To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff
           <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Office of the Provost" <provost@uiuc.edu>

Reply-To: pmortens@sab.uiuc.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - Unofficial St. Patrick's Day - March 2

On Friday, March 2, 2007, many Campustown bars will participate in the 
annual business promotion known as Unofficial St. Patrick's Day (USPD). 
While the University does not support or condone this promotion, we are 
taking steps to ensure the safety of students who choose to participate, 
and to insulate academic instruction and campus operations from disruption.

In the interest of safety, Champaign Police will have a visible presence 
in Campustown on March 2. They will enforce all applicable ordinances in 
commercial areas, and have been given special authority to intervene if 
private parties threaten to disturb the peace. In addition, Champaign city 
officials have enacted special restrictions on liquor sales that are 
intended to curb overconsumption. Given the probable limitations of these 
efforts, emergency medical personnel will stand ready to provide care as 
required.

The profile of University Police will also be elevated during USPD. Their 
work will focus on protecting students, staff, faculty, and University 
property from harm caused by the disorderly conduct of event participants. 
Report emergencies to METCAD at 911 (or, from a campus phone, 9-911). For 
this event, requests for non-emergency response by University Police 
should be directed to 333-1216.

The Deans of colleges that enroll undergraduates recently sent out 
messages detailing resources  that college personnel can draw on to 
preserve the integrity of academic instruction and campus operations on 
March 2. Those resources include:

-- The Student Code (http://www.admin.uiuc.edu/policy/code/) addresses 
student responsibilities on campus. Sections 1-102(d) and 1-302(f), on 
classroom conduct expectations, and section on 1-307, on alcohol 
consumption, are particularly relevant. The Code empowers instructors to 
ask disruptive students to leave class; after class, names of dismissed 
students should be reported to the Office of Student Conflict Resolution 
at 333-3680.

-- If asking a disruptive student to leave class could escalate into 
confrontation, it will be best to avoid confrontation and seek assistance. 
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 2, teams of Student Affairs and Academic 
Affairs staff will walk through and around buildings with classrooms and 
lecture halls where disruptions were experienced last year. Roaming team 
members, wearing their University IDs as nametags and identified as 
university officials, may be summoned to assess problematic situations. 
Teams will be prepared to document any apparent Code violations and call 
University Police if necessary. However, instructors and students are 
encouraged to report emergencies directly to METCAD at 911 (or, from a 
campus phone, 9-911).

-- In the two largest lecture halls on the Quad (Foellinger Auditorium and 
Lincoln Hall Theater), both of which experienced significant vandalism 
during last year's event, students will be asked to surrender liquids 
prior to entry. This represents enforcement of standing policies that 
prohibit food and beverages in these venues.

Recent communications to students about USPD have stressed that those who 
choose to interfere with the academic mission of the University will face 
serious consequences. Instructional and support staff are thanked for 
joining the effort to reinforce this message before and on March 2. 

Office of the Provost
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

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