You sit in Bridgeport Municipal Court watching murderers, drug dealers, drunk drivers on trial. Then it’s your turn, as a Fairfield University student, to appeal your ticket for having too loud of an off-campus beach party?
Many students endure this every semester. The good news is that tickets, which are usually written for about $200, are more often then not reduced to a fee ranging from $65 to $90.
The bad news is that students then have to pay an additional fee to the university ranging from $100 to $400 for the off-campus infraction.
“It is just ridiculous; how can the university charge us more than the police and then claim they have no affiliation with the students on the beach,” said Chris Brady ’05, “That just doesn’t seem right.”
In the past three years, Fairfield University has moved to a policy that all students who receive any sort of ticket on the beach will have to attend a judicial hearing and also face a fine from the university.
Although slightly different now, the policy has been around for over 10 years, said Duane Melzer, director of off-campus housing.
The fee can vary from case to case but the policy is that the first offense can receive a fee anywhere up to $200, the second a $400 fee, probation and loss of independent living, and the third resulting in suspension from the university, according to the student handbook.
“I moved off campus in hopes not to have to deal with school sanctions,” said David Parrott ’05, “The university should review its policies about dealing with off campus students, they claim one thing and do another.”
“The students are a representation of the university,” said Melzer, “all they do reflects the university.”
Kimberly Nickolenko, director of judicial affairs, agreed, “Off campus violations follow the same judicial procedures as with on campus violations … judicial cases are decided based upon the standard of whether it was more likely than not that the rule or policy was violated.”
Liz Courtney ’05, along with many other students living at the beach found the hearing in Bridgeport court easier than the hearing in judicial here at Fairfield.
“When we originally received the ticket from the police it was very high” Courtney. “It was a relief when the judge reduced it to a lesser amount.”
Fairfield students occasionally get away with no judicial hearing.
“The police station sends us a report of any arrests … Maybe on or two students have been missed but almost always there is a judicial hearing,” said Melzer.
Faced with fines from both the ticket and the school, some beach residents lessened the blow by splitting the cost between all house members, assuming all were a part of the problem.
As for the ticket from the town police, it is considered a misdemeanor and does not stay on your permanent record. Officers often encourage students to appeal them because almost always they are reduced to a lower fee.
The university hearings and fines, on the other hand, are a thing that student residents of the beach are going to have to learn to deal with.
“Any ticket is considered an arrest,” said a Fairfield police officer, “The university can do whatever they want once we have given out the ticket. We, as police officers do not care whether or not it is a Fairfield student, it is simply someone causing a disruption. Once it is given out it is out of our hands.”
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