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University supports city’s Halloween efforts

October 4, 2005

UW–Madison officials continue to support the efforts of the City of Madison and local law enforcement to downsize, discourage and localize upcoming Halloween activities.

Lori Berquam, interim Dean of Students, says she has worked in partnership with the UW Police Department, University Housing, the Chancellor’s Office, Wisconsin Union and University Health Services to outline a list of goals for the 2005 event.

Goals include:

  • Working in partnership with the UW–Madison students and support their efforts for a safer weekend.
  • Reducing or eliminating disruptive and destructive behavior.
  • Dispelling myths that UW–Madison students are to blame for problems.
  • Discouraging out-of-town visitors.
  • Communicating with other Big Ten Schools and UW System schools to enlist their support in holding their students accountable for their behavior in Madison.

Berquam says that administrators have enacted a proactive plan for Halloween weekend. The plan includes not serving alcohol in the Wisconsin Unions after 9 p.m. on Oct. 28-29; not allowing university-sponsored events in the Wisconsin Unions or other campus locations past 10 p.m. on Oct. 28-29; not allowing guests for Halloween weekend in University Housing or the short-course dorms.

This month, Berquam says she will be communicate with students to reinforce their responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others, and that those who break the law will be held accountable for their Halloween actions.

“Students engaging in criminal behavior that impacts other members of the university community — on or off-campus — can face sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion, both of which could affect student status at UW–Madison,” Berquam says.

The Offices of the Dean of Students will review every case of student criminal behavior for possible application of non-academic misconduct.

Likewise, information about criminal behavior by friends or guests from other colleges or universities will be forwarded to their campus student affairs staff.

In addition, the Madison Police Department, the district attorney’s office and the city attorney’s office are planning to aggressively prosecute cases, and fines have been increased substantially from past years.