Written by Zacrie L. Scott
In spite of LMU's squeaky-clean Catholic school image, the students tend to get wild at times. Drinking, cheating, and speeding are all offenses with a various range of penalties. Speeding or other traffic violations result in a heavy fine, but more serious offenses like alcohol abuse and dishonesty land the offender in Judicial Affairs. Cheating is especially serious at LMU; the school employs a plagiarism investigator, and most professors at least threaten to use it.
At times, the campus seems overly strict. Public Safety officers are not lenient, so getting caught violating any of the University's numerous policies results in varying degrees of trouble. Students who end up in the Judicial Affairs system face fines, suspension, or expulsion. Some serious offenses include underage drinking, drug possession, drug use, cheating, reckless driving, and assault. Of these offenses, underage drinking and drug possession are the most common. Lesser offenses include phone or Internet harassment, minor theft, speeding, parking violations, and the general term "suspicious activity." Incidents involving violent crime are almost nonexistent. Due to the crackdown on alcohol and drug abuse on campus, students should exercise caution and common sense. Public Safety and Judicial Affairs are not known for being lenient.