The student affairs committee of the Board of Regents voted to uphold the suspension of student Taylor Mifsud at a special session Thursday morning.

Mifsud was suspended by the University Disciplinary Committee on Sept. 22 after being found responsible for having a large amount of illegal drugs prepared for distribution throughout the campus, according to a letter sent to Jim Johnson, chair of the student affairs committee, by Howard Bailey, vice president for Student Affairs.

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Mifsud first appealed to President Gary Ransdell, who denied his appeal, before making a final appeal to the Board of Regents, according to the letter.

Ransdell said the Board of Regents student affairs committee is the final step in the appeals process and “brings complete resolution” to the disciplinary matter.

“Your decision is final,” he told the committee.

It’s not very often that a student appeals all the way to this final level – Ransdell said it’s only happened two other times in his 13 years here.

In his letter of appeal sent to the committee, Mifsud said he does not take the offense he committed lightly and is “truly sorry” for his behavior.

He further said, “the charges I have been suspended for at WKU have been removed in the court system” and “the punishment seems too harsh for the offense.”

The committee was in closed session for about 30 minutes before voting unanimously to uphold the suspension. Mifsud will be suspended until the summer of 2011.

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The student affairs committee can represent the full Board of Regents in disciplinary matters because it deals with the same situation during the same semester it happened, Bailey said.

The committee includes Johnson, Faculty Regent Patricia Minter, Staff Regent James Kennedy and Student Regent Colton Jessie.