Honor Court set to change

A whirlwind of cases behind them, Student Attorney General Matt McDowell and his team have survived a summer of changes and now are preparing for more.

Dave Gilbert, who served as the assistant dean of students for seven years and advisor to the Honor Court for four, left the University in July to become assistant dean of judicial affairs at the College of William and Mary.

A native of Virginia, Gilbert cited proximity to his family as a reason for his move.

He will receive $51,000 a year in his new position as opposed to his $42,797 annual compensation at UNC.

Former dean of the UNC School of Law Gene Nichol also left Chapel Hill this year for William and Mary to serve as the college’s president.

A search committee received more than 120 applications for Gilbert’s replacement and has narrowed its list of hopefuls down to 10.

“We’re looking for someone who really puts a premium on students,” McDowell said.

The committee hopes to fill the position this semester. Melinda Manning, assistant dean of students, will serve as the interim advisor.

Though UNC’s Honor Court is student-run, McDowell said the advisor provides essential aid through collaboration.

“You have to be able to balance interactions with multiple constituencies,” Gilbert said.

Tallying up his resources, McDowell set out to tackle 40 cases this summer — a goal his team ultimately surpassed.

He attributed some of the credit for their success to the new Honor Court Alternate Resolution process.

Only offered to students involved in common conduct violations such as marijuana possession and driving while impaired, the option bypasses the need for the Honor Court to get information from police — something that can take months.

The process is similar to a plea bargain, but it does allow for more lenient sanctions, McDowell said.

McDowell said he hopes the process will reduce the amount of time between a student’s infraction and a court date. His goal for the year is to reduce the average period between those points to 30 days.

Students facing those charges are typically given drug or alcohol probation and community service hours.

The students who have opted for this process have been satisfied with it, McDowell said, noting that most students want the process to move as quickly as possible.

“We’ll never sacrifice careful consideration just to push something through,” he said.

To provide follow-up advice and guidance to students who go through the honor system, McDowell has teamed up with members of the Office of Student Affairs to create a mentoring program.

The program, which could become an addition to a student’s sanction, pairs up a student with an administrator.

“The purpose behind this is we have a system that really believes in rehabilitation and second chances,” said Winston Crisp, senior associate dean of students.

Repeat offenders, he said, are often students who are not involved in campus organizations and who struggle academically.

“The thought of this program is to have someone in the administration who is a resource for the student that will help them connect to the community in a positive way,” Gilbert said.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.