Friday, August 24, 2001

No policy on phone disruptions in class
TCU instructors say common etiquette, disturbance rules apply
By Julie Ann Matonis
campus editor

The notes of the “Mexican Hat Dance” and” Fur Elise” are becoming more familiar as cell phones around campus ring with the tunes, often at inopportune times. Brian Wood, Student Government Association president, said there has been no legislation regarding cell phone use that has come to his attention. As of now, cell phones are an issue of personal freedom, Wood said.

But students at the University of California-Berkeley voted on a bill in February to end cell phone interruptions in classrooms. The Associated Students of the University of California passed the legislation which resulted in an advisory letter being sent to university administration.

Susan Adams, associate vice chancellor and dean of Campus Life, said student cell phone usage has not been a disciplinary issue at TCU.

“To my knowledge, there has been no student discipline in relation to cell phones,” Adams said.

Rick Barnes, director of special projects for the division of Student Affairs, said he has not had any conversations regarding cell phone use and university policy.

James Riddlesperger, chair of the political science department, and William Moncrief, senior associate dean of the M.J. Neeley School of Business, said there are no department policies in place for cell phone use in the classroom. Individual faculty are left to discuss the issue with students and determine their personal preferences.
“We’ve never had a problem with it, but I think it is utterly inappropriate to have cell phones or beepers in the classroom,” Riddlesperger said.

Kelly Williams, a junior theatre production major, said she doesn’t think a ban on cell phones is necessary because the public embarrassment of having it ring during class is enough.
“Mine went off in class and the professor said don’t answer it and don’t talk to them,” Williams said. “I hate that I have (a cell phone.)”

A Cellular One survey commissioned through Arizona State University found that 50.1 percent of college students owned cell phones, and of those who did not own one, 57.6 percent wanted one.

There are no statistics kept on TCU student cell phone use, but Barnes said if cell phone distractions became an issue, the student handbook has existing guidelines on disorderly conduct. The definition of disorderly conduct includes behaviors explicitly listed, such as loud music, but the guidebook is not limited to them.

Hugh Macdonald, assistant university librarian for public services, said the library staff is monitoring problems related to cell phones, but has not done anything yet to establish a policy regarding their use. A library survey last spring revealed a few student complaints about cell phones, Macdonald said.

“The problem is there, but it is not an excessive one,” Macdonald said. “I think the majority of people are polite enough to go into the lobby to use cell phones.”

Enforcing a policy on cell phone use in the library would be difficult, Macdonald said, partly because library staff would be uncomfortable approaching students.

Cell phone use may boil down to etiquette and using cell phones at an appropriate time. Readers of Dear Abby have even responded to the issue of cell phone etiquette. A column that appeared Aug. 14 in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram had readers writing about cell phone use in grocery store checkout lines.

Macdonald said cell phones can be very disruptive.

“What is annoying are the ringing tunes that play for a full 30 or 40 seconds,” Macdonald said.

Williams agrees that cell phone rings can be obnoxious.

“Don’t let it play the whole tune,” Williams said.

Julie Ann Matonis
j.a.matonis@student.tcu.edu