Live by the rules

As the old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." After having read the University's Information and Regulations book, some administrators claim that it needs changes to be user-friendly. They feel that descriptions of University policy are too technical, legalistic and dry. Among the suggestions to combat this problem include a reconceptualized framework to explain the philosophy behind the rules and information about their relevance and importance, possibly in the form of anecdotes or short essays. Unfortunately, students, who rely on the book for a clear statement of the University's policies, may not really need the friendlier, easy-to-read format.

Currently, the book exists primarily as a reference-students turn to the book when they break the rules and want a clear explanation of their potential punishments. And reference books, by their very nature, tend to be less than engaging.

A better medium may exist for making students aware of the rules, but when rules are broken and action needs to be taken, a clear definition is imperative. If the rules are rewritten to reflect broader principles instead of legal technicalities, as has been suggested, the number of loopholes will increase. The purpose of rewriting the book would be to help students understand the spirit of the law, but unless the law is explicit in its definition and punishment, enforcement becomes far more difficult.

Although it may create more loopholes, the idea was conceived so that if students were more aware of the rules, then the number of infractions prevented should more than offset this disadvantage. If one can generate enough interest such that students would take greater interest in reading the book, then editing to the book in such a manner may reduce the number of violations.

But the book is already mailed to every undergraduate each year, so the information is available to students, and ignorance of the rules has never been an excuse. Responsibility for conduct within the rules does not lie with the authors of the book, but the students. And the fact is that very few additional students would sit down and read the book on a Saturday afternoon, regardless of how captivating the presentation is made.

Contributing to the reading difficulty are the many obscure and archaic rules in the book, and no student should be punished for not memorizing the specifics of the University's regulations. Some of these rules are outdated or not relevant to the current University community, rules that could easily be eliminated or modified between academic years.

But it is not those rules that students need to know. They need to be informed of the serious offenses, and have the book to look up the others when needed. If the administration is worried about student awareness, it can look into new ways of disseminating the information, such as new seminars during freshman orientation.

The rules and regs book is hard to read, and it does need constant revision and updates. The book, however, does not need to be entirely overhauled. Its job is not to make the rules entertaining. Its function is to inform students of University policy, and the current format is an effective way of making this information available.