having students govern themselves. SAs monitor for habitual drug or alcohol (problem) users, and those people get sent to rehabilitation. If you want to walk around and have a few beers or smoke a joint, absolutely no one will bother you. Police presence on campus is very rare. |
Anonymous says: |
The administration is getting...
The administration is getting stricter, which isn’t saying much, because they are pretty lenient. |
Anonymous says: |
Lately, the town police have been...
Lately, the town police have been cracking down on drugs, but they remain lax about alcohol. |
Anonymous says: |
Authorities aren’t strict at...
Authorities aren’t strict at Grinnell; self-governance ends up meaning that people are free to smoke up and drink in their rooms or lounges. There’s not much done about illegal activity. Just don’t let the town cops or the cleaning personnel see you. |
Facts
What Are You Most Likely to Get Caught Doing on Campus?
- Doing something really, unequivocally dumb and dangerous
- Smoking marijuana in a highly visible public place
- Spending too long in a 24-hour parking zone
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