Although residence hall alcohol and drug violations have dropped since the 2000 switch from resident assistants to mentors, there are varying perspectives on why the drop occurred.

In 1999, there were 655 reported alcohol violations in residence halls. The number of reported violations in 2000 dropped to 355. Similarly, there were 56 reported drug violations in 1999 and 44 violations in 2000.

Residence Life and Judicial Affairs agreed to the change from resident assistants to mentors in 2000, when the drop in crime statistics was noticed. The change includes the creation of Community Standards, rules set for the area by individual floors.

Rick Shafer, associate director of Student Life and Judicial Affairs, said the numbers might be related to a change in behavior or a cutback in formal reports.

“What we want to do is to be more of a teaching and support role helping students negotiate decision-making on their own,” Shafer said. “The primary principle behind that is to move a little away from a control model, where we are trying to control student behavior, because the reality is that it doesn’t work.”

Cindy Helman, director of Residence Life, said under the old system, students were automatically written up in a disciplinary report after an alcohol offense.

“Students are still being held accountable, but now it doesn’t appear on a judicial record,” she said. “Students are still talking to hall directors for violating policy instead of a formal record.”

Helman said the change to mentors and community standards was made to create a better source of help and information for students.

“Resident assistants had the feeling that residents saw them as enforcers,” Helman said. “It didn’t take authority away from resident assistants. It’s a shift in the balance.”

Jay Patton, a communication junior and mentor at Mason Hall, said the change from resident assistant hasn’t diminished his authority, but helps the floor as a community.

“We are not supposed to be going around looking for trouble, looking to document people, looking to write people up,” Patton said. “We encourage people to develop their own community and not be a cop, but a facilitator.

“This is a fresh new approach. We want floors to be communities, not just living headquarters.”

Billy Tarver, an interdisciplinary studies in social science junior, said it seems like there is less authority on his floor.

“It was more of an active role, but now it is more of a passive role,” the Akers Hall resident said. “It seems like anything goes.