Calvin News

The suspension of a Calvin student this week has been at the center of both on-campus and off-campus media reporting.

It also was the subject of a letter to parents on February 9 sent by Calvin vice president Shirley Hoogstra.

And while Hoogstra has received numerous replies thanking her for Calvin's handling of the incident, and its good work in caring for the safety of its students, she also has received a few emails from people who think Calvin overreacted to the incident on campus.

Hoogstra says some of this criticism is valid, but only because in situations such as the one that took place on campus, Calvin is constrained in what it can and cannot say.

"I understand people's concerns," she says, "but the reality in a situation that involves confidential student judicial information - as is the case here -- is that the college can never publicly share all the details that would put the situation into better focus.

"A second feature of such situations is that what we're able to say the first day is often less than we can say on subsequent days, especially when the police are involved and are seeking weapons charges as is the case in this situation."

Hoogstra says situations like the one Calvin faced this week cause a significant tension for the college.

"We need and want to reassure parents," she says, "and we want them to hear from us, not second- or third-hand and not through the media. Yet we also need to protect student information. We attempted to portray that tension as best as we could in our February 9 communication to faculty, staff, students and parents."

Hoogstra notes too that the student involved in this incident was suspended pending a hearing (but chose not to have that hearing and withdrew from the college instead).

Calvin's Student Handbook says that "In certain circumstances, the Vice President for Student Life, or a designee, may impose a College suspension prior to the hearing before a judicial hearing body or pending an appeal of a disciplinary decision."

The handbook continues: "Provisional suspension may be imposed only: a. To ensure the safety and well-being of members of the College community or preservation of College property; b. To ensure the student’s own physical or emotional safety and well-being; or c. If the student poses a definite threat of disruption or interference with the normal operations of the College."

Says Hoogstra: "Obviously provisional suspension is not something we take lightly. Our desire is that community members will ultimately trust that we have the best interest of all of our students in mind daily as a college, and that when we suspend a student there are legitimate reasons for doing so (although all of the reasons may not be publicly communicated)."