A quarter of Andover students have received some type of disciplinary consequence, according to the 2025 State of the Academy (SOTA). Described as “Pathways,” school responses to student violations of community standards include three main categories: Dean’s Responses, Growth and Accountability Plans (GAPs), and Community Standards Conferences. As stated in a Phillipian article from 2024, through past overhauls of the “Levels” disciplinary system, Andover aims to focus on restorative justice instead of punishment. Yet, the success of this system relies on effort from both sides.
Though a broad range of situations can give rise to disciplinary responses like GAPs — from illegal room visitation to substance use — those three letters often invite hushed gossip and speculation. A student who received a GAP the night before can become a hot topic by breakfast. Facing what feels like constant scrutiny from peers and faculty, students may understandably feel isolated or embarrassed about receiving a disciplinary response. But this shame detracts from the very purpose of Andover’s Pathways system: encouraging us to take responsibility for our actions. Shame does not equate remorse, nor does it guarantee self-reflection. All shame does is motivate students to hide their mistakes.
GAPs are meant to uplift students by being restorative rather than punitive, supporting students through a series of meetings to identify their mistakes and move toward self-improvement. However, by not explaining what the GAP process is to new students, Andover may inadvertently prompt students to not be fully transparent with faculty members. Arriving on campus and living away from parents and childhood communities for the first time, students are prone to making mistakes. When SOTA asked the student body whether they have committed a major violation — “selling or providing drugs/alcohol/nicotine, bullying, hazing, major destruction of property, and sexual misconduct” — 13.3 percent of students answered “yes.” SOTA also revealed that 22.4 percent of students have consumed alcohol on and off campus. Furthermore, 42.7% percent of students have used AI at least several times a week without explicit permission from a teacher. Despite all these GAP-worthy violations, only 8.3 percent of the student body has had a GAP. These statistics not only show a major disparity between the number of GAPs and the student body’s disciplinary violations, but reveal students’ lack of vulnerability with campus adults. In other words, students are afraid to come out and tell the truth.
While students do not want to get in trouble, this disparity may partially be due to a lack of communication by Andover to explain the disciplinary system, as only 6.1 percent of students say that they completely understand the Pathway’s disciplinary system. There is still room for more clarity with the student body regarding how the process is meant to help you, not harm you. As word-of-mouth and rumors dominate students’ understanding of the GAP process and its purpose, students may be inclined to lie. Furthermore, students may feel overwhelmed by the process because they do not know what will happen to them. Thoughts such as, “What will happen to me if I get a GAP? Will I be expelled?” or “Will I harm my friends if I share my concerns with adults?” dominate students’ minds. There is no doubt that students who break the law or Andover’s policies understand that their actions are against the rules. However, the ambiguous and unregulated perception of what GAPs are hinders any inclination to be honest. If the administration explains the rehabilitative purpose of GAPs, students can more easily discern a way to reconcile with their actions.
We ought to also recognize that the Pathways system is designed to give students second chances. We should not take away from this second chance by having external voices interfere with our own growth and self-reflection. By not permanently holding us to one or two mistakes, the school gives us grace. Pathways lead to reform, not lasting punishment. We need to embrace its emphasis on self-reflection and rehabilitation. Simultaneously, the administration needs to make that emphasis clearer. And that can make all the difference.
