The Office of Judicial Affairs' decision to present its revised off-campus code of conduct policy to the Borough Council Monday was a positive step in fostering communication between Judicial Affairs and the Borough of State College.

The new policy enables the university to punish students academically for minor and major crimes they commit off campus. This policy was implemented two years ago, after the off-campus riots.

Though it was a good idea for Judicial Affairs to explain this new policy to Borough Council, Director of Judicial Affairs Joseph Puzyki's presentation left many questions unanswered.

He said, "some believe we may have helped lower the crime rate," but could not confirm whether the new Judicial Affairs policy has had any direct effect on the crime rate.

Such a confirmation is necessary.

If the new policy allows students to be punished academically for even minor off-campus offenses, it seems important to know if this burden is helping to deter crime. If it is not, then perhaps this policy should be reevaluated.

Determining whether the new policy is having a direct impact on the crime rate may be difficult, but certainly worth the effort.

Perhaps the university should consider conducting a Penn State Pulse survey on the subject.

Surveyors could ask students whether they are aware of Judicial Affair's policy regarding off-campus offenses and whether this policy would discourage them from engaging in illegal activity off campus.

If this survey, or other methods, prove that the new policy is not helping to deter crime, then Judicial Affairs should consider revising the policy.

Judicial Affairs should also consider what kinds of crimes it now handles.

Puzyki said the major change in the policy is that Judicial Affairs now handles alcohol-related offenses, such as carrying an open alcoholic container. Before the policy change, Judicial Affairs was not involved with these types of violations. Puzyki said students agreed with the new policy in an online survey.

But it is still unclear why Judicial Affairs is involved in punishing students for violations that have nothing to do with a student's academic integrity.

Though drinking is a concern on college campuses and was a definite factor in the riots, Judicial Affairs should take another critical look at the usefulness and fairness of making students subject to both police and university punishments for minor offenses.