U. to monitor off-campus behavior

Complaints about misconduct by students living off campus have increased recently, and now University Police and the Office of Off-Campus Living are taking steps to remedy the problems. The two departments will inform the University's student conduct office of repeated irresponsible behavior by off-campus students, under newly formulated policy. Office of Student Conduct Director Michele Goldfarb said her office will now be contacted earlier when Philadelphia residents complain about student noise problems. This effort marks part of the University's ongoing attempt to strengthen its "good neighbor" commitment to the West Philadelphia neighborhood, Goldfarb said. In the past few years, University Police and off-campus officials have received numerous complaints from local residents and other Penn students in reaction to excessive noise, parties, drinking and destruction of property in off-campus neighborhoods. Although complaints were filed, the University took little action, Goldfarb said. "Now matters will be reported to my office if they are repeated in a serous fashion," Goldfarb explained. "Not every isolated loud incident will be reported, but if a situation is particularly destructive or harmful, we will consider taking disciplinary action against the student." In the past year, the Office of Off-Campus Living has received an increased number of complaints from other Penn students off campus, according to Assistant Director of Off-Campus Living Michaela Farcas. She could not specify how many complaints the office has received. "It is very difficult to deal with these problems, but we're trying to establish communication between Penn students and other neighborhood residents," Farcas said. "Students must have concern for the fact that they share living and street space with others." Goldfarb said most cases referred to the Office of Student Conduct will fall under the jurisdiction of the University's new mediation program, which will attempt to end disputes through mediation wherever possible. "It is our goal to have students and their neighbors constructively work together on problems," Goldfarb said. The University's Code of Student Conduct is the primary document that governs the behavior and conduct that Penn students are expected to demonstrate, regardless of time and place. According to Goldfarb, Penn students and their off-campus neighbors must try to be tolerant and respectful of one another. "West Philadelphia residents need to acknowledge the fact that there will be more noise around a college campus," Goldfarb said. "But those students who have not exhibited responsible behavior need to keep in mind that people have different standards for what is fun and what is not." Students responded with mixed enthusiasm to the possibility that disciplinary action could be brought against off-campus residents. College senior Silvia Mestre said students choose to live off campus specifically to remove themselves from the University's jurisdiction. "If the school hasn't witnessed the complaints being made, how can they enforce something based on what someone else said?" she questioned. "They should use more time and energy to worry about off-campus safety instead." College senior Jenny Comita said that while monitoring off-campus student conduct seems good in theory, she believes it will be hard to enforce. Goldfarb said she hopes the new emphasis on off-campus conduct will show students and the community that the University does care about off-campus behavior. "We want the neighborhood to know that we have high standards of student behavior and respect for their living space," she added.

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