The Saint Rose Chronicle

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: News

Courtesy photo/ free-buy-help.com

A year-old policy on the use of cell phones in the classroom, that remained largely unknown until now, is being brought to the forefront this fall at The College of Saint Rose. The College's Vice-President for Student Affairs, Dennis McDonald, put the policy into effect last year in the fall semester of 2006.
"Our policy wasn't a response to any incidents that occurred here," McDonald said. "It came from records of incidents involving cell phones occurring at other institutions that moved them to make their own policies and somebody said that we should have one."
McDonald created the policy to prevent the aforementioned incidents that are largely comprised of violations of academic integrity policies.
"With all the features of cell phones nowadays, there are many that can be used in a dishonest way in the classroom," McDonald said. "Text messages can be sent from under a desk during a test or students can take pictures of the tests."
According to the written policy students are prohibited from using cell phones with text-message and camera features in classrooms, testing locations, locker rooms, bathrooms, private areas and while driving vehicles used by The College. The policy is being reiterated this semester after something a colleague of McDonald's told him during a gathering on the Saint Rose campus on President's Day weekend.
"I was with several administrators and at some point in the conversation I mentioned the cell phone policy," McDonald said. "Someone looked at me like 'what? There's a policy on cell phones?'"
McDonald explained that the policy got buried somewhere within Saint Rose's online Blackboard system after the policy's conception last October. Upon hearing about the policy now, students are having mixed reactions.
Katelyn Corey, a Saint Rose senior, sees no reason why the policy should not be in place.
"I always assumed there was a policy," Corey said. "I always turn my phone off anyway because it's just common courtesy for the teacher and the class."
Ashley Teater, a junior at Saint Rose, feels otherwise and thinks that the policy infringes on her personal needs.
"I'm aware of the policy, but I use mine anyway," Teater said. "I don't see how it could effect anyone or be dishonest during regular class time."
Other students, like Saint Rose senior Christopher Sturm, find that cell phones are necessary for students in the more lengthy classes.

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