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Alcohol and Other Drugs Assessment

In instances where students have been found responsible for violations of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy, outcomes may include the assessment of points and/or disciplinary sanctions (Disciplinary sanctions are outlined in the System of University Standards and Student Conduct elsewhere in this handbook.).

Assessment of Points

The assessment of points will follow either an administrative hearing, or in some cases a University Student Conduct Board hearing, from which a student has been found responsible for alleged violations of the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs. Refer to the System of University Standards and Student Conduct for information regarding the disciplinary process and hearings.

Points may be assessed for violations that occur both on and off campus.

Students should be aware of the University’s practice in reporting disciplinary records when such information is requested. Most typically, this takes place during the application process for an off-campus study-abroad experience and postgraduate programs in law and medicine. Sanctions of disciplinary probation and above are noted by the students’ administrative dean to the requesting institution in addition to a student’s points history if they have six or more points at the time of disclosure. In addition, students should be aware that the University cannot control the types of questions posed to it in such situations. As a result, the University must necessarily reserve the right to disclose point totals fewer than six and/or the underlying violations if such disclosure is necessary to make the response truthful.

Multiple violations in one incident:

When situations occur in which a student is cited for multiple violations in one incident, the student will be assessed the point value of the most serious violation, except in cases where corollary points are relevant; the corollary points would be in addition to the assessed points. For example, a student who has had an additional alcohol policy violation in the period equivalent to a semester (120 days) would receive one point in addition to the points associated with the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs violation in question.

The points system includes the following components

Schedule of Points, Violations, Educational Referrals, Notifications, & Restrictions

Corollary Points

In order to help students further make informed decisions, additional points — corollary points — may be assessed along with disciplinary sanctions if a student has engaged in behaviors above and beyond violations of the Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs. In such instances, the points noted with an asterisk below may be assessed in addition to the points outlined in the grid above. Further, disciplinary sanctions (see System of University Standards and Student Conduct in the Student Handbook) may also be applied.

Sanctions of suspension or expulsion may be relevant in some cases, and thus, the guidelines below are simply to be used as general guidelines related to disciplinary sanctions; sanctions of suspension and expulsion can only be applied by the University Student Conduct Board.

Administrative Hearing Officers or the University Student Conduct Board may also assign other sanctions, depending on the specific circumstances of the situation. Such sanctions are outlined in the System of University Standards and Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Failure to Comply Points

Points Assessed Upon Return From Leave of Absence and a Suspension for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Other Drugs

In cases of violations other than those described above, the applicable hearing body will have discretion to assess a number of points deemed appropriate by that body and its representative(s), in addition to any other disciplinary sanctions that may apply.

Point Forgiveness

For each period of 120 days (semester equivalency) during which the University is in session that a student is not involved in any of the following violations of University policy: Policy on Alcohol and Drugs, Policy on Smoking or Residential Life Housing and Fire Safety Policies — one point will be removed from their points history.

To qualify for the removal of one point from their history, as described above, students must meet the scheduling expectations for educational programming and counseling sessions at the time of the initial violation (see this handbook’s Educational Programming and Counseling section for more details).

No more than three points can be forgiven for a student in a 240-day period (two semesters); no more than two points can be forgiven for a student in 120-day period (one semester).

Points will not be forgiven for previous violations if a student is being investigated for (or has been charged with) a new violation, until the new violation has been fully addressed under the System of University Standards and Student Conduct.

If a student accumulates nine points and is able to reduce their point total to six through the point forgiveness process (includes 240 days without any of the above-noted policy violations), they can petition the Disciplinary Officer for authorization to participate in a specially designed point forgiveness program to reduce their points to five and therefore be eligible to participate in an off-campus study and/or study-abroad program and to not have their points history disclosed at the point of a disclosure request (except as otherwise described above).

Associated Consequences

The assessment of points will follow either an administrative hearing or, in some cases, a University Student Conduct Board hearing, in which a student has been found responsible for alleged violations of the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs. Please refer to Overview of the Disciplinary Process and University Hearing Bodies: Their Functions and Procedures for more information. The accumulation of points will ordinarily have the following consequences:

All points*

• Athletic Administration notification
• *Parental/legal guardian notification of first and second year students

4 Points

• *Parental/legal guardian notification in situations where the points are accumulated over two or more violations (via written letter)

5 Points*

• *Parental/legal guardian notification in situations where it is a first-time violation
• Prohibition from participating in the off-campus housing lottery

6 or More Points*

• *Parental/legal guardian notification
• Substance use evaluation
• Review of eligibility for participation in an off-campus study program and/or study-abroad program
• Disclosure of points violations when disciplinary record is requested

10 Points*

• Leave of Absence for Alcohol and Other Drug Use

* Notifications take place as and to the extent permitted under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol or Other Drugs

Any student arrested for driving while intoxicated, or a student about whom the University has received information indicating that they may have operated a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, will be charged with a violation of this policy and have their case adjudicated through the University Student Conduct Board. A finding of responsibility by the board will result in, at minimum, a sanction of immediate suspension, ordinarily for the remainder of the term. This policy does not preclude disciplinary proceedings under the System of University Standards and Student Conduct for conduct violations involving alcohol and/or other drugs in connection with vehicle use that does not meet the definition of driving while intoxicated under New York law.

Leave of Absence for Alcohol and Other Drug Use

A key component of ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s mission is to provide a safe environment where students are able to pursue their academic and personal goals. The University may place a student on a Leave of Absence for Alcohol and Drug Use if the student’s behavior suggests that they repeatedly make unhealthy decisions about alcohol and/or other drug use, or engage in other practices associated with alcohol or other drugs that threaten the life, health, or safety of themselves or others. The University may impose leave of absence for significant or repeated violations of the terms of the University’s Policy on Alcohol and Drugs, as well as when a student accumulates 10 or more points under the Points System.

If a leave is imposed, the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ case management team will determine the terms of the leave and requirements for readmission. The terms will normally include a requirement that the student be evaluated for drug or alcohol abuse issues and participate in a treatment program, if recommended for them. A student returning from a leave of absence for violation of the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs will have five points on their record upon return. While a leave of absence for violations of the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs is not a disciplinary sanction, disclosure of the leave of absence may be provided in instances where disciplinary information is requested (for example, law and medical school dean certifications).

In order to encourage students to proactively seek substance abuse treatment, ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ will allow a student who applies for and accepts a voluntary Medical Leave of Absence in order to obtain treatment for their substance use prior to accumulating 10 points to return to campus with a maximum of five points on their record.

A student who accumulates 10 or more points for a second time during their ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ career will be referred to the University Student Conduct Board for consideration of suspension, at minimum, along with any points assessed through the Points System process.

Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan Exemptions

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan Exemptions are integrated components of the Points System under the System of University Standards and Student Conduct. As such, the University seeks to advance through the system two fundamental responsibilities of students — respect and appreciation for the safety of self and others and respect and appreciation for the law and University policy. The University acknowledges that there may be times when students are unable to successfully meet the two aforementioned responsibilities and, as such, seeks to help students learn from experiences in which they were unable to uphold their responsibility and to move students toward broader understanding, appreciation, and ownership of personal accountability.

The Medical Amnesty exemption is not viewed as an avenue through which a student may escape responsibility, but rather, the means by which they will be challenged and supported to discern their responsibilities and to be accountable as members of the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ community. In instances when the Medical Amnesty exemption is applied, the outcome will not result in the assessment of points should the incident be limited to a violation of the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs. Medical Amnesty will be employed only in situations where the impact is limited to the effects of personal consumption. That is, it would not be available to a student who provided alcohol to another student where both required emergency care.

In order for the Medical Amnesty process to be effective, students are expected to understand the risks of alcohol or other drug overdose and to be aware of signs that suggest an emergency response may be necessary. The goal of this program is to increase student awareness of the risks of alcohol or other drug overdose and to reduce the instances of such overdoses. Thus, for situations in which the Medical Amnesty exemption applies, students will be expected to review their case with several University officials, including the Coordinator of Alcohol and Drug Education, Director of Student Health Services, and the University’s Disciplinary Officer

Core Components of the Medical Amnesty Exemption

The Medical Amnesty exemption can only be employed when violations are limited to the Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

• There are no limitations on the number of Medical Amnesty exemptions a student may have.
• Students who are eligible for the Medical Amnesty exemption must complete a detailed program of education with the Coordinator of Alcohol and Drug Education and comply with any further recommendations.
• In addition, the student must also meet with the Director of Student Health Services — in advance of any educational program work — to review the emergency medical report. These meetings should take place no later than 2 days following an incident; failure on a student’s part to initiate these meetings may jeopardize their eligibility for Medical Amnesty.
• Students who fail to comply with the assigned educational requirements under Medical Amnesty will be subject to the assessment of points and/or disciplinary sanctions as appropriate.
• Students who are discovered alone by a University official, including a community leader, campus safety officer, or a local law enforcement official and who require emergency medical care as a result of their alcohol or other drug use are not eligible for the Medical Amnesty exemption.
• In situations where emergency care is required — and for which the Medical Amnesty exemption is not available — the full assessment of points available will be in effect.
• Students who may be eligible for the Medical Amnesty exemption are not immune to any legal or other law enforcement actions that may result from a given situation

Core Components of the Good Samaritan Exemption

Students or organizations who call for assistance on behalf of an individual(s) in need of medical attention due to consumption of alcohol and/or drugs, and who themselves may be in violation of the University’s Policy on Alcohol and Drugs, are eligible for the Good Samaritan exemption. 

• In cases where the Good Samaritan exemption applies, the student(s) calling for assistance will not be assessed points, and the organization calling for assistance will not be sanctioned, for violation of the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs. 
• There are no limitations on the number of Good Samaritan exemptions a student or organization may have.
• If a student in need of medical attention is in a student residence, the students who occupy the room, and/or others present are expected to make a call for assistance. Similarly, for situations occurring in residential common spaces (suites, apartments, townhouses, Broad Street houses), and for locations controlled or used by an organization for organizational activities, it is expected that the community or organization will make a call for assistance. Should it be determined that a student or organization knowingly failed to call for assistance, the student or organization may be subject to disciplinary action under the System of University Standards and Student Conduct. 
• In cases where there have been other violations of campus policy (e.g., hazing, harassment, assault, vandalism), calling for assistance for an individual in need of medical attention may be considered a mitigating factor in any disciplinary process arising out of such violations (and failure to seek assistance may be considered an aggravating factor in any such disciplinary process). 
• Students or organizations who are eligible for the Good Samaritan exemption are not immune to any legal or other law enforcement actions that may result from a given situation

Sources of Information and Help

Students with questions about alcohol or other drugs may contact the following agencies or groups for confidential information or assistance:

• ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Counseling and Psychological Services (Conant House): Call 315-228-7385 during regular hours; at other times, call 315-228-1000 and ask the operator for the staff member on duty. 
• Shaw Wellness Institute: Call 315-228-6403. A trained alcohol/substance abuse counselor is a member of the staff.
• Members of the Office of the Dean of the College’s Staff: Call 315-228-7426 for the name of your administrative dean. The administrative dean can assist you with an appropriate referral.
• ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Student Health Services: 315-228-7750 during regular hours; at other times, call 315-228-1000 and ask the operator for the staff member on duty.
• Alcoholics Anonymous: Several weekly meetings are held on campus and in the Hamilton area. Contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 315-228-7385 for days, times, and locations, or visit the.
• Al-Anon: For family members or friends of alcoholics, call Counseling and Psychological Services for information about local meetings, or visit the.
• Adult Children of Alcoholics: Call Counseling and Psychological Services for information about meetings on campus.
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment: Call Madison County Mental Health Department, Oneida, N.Y., 1-800-721-2327.
• BRIDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse: 3059 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota, NY; 315-697-3947.