The Ohio University Student Senate is trying to assure the university's parental notification pilot policy is grounded for next year.

Tom Ramage, student senate president, said he hopes to be on the committee that will review the pilot policy during Spring Quarter.

"In my eyes, it's a deliberate rebuke of the Bill of Rights," he said. "Eighteen-year-olds don't need to be told what to do by anyone."

Although most senators said they adamantly oppose OU's pilot policy, student input will dictate the senate's course of action. Senators will survey students to determine their opinions, Ramage said.

"If students feel this is an issue oppressing them, they need to contact us," he said.

But Ramage also said he would not support student protest simply to antagonize the university.

"I don't want to make a mountain out of a mole hill," he said. "If they just want to rebel against the university and find another reason for a riot, I will not support the effort."

While it is not official, Mike Sostarich, interim vice president of student affairs, said he also expects Ramage to be a student representative on the committee.

Under OU's new parental notification policy, parents of first-year students are informed by letter after their son or daughter's first Code A offense or second Code B offense. Code A offenses include intoxication and drug trafficking, and Code B offenses include open container and underage consumption violations.

Ramage said he does not fault OU for implementing the policy. Rather, he faults the U.S. Congress for passing the notification bill in October 1998.

"I understand the university had to do something," he said.

Richard Carpinelli, director of university judiciaries, said OU implemented the notification policy after talking with the Review and Standards Committee, student senate members, parents and other students.

As a result of student input, OU decided on a less stringent policy. Some schools decided to notify parents of all offenses of students under 21 years old, he said.

Next year, the policy could be altered to affect all students.

"It's possible we would apply the notification policy to all students under the age of 21 because that's what the law allows," he said.

In addition to deterring first year students from committing Code A and Code B offenses, Sostarich said the policy is meant to encourage communication between students and parents.

"We really need to create conversation between parents and their son or daughter and keep communication lines open," he said.

However, OU decided to implement the policy despite a recent decrease in the number of first-year students committing second offenses. Last year the number of cases involving first-year students committing second offenses declined from previous years, Sostarich said.

Sostarich said a number of factors would determine how the one-year pilot policy would change next year. Parent and student satisfaction as well as the number of first and second offenses committed by first-year students this year as compared to previous years will figure into the decision.