A recently proposed expansion of the UW's authority would create a new three-strike policy for students living north of campus.

Under the proposed change, students living between Northeast 45th Street and Northeast Ravenna Boulevard and 15th Avenue Northeast and 22nd Avenue Northeast who receive citations for incidents, such as noise violations, property destruction or public lewdness, could be subject to university disciplinary actions.

Following the first citation, the UW would attempt to inform the student about the responsibilities that come with being a citizen in the community. A second infraction would provoke a mediation request between the student and the accuser. A third citation or failure to attend the mediation would give the UW the authority to initiate disciplinary actions ranging from a peer review to possible expulsion.

"That neighborhood has been a source of problems for years," Vice provost for student life Eric Godfrey said. "It's a complicated situation up there with a lot of moving parts. It's certainly the overcrowded housing, absentee landlords and the deterioration of the Ave that bring in a negative influence, which then can move into the north of 45th area."

The proposal is the result of a group effort among members of the community, the mayor's office, the police and students.

"Last year, we decided for a variety of reasons that we needed to take a new, fresh, hard look at that environment and what the university could do in collaboration with others to improve it," Godfrey said.

Ruedi Risler, a board member for the University Park Community Clubs (UPCC), said in the past that the UW has been unresponsive to any complaint from its neighbors. Because of the indifferent approach by the UW, the UPCC petitioned state legislators to introduce an off-campus student code of conduct bill several years ago. The petition wasn't successful, but Risler said she believes the petition applied the necessary pressure on the UW to consider making changes to the off-campus policy.

Risler said the UPCC is taking a wait-and-see approach to the off-campus proposal.

"I would describe our position as cautiously optimistic," Risler said. "Past experience shows that somewhere, fairly soon, some serious action such as a fine or penalty by the landlord must occur or the problem continues. How this is going to be handled remains to be seen."

She pointed to the citation process as being the major flaw in the proposal. Houses that have several tenants could avoid collecting three citations by singling out someone in the group who has the fewest citations on their record to answer the door.

"Only a dummy would answer the door a second time when the police knock," Rilser said.

Godfrey said the pilot program will give the UW an opportunity to evaluate the mechanics of the proposal and determine what works best. Because citations are based on an individual basis, the off-campus proposal would not be similar to the standard that houses on Greek Row are held to. In those instances, citations are administered to the house, not the individual.

Godfrey wouldn't speculate on any scenario involving students circumventing the three-strike rule.

"When you've got a circumstance with a lot of variables, then your strategy and response to it should have a lot of variables," he said. "We're going to need to work this through."

The UW reportedly would create an office to run the pilot program. Records of misbehavior would be kept separate from academic records.

The proposal also gives the UW the authority to take disciplinary action against students convicted of violent crimes regardless of where the crime might occur.

Still in the early stages, the proposal must be approved by the Faculty Senate this spring before heading into the public rulemaking process next fall. Godfrey said that the proposal could be enacted late fall 2007 or early winter 2008 at the earliest.

Reach reporter Shaun Moore at news @thedaily.washington.edu.