Bella Ong ‘26 & Janina Manaloto ‘26
A significant change to the Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC), a program that has been in effect since the founding of St. Mark's in 1865, has occurred with the appointment of a new dean of students and dean of academics. Under the leadership of our new dean of students, the committee has been rebranded and will now take the name of the Student Accountability Committee (SAC). Instead of the process being similar to a trial, the committee members will have healthy and reflective conversations with the rule breaker to help them reflect on their mistakes and become a better member of our community. This approach is deemed more conducive to supporting students’ growth. Nevertheless, the SAC will assess the comprehensive situation of the student, and they will still suggest a punishment to the head of the school for consideration.
While many programs and rules have been altered over the past few years, the SDC, composed of elected students and faculty, remained the same. The SDC is responsible for addressing situations involving rule violations and recommending suitable punishments.
By the end of this first year, the school will assess the effectiveness of this new program. Hopefully, it will create an environment for students to be comfortable with difficult conversations while also reducing rule-breaking, as it is important to hold others accountable for their actions in a way that does not embarrass the student. In this process, it is a student-to-student conversation, as their experiences are more relatable to their peers. The goal of the SAC is not only to deepen relationships between students but also to allow SAC members to grow as leaders.
There have been numerous changes to St. Mark’s, the SAC being a significant one. The SAC hopes for students to view it as a learning experience rather than an intimidating one. In the past, SDC has been viewed in a negative light. Hopefully, the SAC will allow students to learn from their mistakes in a more lenient manner.