The University of North Florida hired its first full-time student conduct hearing officer Jan. 11. Gerri Spikes Thomas will be in charge of adjudication of student conduct cases, revision of the Student Conduct Code and coordination of the process by which applicants for admission to UNF are reviewed for criminal background or for disciplinary statutes at other educational institutions.

An increase in conduct cases necessitated the hiring of a full-time conduct officer. "UNF has experienced a 10-fold increase in student conduct cases over the last decade," said Everett J. Malcolm III, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students. "[It is] up from an annual average of 50 cases to more than 500." Malcolm said he believes the increase is due to the overall growth of UNF's student body, as well as an increase in student residents. Thomas comes from Warren College, University of California-San Diego, where she most recently served as an assistant dean of resident and a conduct hearing officer.

"We were very pleased to be able to attract Thomas to this newly dedicated position," said Mauricio Gonazalez, student affairs vice president. "Unfortunately, out of necessity for many years, responsibility for enforcement of the student conduct code has had to be incorporated into the duties of various student affairs officials." Thomas began her duties immediately after she was hired as an assistant director in the student affairs office.