Student evictions possible

Ian Jameson had to attempt the freshman move in three times his freshman year.

He moved… Ian Jameson had to attempt the freshman move in three times his freshman year.

He moved first into Sutherland Hall, then into Towers and finally into a house’s basement apartment after Pitt evicted him from University housing.

“It all started when I got moved from Sutherland Hall because my roommate took a video of me drunk to my R.D.,” Jameson explained.

Pitt moved Jameson to Towers, where he received three more violations, one for a prohibited type of alarm clock and two for alcohol-related reasons.

By the time he left for winter break, Jameson knew he would have a lot to deal with when he returned to campus, but he wasn’t prepared for the way Pitt asked him to leave.

“I pretty much knew I was getting kicked out, but [Pitt] didn’t give me time to move out,” Jameson said.

Jameson said he was told of his eviction fewer than three days before he had to move out.

He said they also didn’t provide a means for him to transfer all of his belongings.

As additional punishment, he had to pay underage drinking fines, attend alcohol counseling group sessions and perform community service.

Per his eviction sentencing, Jameson is prohibited from entering any University residence hall, which means he can’t enter the cafeterias located within them or visit campus residents he knows until 2008.

Most evictions, as in Jameson’s case, are a result of excessive violations, according to Awate Idris, a second year resident assistant. Qualifying offenses can include drug and alcohol usage.

Andrew Crouch, who is now a senior, went through the eviction process his freshman year and admitted his first offense was completely justified because he was caught in the act of drinking. He feels differently about his other two strikes.

In both cases, roaming resident assistants knocked on his door complaining about loud music. They asked to come into the room or they said would have gone to get the Pitt Police.

They requested an inspection of his refrigerator, where they found alcohol. Because Crouch was a minor at the time, resident assistants wrote him up.

According to Idris, resident assistants are allowed to ask to enter each room or to search refrigerators at any time, especially if they have reason to believe that something is wrong.

“We ask to go into a room, and we can call the police because if you don’t let us, we have to assume the worse. Someone could be injured or passed out in there,” Idris said.

This fact is also stated in Pitt’s Housing/Dining Services Contract, a document that all students must agree to in order to move in. It says, “The University reserves the right for authorized representatives to enter the premises for housekeeping/maintenance purposes, verification of occupancy and to verify that the health, life, and safety rules and regulations of the University are in compliance.”

Crouch said he felt that there was a bias toward his floor. Three other students had previously been evicted, and many people on the floor had been written up numerous times for underage drinking.

Crouch said he felt that the resident assistants paid close attention to all activities and loud sounds on this floor because it had gained a problem reputation.

In the end, Crouch had to go through two phases of alcohol counseling and is not allowed in residence halls until 2008. With only three weeks before the end of the school year, he was allowed to finish the term in his dorm in Tower B.

Idris said that residents can also be evicted for throwing objects out of windows and for attacking University officials, Pitt Police or any resident assistant or director.

Students may also be dismissed from campus housing if they have failed to enroll in a full-time course load or have failed to pay for their housing.

According to the Housing/Dining Services Contract, students who violate any term in the contract, verify withdrawal or an academic dismissal, fail to follow the Student Code of Conduct or behave in a harmful way may have their contracts terminated. Upon eviction, the University will keep the housing deposit the student paid, and it may ask to have fall and spring term fees due immediately.

Idris said that students who are released from campus housing must have done something major to deserve it.

“Pitt is very lenient and generous when it comes to evictions. They try to understand the resident’s point of view,” Idris said.