<p>My RA wrote me up to the RD and complained that my room smelled of marijuanna. I received the email asking to meet the RD.</p>
<p>What happens now?</p>
<p>Berkeley used to be synonymous with weed. I guess it’s not medical MJ so I guess you’re meeting with the RD.</p>
<p>what happens after that? the letter mentions something about a potential hearing if the RD doesn’t choose close the case. is anyone familiar with the policy?</p>
<p>It’s on the internet. [Code</a> of Conduct | UC Berkeley](<a href=“http://campuslife.berkeley.edu/code-of-conduct]Code”>http://campuslife.berkeley.edu/code-of-conduct)</p>
<p>You probably signed a housing contract?
[General</a> Residence Hall Conduct Policies](<a href=“http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/student/res_conduct.html]General”>http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/student/res_conduct.html)</p>
<p>I guess you took the Berkeley image literally.</p>
<p>If your RD doesn’t close the case, you’ll probably have a hearing with the Peer Review Board O_o? I think they’ll decide your punishment?</p>
<p>Don’t worry, as long as it stays on the campus records (ie: it doesn’t move to Berkeley PD records), everything is only scary in name.</p>
<p>RA won’d do jack.
RD won’t do jack.
Peer Review Board won’t do jack.
UCPD won’t do jack.</p>
<p>I knew someone caught by UCPD giving alcohol to a minor. I’m no pre-law major, but I know that’s a misdemeanor. When I talked to her later she said after allt he grief they put her through, her punishment was a petty fine and some mark on her record that expires after a semester. Weak…</p>
<p>^ I had one idiot arrested for smoking and selling weed in his dorm room. Believe me, UCPD will do jack.
OP, don’t be stupid. Your RA will call the police if you smoke in your dorm room ever again. Or some one else will. So don’t ruin your life. it’s not worth it.</p>
<p>OP, so which unit is the one we should avoid?</p>
<p>A little more background.</p>
<p>My RA didn’t catch me smoking or see any weed / paraphernalia. He just complained that my room smelt like weed. Any way I can brush this off? How seriously do you think the assistant RD will take it? Foothill Building 7</p>
<p>Will the case be referred to the office of student conduct? (Sproul hall?)</p>
<p>I don’t think he’ll send you there. It’ll be kept within Reshall jurisdiction. I think if anything, they’ll send you to the peer review board.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what you should do. Depending on your RD, I think admitting that it was stupid thing to do and promise not ever doing it again might work. Or I guess you could deny it :/? I’m not sure… depends on who you are talking to.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>if the person didn’t have to stay overnight and was released with a slap on the wrist, i think many people would take that</p>
<p>To begin with, I do not smoke. I have never been able to perform well in school when I have smoked in the past. But, I don’t begrudge others their own personal vices. But in regards to your upcoming meeting with your RD:</p>
<p>First: The RA neither saw you smoking in your room, nor did he see or document/seize any paraphernalia from you or your room before making the complaint to your RD.</p>
<p>Second: The RA did not contact Campus Police to search your room or immediately follow up on his suspicions.</p>
<p>Third: There are no provisions in your housing contract that say that you are subject to random or non-random drug testing as a condition of living on campus.</p>
<p>The RA has absolutely no case to be made against you. That is, unless one of your roommates tipped him off to your usage. And, even then, it is still hearsay evidence (again, no physical evidence). It is still a case of your word against his. Question: Do all of your roommates partake? If so, there really shouldn’t be a problem. It is unlikely that they would turn you in.</p>
<p>When you meet with your RD; first, ask to see the written complaint that was filed against you. You will be able to see exactly what the RA wrote and if he has ANY supporting evidence for his complaint. Do not engage in any lengthy conversation with the RD before you see what you are being accused of, specifically. Ask to see the complaint. Repeat, if necessary. Next, ask what evidence the RA has to support his claim. Finally, deny, deny, deny. </p>
<p>You: “Why no, I don’t know what smell the RA is referring to. I don’t burn any candles or smoke cigarettes in my room. I try to be in compliance with all the housing regs. Could the RA have been referring to the remnant smell of my dinner, which I had eaten in my room just before he came in? The garlic sage smell CAN be very dense with that particular take-out dish.”</p>
<p>RD: “Look, we don’t have any specific evidence to prove what the RA claims is true. If it IS, don’t do it again. Your RA will be keeping a close watch on you in the future.”</p>
<p>You: “Yes, sir. I’ll keep upholding my part of the contract. I just hope that the RA isn’t on some sort of witch hunt. It’s so strange, we seemed to get along before this unwarranted accusation.”</p>
<p>They can’t demand a blood test, they have no physical evidence, they have no observational evidence. They have NO CASE whatsoever. Remove ALL paraphernalia from your room for the remaining school year. DO NOT bring it back. Conduct a thorough cleaning of your room to make sure ALL evidence is removed (e.g. scraps, seeds, etc.) DO NOT smoke in or around your dorm again until you change RA’s. Actually, don’t do it even then. You shouldn’t have done it in the first place. It was a very ill-advised and bone-headed maneuver. Keep your story short and simply. No, you didn’t smoke in your dorm. Period. If asked, No would not like to submit to a blood test simply because it is irrelevant to what you are being accused of (again, no physical evidence).</p>
<p>CalBear hit it dead on.</p>
<p>Don’t smoke in your room next time. There are so many public places you can smoke at instead, especially at Foothill. And UCPD doesn’t get involved unless someone reports it…they’re obligated to do something if someone complains but otherwise, they’ll leave you alone.</p>
<p>In terms of actual consequences: they just typically tell you to not do it again. Weed is well-tolerated, but the authorities involved have to do something about it if they catch you.</p>
<p>If you were smoking weed, calmly meet the RD and don’t make a big deal out of it. Chances are, you’ll just be told to not do it again. They records they place internally are usually equivalent to just a warning of some sort.</p>
<p>If you didn’t, well, you didn’t.</p>
<p>The idea is: don’t lie, but don’t be completely upfront either.</p>
<p>Thing is, with weed and underage drinking, it’s always made to look like a big deal so the authorities involved look like they’re diligently enforcing the rules. However, once it’s a couple steps removed, the actual consequences are minuscule.</p>
<p>Guys I don’t to lie to the RD/RA</p>
<p>I just started college and I don’t want to **** it up. Smoking weed is one thing buy lying to the RA/RD feels wrong some how.</p>
<p>We didn’t even smoke in the room, but we did smoke outside at a friends apartment. Should I admit to that or just play innocent…</p>
<p>What if they kick me out of Berkeley or something?</p>
<p>Deny it are you crazy</p>
<p>even if it didn’t happen in the room?</p>
<p>If you received an email requesting you to meet with the RD, you won’t be sent to Peer Review Board. You’ll have a talk with the RD and he/she will give you all the necessary details. </p>
<p>You are entitled to a copy of the incident report when you meet with him/her; he/she should provide it for you. You can then give your side of the story (aka; is the report accurate/inaccurate/etc.). Point is though, DO NOT LIE. If you do, it can and will be found out (RAs go on rounds every night, so if your room did smell like Marijuana, chances are another RA passing by will smell it too). </p>
<p>As CalBear2009 said, just don’t do it ever again, and don’t keep it in your room. Possession is also against Berkeley’s Residential Hall Policy, even if they can’t search your room for it. On the other hand, just because the RA documented you does not mean that he/she is complaining and trying to get you in trouble. </p>
<p>A little clarification on incident reports (as told to me by my RA):
Part of the RA job is to document their observations around the unit. They’re not out to get you, and they’re not trying to get you in trouble. They are mandated by their job descriptions to record what they see/hear/smell/etc. in terms of anything that could be a potential safety issue/hall policy violation. Therefore, if the RA who documented you only said that he/she smelled the scent of Marijuana in your room, then that’s exactly what he/she is going to write down. He/she is not accusing you of smoking it or of possessing it in your room; he/she is merely saying that that is what he/she smelled. </p>
<p>So, don’t go into the meeting acting all defensive and crass like CalBear2009 suggests; it will not help you one bit. Be mature and take responsibility for your actions. I’m not saying that you should incriminate yourself if you did indeed smoke, but don’t act self-righteous about the entire situation. If you didn’t smoke (if the smell isn’t your fault), then explain the situation to the RD. You don’t have to give names, etc. but don’t lie. </p>
<p>Good luck at your meeting!</p>
<p>Guys I’m terrified that if I lie / pretend like we never smoked that they will escalate this issue
(i.e. contact my parents / send it to sproul hall)</p>
<p>Do you guys really think I should just deny it? I think my conscience would be clearer if I just told them the truth and said that me and my friends smoked some weed and then came back to my dorm.</p>