Sanderson Woods, director of judicial services, has said that the punishment for being caught with a weapon on campus is “expulsion” from the university. In an interview with The Panther, Woods said, “Our responsibility is to make it [the campus] safe. The whole idea is education, not worrying.”
Drawing attention to the university’s status as a state institution, Woods said, “There are signs once you enter campus that Prairie View is a state school. We should all be knowledgeable that Prairie View is a state school on state property.”
Also stressing the need for campus safety, Tyra Metoyer, director of university relations, said that prevention is just as important as punishment. She noted that President Wright established a Student Conduct Task Force in November 2004, chaired by Associate Provost Dr. Michael McFrazier.
Metoyer said the committee is made up of representatives from many areas connected to student life on campus, including housing and Student Activities.
Explaining the role of the committee, Metoyer said it is charged with addressing issues of inappropriate behavior and punishment or consequences. She said that the committee is responsible for implementing preventive measures “to ensure student safety and knowledge of the rules and the university’s zero tolerance policy.”
Metoyer stated that the committee’s work and Dr. Wright’s consistent messages about the zero tolerance policy are ” making a difference in the number of inappropriate incidents and will continue to encourage students to make choices that are in their best interest.”
The Student Handbook states “a person having knowledge of anyone who is in possession of a weapon on campus has a responsibility to report the violation to appropriate university officials. Failure to report the violation may result in judiciary action. The possession of a weapon on campus is a third degree felony and simply will not be tolerated.” Woods said, “We need people who know of people who have weapons to report it. If someone feels unsafe, they need to take precautions.”
Campus police officers also play a major role in student safety. Corporal Corey C. Johnson said, ” We do take any tip concerning weapons very seriously and we will go through and follow up.”
Johnson said there is very little that can be done to know who has a weapon but “we do follow up on any tip.” Methods used by the police include metal detectors and officers at campus parties and other activities, and a canine unit.
“We do have a canine unit that can detect gun powder, C-4, etc. If we have probable cause or plain view, we can use the canine unit,” Johnson added.
The university as a whole has a responsibility to ensure student safety. Woods stated, “We are all in this together.