Out of the Frying Pan

Probation has become a fire, not a frying pan. To many students, what used to be a warning of approaching action has become the reality of expulsion. Both the Naval and the Marine reserve programs legally require that students placed on probation shall be called to active duty. In theory, this applies to disciplinary as well as scholastic pro; so far, it has been invoked only in cases of unsatisfactory academic work. But the machinery is there, and its application is subject only to the discretion of Washington.

Undergraduates and University Hall alike, then, can no longer regard disciplinary probation as the badge of a collegiate gentleman or a red flag to be liberally waved. The Dean's office must find some substitute as a warning to delinquent reservists; an intermediate step between the proctor's reproach and expulsion must be found. And on the other hand undergraduates must understand that University rules cannot be relaxed because military standards are rigid. The fact that the consequences of probation are often severe is no reason for its application to be abandoned. Abuse can be avoided only if both Deans and students are aware of the dangers of irresponsible action.