Egg throwing, couch burning and bottle smashing continue to be problematic at Otago despite progress, according to the 2016 Vice-Chancellors Report on Discipline. Last year a total of 483 students were sent to the proctor’s office, with 21 being referred on to the vice-chancellor. The number of referrals was a sharp increase from previous years, though this was largely due to a concerted effort to respond aggressively to bottle smashing. In 2016, several bottle smashers received sentences of 40-50 hours community service.
Overall, the number of couch fires and bottle smashers saw a continued and sharp decline on previous years, while the total number of incidents the Proctor dealt with remained steady. A total of 70 couch fires were reported in 2016, continuing a five year downward trend from a high of 258 in 2011. The effort to crack down on bottle smashing has also seen success, with just 41 cases compared to 93 in 2011.
Among the more serious offenders were a second year student who was excluded for one semester for being involved in a fire starting incident, then hiding from Campus Watch and later refusing to identify his accomplices. Another student was excluded for a semester for attempting to stop firefighters from extinguishing a couch fire. The longest exclusion was for a first year student who was arrested by the police for making an intimate visual recording of another student. The student received an exclusion for the full 2017 academic year.
The annual report noted the success of the Hyde Street Keg Party, recognising it as a “well organised and supervised event that drew little adverse media attention”. The number of police at the event were cut in half with “no discernible effect”.
Overall, the Proctor’s office saw a total of 483 offenders, the most common reason being for drunk and disorderly behaviour. A disappointing 37 people were involved with thefts on campus or from other students, but overall alcohol and drug offences made up a small number. Eleven students were referred for possession of cannabis, and just four for breach of a liquor regulation. Not a single student was brought to the proctor’s attention for breaching an Under 18 liqour ban or using a fake ID.