Jack Royer ’15, Jack Doyle ’15, Wills Singley ’14: Our school is governed by a myriad of rules and restrictions, enumerated in our student planner. However, when a student neglects our code of conduct, it is the Disciplinary Council’s job to determine the consequences of his or her actions. The council consists of eight members. Four members are students, one from each grade, appointed to the council through student elections. However, the inner workings of the council are a mystery to most students.
According to Guillaume Furey ’15, a member of the council, “[student discipline council members] have as much say as [faculty members] do when we discuss the topic until everyone comes to an agreement to make it as fair as possible.”
During meetings, the four student members discuss the issue with four faculty members to keep a one-to-one ratio of students to faculty members.
Kris Aldridge, Chair of the Disciplinary Council, noted, “If either a student or faculty member is absent during a meeting, then a faculty or student will not vote.”
While there is equal say in the meetings, Furey explained, “The Disciplinary Council is only an advisory council that talks to Mr. Wagg who in turn advises Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark has the choice to accept the punishment or do what he deems fit.”
Technically, the council does not have the final say. However, Aldridge believes that the council provides “a variety of perspectives because more people can disagree more often. As a result, in coming to a consensus it keeps the punishment fair, not single minded.”
Moreover, according to Aldridge, “The students give the faculty a perspective on how the rules are viewed and enforced by the students and what it is like to be a kid under those rules.”
This variety ensures that similar offenses are treated in the same way despite changes in the members of the council.
When asked why the council’s decisions are kept secret, Furey answered, “The decisions are not disclosed because it is believed that what the student did should not be revealed to everyone unless the student does so by his or her own choice. The [punishments] of the student are [personal] and [the student] may not want everyone to know what they did.”
When asked about the equity of the council’s final decisions, Furey replied, “I believe that the final resolutions are neither too harsh nor too sympathetic. The rules are clearly outlined and so are the punishments, so the students should know what risk they are putting themselves into while breaking the rules.”

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