After initially being suspended for comments posted on a personal Weblog, second-year dental student Theodore Schrubbe's punishment has been overturned and replaced with a new reduced punishment, according to Schrubbe's attorney Scott Taylor.
William Lobb, dean of the School of Dentistry, made the final decision after Schrubbe and Taylor filed an appeal to the original punishment on Dec. 14. After reviewing the appeal, Lobb revealed his decision to Schrubbe in a mailed letter Schrubbe received at his home on Jan. 4.
Schrubbe is no longer suspended and now faces three semesters of academic probation, according to Taylor. He must also complete 100 hours of community service and give a brief public apology to his class.
"I don't think in these types of situations anyone's completely satisfied, but we respect the decision of the dean," Taylor said.
Taylor added that Schrubbe was "very relieved and excited to continue his studies."
Brigid O'Brien Miller, director of university communication, said the university cannot give out information directly related to the case because of federal privacy laws, but she gave the Tribune a university statement via e-mail.
The statement said, "The university has an obligation to investigate complaints regarding violation of these codes" — the School of Dentistry Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and the Marquette University Student Handbook.
Erik Ugland, an assistant professor of broadcast and electronic communication who teaches a media law course, said he did not feel the Dental School's actions were necessary.
"In my reading of the code, this does not constitute a violation," he said. "But even if the university is correct in concluding that it was a violation, the more important question is whether punishment of this kind is necessarily the best response."
Ugland encouraged more open discussion between the dean and student himself.
"I don't think imposing these types of punishments will ultimately solve anything," he said. "They're only going to breed further resentment and set a hazardous precedent about student criticism of faculty and administration."
Associate Professor of Political Science John McAdams also expressed disapproval of the Dental School's handling of the situation. McAdams has posted several entries on the topic on his Weblog, or blog, mu-warrior.blogspot.com.
McAdams said the revised punishment was "vastly better" and "no career killer," but still excessive.
"The most draconian elements of the punishment have been taken off the table," he said.
McAdams said he didn't think Marquette's standards for blogs are as strict as the Dental School's, and that the school's "reign of terror" would not apply to student blogs such as www.gop3.com, which is run by three students not affiliated with the Dental School.
Although the case dealt only with the Dental School, Marquette Student Government passed a resolution in December entitled "On Behalf of Student Expression" for undergraduate students. Legislative Vice President Declan Glynn, President Pro Tempore Brock Banks and former Senator Ryan Beaudoin co-authored the resolution.
"Regarding the university and freedom of expression, I recognize that it has the right to censor student expression," Banks said. "However, there are times when the university makes decisions that curb expression where it is neither in the interest of educational development nor Marquette's image."