Lake Michigan College cracks down on who can attend

6-25-2010 Michigan:

Officials will review individual cases to determine whether felons, sex offenders can go to school at the college

BENTON TOWNSHIP - Current and prospective Lake Michigan College students who are felons or on Michigan's sex offender registry will no longer be allowed to automatically continue classes or gain admittance under a new policy.

The cases of convicted felons and sex offenders will now be individually reviewed before they are allowed to attend LMC. The school's board of trustees unanimously approved the policy change at its regular meeting Tuesday.

Previously, those convicted of a sex crime against a child were barred from admittance. But on Tuesday, the board approved expanding the policy to include all sex offenders and convicted felons.

Whether the person can enroll or continue with classes will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The individual review, LMC President Bob Harrison said, is to determine the potential threat the current or prospective student poses to other students.

"We'll go about this recognizing that individuals have specific needs, that specific sets of circumstances should alter whether they're allowed to be students here or not," Harrison said. "So I think we're striking a very good balance between fulfilling the mission of the college as well as recognizing our obligation to protect not only our students, but our visitors and our staff."

In February, the college adopted a policy of barring those convicted of a sex crime against children from attending any of LMC's four campuses. The college instituted the practice after a prospective student tried signing up for winter semester classes at the Bertrand Crossing campus near Niles and informed school officials he was a registered sex offender and his victim had been a child.

School officials previously said the prospective student wasn't allowed to register, and the incident sparked a review that determined that three registered students were on the registry for committing sex crimes against children. The three were suspended, but two appealed their suspensions. One of the students successfully appealed the suspension in March, however.

LMC has not released the students' names, citing privacy laws.

School officials previously said they instituted the initial policy to protect children that might be on an LMC campus.

Under the new policy, school officials will review the Michigan sex offender registry to determine if a current or prospective student is an offender. If a prospective or enrolled student is found to be on the sex offender registry or a felon, they will be barred from admission. The potential student, however, can request a hearing before a panel of three school officials to provide documentation and explain their situation. The panel's decision is final.

An enrolled student who is a sex offender or felon will have the same initial hearing process as prospective students. However, current student can appeal that decision to a second panel composed of faculty, administrators and students. The student can keep going to classes until the appeals panel's decision is made.

Harrison said though school officials will be periodically reviewing the sex offender registry, they will not be actively seeking to find convicted felons. Instead, he said, a stipulation will be included in the student handbook telling students that if they are a felon, they are required to notify school officials or face possible expulsion.

The new policy goes into effect immediately.

"With this change each student or potential student affected by the policy gains that opportunity to explain the situation and provide some documentation to a review panel to assess the level of threat to the college community," board Chairman Pat Moody said. "I think it is a good balance."

Harrison said school officials spoke to local law enforcement, social service and education officials before drafting the new policy.

Some of the people they spoke to included Berrien County Chief Trial Judge Alfred Butzbaugh; Jerry Frank, director of the Berrien County Department of Human Services; Lee Gallay with Berrien County Council for Children; Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey; Berrien County Prosecutor Art Cotter; and Ira Green, manager of the county's parole office. School officials contacted college and university student conduct experts and community colleges in other states with comparable policies.

"I believe that is a very fair and well-researched new and revised policy," board Vice Chairwoman Judy Truesdell said. "I feel very comfortable in voting in favor of accepting it." ..Source.. SHAWN McGRATH - H-P Staff Writer