Penn State students misbehaving off-campus will more severely jeopardize their status on campus, under a revision to the student code of conduct now in effect.

The recent policy update, which expands the authority of the Office of Judicial Affairs, outlines a broader array of criminal acts and misconduct that will land students in hot water with the university for what they supposedly did beyond Penn State property.

Penn State administrators released the change days before this year's Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, which marks the anniversary of two off-campus riots on Beaver Avenue in 1998 and 2000. Another disturbance in the same area followed a Penn State men's basketball defeat in March.

Under the new rules, engaging in acts that "encourage, prolong or contribute to a public disturbance" are deemed a major violation, which can get a student kicked out of the university indefinitely or permanently.

"If any Penn State students are involved in another riot, they will very quickly become former students," said Penn State spokesman Steve McCarthy.

The update's spectrum of offenses takes in major acts — such as delivery of illegal drugs or sexual assault — but also moderate and minor acts — like driving under the influence or a second offense of public drunkenness. Disciplinary actions can be as mild as a warning or as stern as permanent expulsion.

Up until this point, some moderate and minor violations did not automatically place a student before Judicial Affairs.

Changing the university code of conduct to encompass more off-campus misbehavior is one of the preventative tactics administrators and community leaders hope will cut down on the likelihood of future riots.

Representatives from Penn State, State College Borough, and key downtown apartment complexes have been meeting since the summer 2000 riot to seek solutions, said Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon.

Evenings during this week's Arts Festival, there will also be a heightened police presence around town, and a host of on-campus entertainment intended to lure people away from "Beaver Canyon," a series of blocks along East Beaver Avenue that have been the site of all three recent disturbances.

Other student and community groups are planning efforts to try to keep the festivities peaceful and quell any potential violence, McCarthy said.

"I think our students really got the message last time. I think that it's pretty clear that the borough has had it up to their eyeballs and they're not going to tolerate it," McCarthy added.

With the updated code, university officials say they want to boost accountability for students no matter where they are. They also expect the fear of getting expelled to be a strong deterrent for most people. "We hope students will realize the implications for their college careers," Mahon said.

Upon receiving word of an arrest or a complaint from the community, Judicial Affairs starts the wheels moving in its own disciplinary process, separate from any civil or criminal investigations. Students then have the right to contest the charges and request a hearing.

Off-campus incidents are treated the same as any that might have occurred on-campus, according to Judicial Affairs procedures. Sanctions are recommended if there is "clear and convincing evidence" that the student violated the university code of conduct.

This burden of proof is not as rigorous as the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard used in most criminal courts. Thus, it's conceivable that a student might be acquitted of some criminal charges but still be asked to leave Penn State based on the findings of Judicial Affairs, McCarthy said.

The Code of Conduct is available online from the Office of Judicial Affairs Web site (http://www.sa.psu.edu/ja/).