GLASSBORO — On Tuesday, Rowan University’s Students for a Sensible Drug Policy will hold a protest to symbolize the consequences of the university’s current drug eviction policy.

From 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, members of the club and other students will gather on the Student Center patio and spend the night in cardboard boxes.

“It’s a box city protest and it’s symbolic of what’s been happening here over the last few years,” said SSDP President Philip Simmons, a Rowan junior. “Since the policy was established, when it comes to using illegal drugs, the university has a one-and-done policy. A student is arrested and brought back to his or her dorm, told to gather what he can and then is pretty much left on the street. The policy is making Rowan students homeless, and we’re concerned that these students using drugs need help in terms of their addiction problems. And, because they don’t have a place to live, they’re unable to focus on their studies.”

Rowan Spokesman Joe Cardona said students arrested in residence halls for a drug offense are not just left out on the street.

“What happens is, let’s say a student living in a residence hall is caught smoking pot,” said Cardona. “The R.A. smells it, calls police and the kids are caught and arrested. After they’re processed that night on campus, they’re told the have to make alternate arrangements until they have a hearing. It’s an interim suspension from housing.”

Cardona said students are asked where they are going to go. Some students decide to stay with a friend off campus. Others have to call home.

“We don’t leave them on the corner of (Route) 322 and say ‘go fend for yourselves,’” said Cardona. “The main problem is students don’t want to call their parents. So now they go live with a friend off campus, but how long can that last?”

Cardona said if there’s a situation where a student feels that he was wrongly arrested, he has the chance to appeal immediately the next morning.

“He can sit down with the judicial staff and go over the scenario,” said Cardona. “If it’s legitimate, that student will be allowed to stay in his place, but there still may be a hearing involving that student.”

Cardona said it often comes down to if a student is willing to call his or her parents, or not.

“Kids will go to a great extent to try to hide it from their parents, even booking hotel rooms,” said Cardona. “As a university, our concern is if they have somewhere to stay, either off campus or home.”

Simmons said it must be assumed that a student who was just arrested for the first time would be pretty traumatized and would be resistant to calling his parents.

“Yes, we are all adults and we make our own decisions, but with this serious situation, it’s sort of irresponsible for the university not to take more action to see that the student has a safe place to live and a way to seek treatment,” said Simmons. “Education is the primary goal of a university and they should make sure students are attending class and healthy.”

According to the crime log on Rowan’s public safety website, there have been two on-campus drug situations that resulted in arrest so far this semester, and last semester there were seven or eight arrests that seemed to affect on-campus students directly.

“Our main concern right now is the initial eviction,” said Simmons. “Yes, at first it is a temporary situation, but that is probably the most vulnerable time for that student as he or she tries to get back on track. We don’t agree that it should be a zero-tolerance, one-and-out policy.”

Cardona said, following the hearing, a student could be permanently suspended depending on the severity of the offense.

“When it comes to drugs and alcohol in residence halls, the university has to make the determination if there’s a greater danger to other people. Sanctions at the end of the day depend on the crime level that occurred. It may be different having drug paraphernalia versus selling it to friends.”

Cardona said the university has reviewed and adjusted its drug policies to strengthen them over the years.

“Students have access to the handbook and they know very well that these things are illegal,” said Cardona. “They also know what the implications are. The issue is that maybe if you’re caught at home you get fined, but here there is a direct consequence and students don’t always think of that.”

Cardona said without strict drug and alcohol policies, universities set themselves up for a lot of legal and liability issues.

“We will take their ideas into consideration, but unless there is something egregiously wrong with our policies, we don not change them on the fly,” he said.

Simmons said Rowan’s chapter of the SSDP is most concerned about the health and treatment aspect of the process, and members are pressing for the university to figure out the proper way to get troubled students the help they need.

“In particular with the freshmen on campus, we think that’s where it hits the hardest,” said Simmons. “They come to school, engage in this, get caught and then don’t know any upperclassmen they can stay with off campus. Our concern is that we have these new young students who are going to be out on the street, which is not safe. It’s a serious issue that needs to be addressed.”