For RCAs, conduct may jeopardize position

For the most part, all undergraduate students are treated equally under the University’s disciplinary guidelines and procedures. While they are not necessarily held to a different set of standards, residential college advisers are perhaps one exception to the generally egalitarian nature of the disciplinary code.

“RCAs are held to a high standard of conduct because they’re such vital mentors to their advisees,” Forbes College Acting Director of Student Life Lyra Plumer said in an email. “We expect RCAs to model how to be a successful student at Princeton, both academically and in social settings.”

However, according to Mathey College DSL Matt Frawley, RCAs are not punished excessively for their actions or held to higher disciplinary standards because of their position.

“Any disciplinary infraction is treated as a disciplinary infraction,” Frawley said. “They won’t get a more severe punishment because they’re an RCA.”

According to Plumer, if it appears that an RCA has violated University policy or RCA guidelines, their residential college DSL would follow up with them to discuss the matter. Disciplinary decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, varying with each situation and the severity of the action.

The staff involved in disciplinary discussions with RCAs includes the college’s director of student life, the dean of the residential college, the director of studies and the master of the college, who is the final authority on staffing appointments within the residential college.

If it is determined that the violation is serious and may require asking the RCA to step down, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Cole Crittenden GS ’05 would be consulted, Plumer said. Crittenden oversees the RCA program as a whole.

However, Crittenden said that RCAs are rarely dismissed for policy violations. He added that each year anywhere from one to three RCAs will step down for a variety of reasons.

“But because there is always this possibility, each college also hires and trains alternate or assistant RCAs, who can step into the RCA role if necessary,” Crittenden said in an email.

Frawley explained that grounds for automatic dismissal from the RCA position include being found guilty of plagiarism and other actions that result in suspension.

Alcohol-related incidents, such as being sent to University Health Services at McCosh Health Center or the University Medical Center at Princeton for intoxication or alcohol poisoning, are somewhat of a gray area.

While being sent to UHS or UMCP for alcohol-related incidents does not lead to disciplinary action for most students, alcohol consumption by RCAs is an issue that is stressed during training sessions and included in the RCA training manual.

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“[The alcohol policy] is in their RCA manual, which they are expected to have read thoroughly and understand thoroughly,” Frawley said.

The RCA manual explicitly states that RCAs must not appear intoxicated in front of their advisees, though there is no stipulation against seeing ’zees after drinking responsibly.

“If you are of legal drinking age, you may encounter ’zees when you are or have been drinking responsibly (e.g., a dinner at a local restaurant, a gathering in a private residence or an eating club),” the manual reads.

While RCAs are not expected to discard their drink if their advisees encounter them drinking by chance, they are “responsible for the message” that they send their advisees.

Additionally, RCAs living in substance-free housing must abide by the terms of the substance-free contract. This includes not possessing any alcohol in their rooms.