Senior E.J. Francis was drinking with some friends on a Saturday night in 2005 when his friends decided to go to a fraternity party, and Francis volunteered to drive them. On the way to the party, a University Police Department officer pulled over Francis and his friends.
"We had four girls in the backseat with one lying across the lap of the others, so that didn't help anything," Francis said.
The officer suspected the group of being under the influence of alcohol after seeing the girls in the back seat, Francis said.
Francis, who was five months away from turning 21, registered a .07-percent blood alcohol content and was charged with minor consumption.
Francis said he had to attend an alcohol class in downtown Muncie, as well as an alcohol class at Ball State University. He was put on probation for a year, and he had to complete 20 hours of community service at a Christmas tree farm in Muncie, he said.
The sanctions Francis received for his minor consumption violation, however, might not be the same as those for another student who violates that university rule.
David Fried, director of student rights and community standards, said all situations regarding punishments for students differ based on the circumstances of the case.
"It is difficult to say everyone will get the same violation because every case is different," Fried said.
One of the main considerations in making a decision on what the penalty should be is whether a student has a record previous to the current offense, Fried said. In Francis' instance, he did not have a record and was sanctioned as such, Fried said.
"In most cases, a student will get off better if he does not have a previous record than if the student does," Fried said.
Another important thing to understand, according to Fried, is that the punishments largely depend on where a student is caught. For example, if a student is caught inside a residence hall, it is up to the hall director what sanction, if any, the student receives.
"In a lot of situations in which a student has been drinking in the residence hall, the student is in his or her room with a couple of friends not bothering anyone," Fried said. "The only way they would be sanctioned by my department is if the police were called because they were creating a big disturbance."
He said the effect of the violation on the community makes a big difference on what penalty is imposed.
The consequences for underage drinking, as well as other university violations, also vary. Fried said one of the sanctions involve volunteering for Late Nite.
"Lots of students attend Late Nite every week, so we refer them to Late Nite to show them that there are other ways to enjoy their weekend and to have fun," Fried said.
Francis' situation was unusual because he was on the bowling team.
"The university was actually really cool working around my bowling schedule," he said, "and I actually enjoyed working at the tree farm a lot. We just drank hot chocolate in the little trailer they had and helped people buy [Christmas] trees whenever people would come."
Other sanctions include writing a reflection paper, which Fried said helps students deal with things such as criminal citations.
On average, more than one sanction is given to the students, but it depends on the circumstances, Fried said. Almost all students, however, are put on probation, he said.
If a student disregards the probation and violates university rules again, the student might have to go before the school review board, which can decide to either suspend or expel the student, Fried said.
"If they break a rule while on probation, it becomes obvious that the student has a problem abiding by university standards," Fried said. "If that is the case, then the university needs to examine if they should stay at this university."
As for Francis, however, who is expected to graduate in July, he is glad the ordeal is finished.
"I paid my dues and since then everything has been fine," he said. "Now it is off my record, and I can student teach and graduate."
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