Five residents of a house on the 900 block of Augusta have been fined twice this year by Student Life to the tune of $1,500, an average of $300 per person.
According to the residents, Spokane Police Department broke up two small get-togethers before they received an email from the Student Life office. During the meeting, the residents were told to attend a good neighborhood workshop where they would discuss how to be better neighbors and how to successfully have a party.
Weeks later, SPD arrived at the same residence with another noise complaint. The residents' names were forwarded to Student Life for a second time, and this time Student Life administered a $750 fine for not properly executing a party plan and becoming a nuisance to the community.
The residents had already received a $750 fine for a similar party, which they believe was under control and not deserving of a fine.
In recent years, Gonzaga students have felt a tighter grip from the administration: banning of the seniors' yearly Around the World event, and restrictions on on-campus events, clubs -— including the Kennel Club and the rugby team — and off-campus living.
An ethos violation seemed easier to get and there were more fines.
The Ethos states: "Admission to the University carries with it the presumption that students will conduct themselves as responsible members of the community. Upon registration, each student agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of the University. Additionally, the university expects all community members to encourage others to actively commit and uphold these policies, rules and expectations."
The Ethos Statement, which every student is expected to know, continues on to give examples of what a model Gonzaga student should act like, and most importantly, what is unacceptable to the administration.
In the eyes of many students this is accepted, and understood while the student is on the campus. But many students, such as senior Kevin Kearney, are confused about how the administration is legally able to control students' actions while they are not on the Gonzaga campus.
"Student Life's ability to fine students for having parties seems to me like nothing more than elaborate scam," Kearney said. "It is a gross abuse of power exercised over students who have done something that is barely worth a misdemeanor."
The confusion lies with the ability of Gonzaga, primarily student life, to issue restrictive sanctions and even fines to students living in an off-campus privately owned house.
While the Ethos Statement sates students are held accountable for their actions on, and off-campus, where does this jurisdiction end, and whom does it include? Is it limited to students or does it include everyone in the Gonzaga community?
According to Kassi Kain the Vice President of Student Life, it includes everyone who is part of the Gonzaga community and there is no limit to where Gonzaga can claim jurisdiction.
"Wherever you are, you are us, you represent us," said Kain.
Kain explains that it is more of a jurisdiction, it is an expectation that students must uphold regardless if they are on-campus, in the Logan neighborhood or anywhere else.
"You are our student, you wear our label. Our biggest asset is the reputation of Gonzaga, you each wear that as students," Kain said.
Kain explained that no matter where you are, if your personal actions are seen as negative it directly reflects adversely on the university, and student life will not hesitate to punish the action even if the law does not find it necessary.
"If we all know that you are under 21 and you get caught with alcohol on campus or off campus, that's the behavior we are addressing. The courts may or may not address that, but we are not going to sit around wait for them," Kain said.
Kain explained the process as students are taken though a series of educational steps such as an ethics class or a good neighborhood workshop before student life decides to fine the student.
"Any sanction is first treated educationally. If it gets to the level of fines, that's usually trying to have a restrictive effect so that this won't happen again, you get the message that this isn't appropriate, but every learning curve depends on the people on the curve," Kain said. "A house that has been in here a couple times is more likely to have a fine or a bigger fine, but a house that is maybe their first time and it was so egregious may still have a fine."
Money from fines are used for off-campus education including the off-campus BBQ, landlord education to educate landlords on how to be better landlords, take back the neighborhood events and other educational tools.
These fines have no scale and no limit. Students who commit the same crime could be issued community service or they could be issued a fine. It is completely determined by Kain.
Houses have been issued penalties anywhere from cleaning up the neighborhood to upwards of $1000.
According to Kain, the school legally does have the right to fine students because of the contract that you signed when you came to Gonzaga.
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