TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY-SAN MARCOS DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES ACT BIENNIAL REPORT, 2008 COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST

Transcription

1 TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY-SAN MARCOS DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES ACT BIENNIAL REPORT, 2008 COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST Completed by: Judith M. Row Director Alcohol and Drug Resource Center 1. Does the institution maintain a description of its alcohol and drug prevention program? A description of our alcohol and drug prevention program is maintained in the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center and is shared with faculty, staff and students through numerous venues. All information is also available on the University webpages. 2. Does the institution provide annually to each employee and each student written materials that adequately describe and contain standards of conduct, health risks, description of applicable legal sanctions and a clear statement of university sanctions? Yes 3. How are above materials distributed to students? a. Until the fall of 2006, through class schedules that were given to each student. Beginning in the fall of 2006, because of economic reasons, the full packet of Drug Free Schools and Communities information was ed to all students in October. Beginning next year the document will also be ed to new students, staff and faculty in the Spring semester and in each summer school session. The full document is accessible at any time through the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center website and the University s Human Resources website. The document also has a link off the Dean of Students webpage, the Counseling Center webpage and the University Police Department webpage. A hard copy of the document is attached to this report. 4. Does the means of distribution provide adequate assurance that each student receives the materials annually? Yes. The information is also disseminated in different forms through numerous publications, presentations and websites on campus throughout the year. 5. Does the institution s distribution plan make provision for providing these materials to students who enroll at some date after the initial distribution? The mid-october distribution date is after any late registration days for the fall semester and we will begin sending the information out to newly enrolled students at the beginning of each semester.

2 6. How are above materials distributed to faculty and staff? a. Until the fall of 2006, through class schedules that were given to each faculty member and available to each staff member. Human Resources also provided a link on their website to this information and included a reference to it at least once per semester in their newsletter to all faculty and staff. Beginning in the fall of 2006, because of economic reasons, the full packet of Drug Free Schools and Communities information was ed to all faculty and staff. The full document is accessible at any time through the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center website and the University s Human Resources website. The document also has a link off the Dean of Students webpage, the Counseling Center webpage and the University Police Department webpage. This coming fall, 2008, all information will be sent out by the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center. A hard copy of the document is attached to this report. 7. Does the means of distribution provide adequate assurance that each faculty receives the materials annually? Yes. The information is also disseminated in different forms through numerous publications, presentations and websites on campus throughout the year. 8. Does the institution s distribution plan make provision for providing these materials to faculty and staff who are hired after the initial distribution. Prior to last fall this information was available to faculty and staff each semester. In the transition in 2006, there was only one full scale distribution but this coming year the document will be sent each semester to new faculty and staff. 9. How and by whom does the institution conduct biennial reviews of its drug prevention program to determine effectiveness, implement necessary changes, and ensure that disciplinary sanctions are enforced. For this biennium, departments in Students Affairs have submitted their information related to their specific alcohol and drug prevention efforts the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center for collection and reporting. Discussions are held between departments, i.e. the Student Justice office and Residence Life or the Student Justice office and the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center, on the effectiveness of the program, concerns that may or may not impact a change in process, and these checks help ensure that disciplinary sanctions are enforced. The Student Affairs Council also discusses these issues. The Student Affairs Wellness Team representing the following departments: Alcohol and Drug Resource Center, Campus Recreation, Counseling Center, Dean of Students and the Student Health Center continues to monitor health concerns on campus. Originally, the team was charged with reviewing pertinent health data and identifying needs that are not being addressed by current programming.

3 Counseling and education related to disciplinary sanctions are evaluated by attendees and knowledge is measured by pre and post-test scores. This information is available through the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center for Student Justice and Residence Life. 10. If requested, has the institution made available a copy of each required item in the drug prevention program and the results of the biennial review? All information would be made available if requested. 11. Where is the biennial review documentation located? University Attorney s Office, J.C. Kellam 1040, Texas State University Reports through 2002 Alcohol and Drug Resource Center, LBJ Student Center 5-4.1, Texas State University Reports from 2002 on. Texas State University-San Marcos has had, since 1988, a drug and alcohol program to help prevent the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees. The University employs the following methods to reduce alcohol and drug problems on campus: Student Policies A. Information B. Educational and Awareness Programming C. Counseling and Referral D. Assessment E. Policy F. Enforcement G. Disciplinary Sanctions DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICIES a. Drugs University policy requires that a student found guilty of illegal possession, use sale or distribution of any drug, narcotic or controlled substance, whether the infraction occurred on or off campus, be suspended for not less than the remainder of the semester in which the infraction occurred plus the following long semester. If the semester in which the infraction occurred has ended by the times a student is found guilty, the University will suspend the student for not less than the following two long semesters. The President of the University may probate the suspension for a first-time minor offense and require counseling or rehabilitation along with other penalties. A second

4 finding of guilt for a drug related offense results in permanent expulsion from the University and from all other institutions in the Texas State University System. b. Alcohol The University permits students who are 21 years of age to have alcoholic beverages in their residence hall rooms or apartments, but not in common areas of residence halls or apartments. Students who are permitted to have alcohol under this policy may not share or provide alcohol to students who are under 21. Alcohol possession or consumption will not be authorized in any residence hall that the University designates as a freshman residence hall or as an alcohol-free residence hall. Employee Policy University policy, UPPS No , Drug Free Workplace, prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance in University workplaces. University employees who violate this prohibition are subject to disciplinary action, including termination. In addition to disciplinary sanction imposed by the University for the violation of alcohol and drug laws, students and employees may face prosecution under state and/or federal laws. METHODS OF DISSEMINATION Publications The University disseminates information to faculty, staff and students describing its policies on illegal and unauthorized use of intoxicating beverages and the illegal use of controlled substances through the following publications: a. Drug Free Schools and Communities brochure, available on the Human Resources webpage and Alcohol and Drug Resource Center webpage, distributed via to all students, faculty and staff b. Board of Regents Rules and Regulations c. Student Handbook d. Student Athlete Handbook e. Residence Life Handbook f. Sports Club Handbook g. Faculty Handbook h. Staff Handbook i. Student Organizations Handbook j. Greek Assessment and Management k. Risk Reduction Manual for Student Organizations l. Dean of Students Webpage and Pocket Code of Student Conduct m. University Police Department Webpage and Campus Watch publication n. Student Affairs Policy, Substance Abuse Policy, SA/PPS 02.01* o. Student Affairs Policy, Student Organization Discipline, SA/PPS 05.04* p. Student Affairs Policy, Off-Campus Violations of Student Code of Conduct, SA/PPS 05.05*

5 q. Student Affairs Policy, Greek Affairs Policies and Procedures, SA/PPS r. Student Affairs Policy, Management of Late Night Events, SA/PPS 06 s. University Policy, Purchase of Food, Refreshments, Alcohol or Achievement Award, UPPS No ** t. University Policy, Drug Free Workplace, UPPS No ** u. University Policy, Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, UPPS ** v. University Policy, Smoking Policy, UPPS No ** w. University Policy, Alcoholic Beverage Sale, Service or Consumption, UPPS ** x. University Policy, Guidelines for Alcohol/Tobacco Sponsorship, UPPS No ** y. Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act Annual Reports on line at the University Police Department website *Student Affairs policy documents can be found on the Student Affairs website. **University Policy documents are scheduled to be reviewed biennially and can be found on the University s website. Educational and Awareness Programming The University also disseminates this information to employees and students through awareness and educational programming and presentations the departments directly involved in these efforts are: Achieving Community Together The City of San Marcos and Texas State University have partnered together to help students be good citizens and successful students. ACT strives to promote positive relations between student and non-student residents through education, community connectedness and resources. Alcohol and Drug Resource Center Educational programming is done by ADRC staff and students from two peer education groups, The Network and Men Against Violence. The peer education groups do presentations in classes, student organizations, residence halls and in area public schools. In 2007, these students did 116 presentations to an audience of 6,454 students and in 2008 they did 11 presentations to 6,063 students. These groups also do awareness programming events each year, reaching between approximately another 2,000 4,000 students each year. Volunteers from these organizations also do Alcohol 101 presentations during the mandatory PAWS Preview orientation program with all new freshmen (3,000+) and staff addresses the parents during this same program and during the parent s sessions of New Student Orientation in the summer. The University s Alcohol Guidelines for Sanctions and State of Texas underage drinking laws are distributed by ADRC to all on campus students and to all new students and parents at New Student Orientations. The state certified MIP/Alcohol Awareness class was taught through ADRC at twice a month, August May, and once a month in June and July, serving approximately 900 students. This class is required for students violating University alcohol policy and can also be taken by students who have received a misdemeanor, alcohol-related ticket anywhere in the state of Texas. Students with legal or disciplinary community service hours can

6 also work through this office to complete this requirement. In 2007, 410 students did 5,038 hours of community service with the University and, in students did 6,400 hours of community service. ADRC also has a mini-grant program available to student organizations ($200/grant) that are willing to include an alcohol and/or drug educational component to their program. Thirty-five student organization-sponsored events received support for social and educational programming during this reporting period. Passive education takes place through an ad and flyer social marketing campaign and t-shirts given to the leaders of PAWS Preview. The mystudentbody on-line alcohol program is required of all new freshmen students and is monitored by ADRC staff in the fall and the spring semesters. An birthday card goes out to students turning 21, advocating responsible drinking behaviors. Staff also works with faculty on curriculum infusion projects and undergraduate and graduate intern projects. SWAT, the University s safe ride home program, gave approximately 1,600 safe rides home to Texas State students. Counseling, referral and assessment services are offered to students through this office. Assessment and referral services are offered to all faculty and staff. Annual reports for this biennium are included with this report. Athletics In addition to sending all new male and female athletes through the PAWS Preview program, including Alcohol 101, Athletes has developed Tailgate Rules and Regulations that are distributed to all student organizations and all season ticket holders. Alcohol and drug programming has been done for athletes by the University Police Department and through their Lifeskills program. Counseling Center Staff in the Counseling Center see approximately 70 to 80 students each year who are presenting with alcohol and/or drug issues in their top three problems. Staff in the Counseling Center are also active in cooperative programming with The Alcohol and Drug Resource Center. Dean of Students Office Each fall the Dean of Students sends a letter to the parents of new Texas State freshmen (an example is included). This letter includes notification of student organizations not currently recognized by the University, a statement about Texas State s approach to alcohol issues and a copy of the Texas State alcohol sanctions. The Student Justice officer handles all sanctioning for second-time alcohol charges and all drug related charges or policy violations and works closely with Residence Life and with the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center. Paws Preview All entering freshmen and freshmen-transfers are required to attend this 2-day program held just before classes begin in the fall and in the spring semesters. One of the required sessions is Alcohol 101, delivered by students from The Network and Men Against Violence. BAC, binge drinking dangers including alcohol poisoning, acquaintance rape, DWI, and University policy and sanctions are covered in these presentations. A session for parents is included in the fall program and this session includes

7 information on alcohol and drug use and abuse on campus and the policies and sanctions that are in place to deal with these issues. Residence Life Alcohol and drug information, policies and procedures are taught in each section of the required Residence Hall class (3-hr credit class) Alcohol and drug education is a part of the mandatory annual training for for all Resident Assistants and professional staff Every hall is required to have at least one alcohol and/or drug education presentation every semester. For example, in FY 06, there were 60 active and passive programs in the halls. Residence Life groups held an average of 8 educational events and 15 information displays each year. Residence Life added a position to keep track of judicial case appeals and Completions. Violations and the numbers for each are included with this report. Student Organizations and Greek Affairs Risk management guidelines are part of the student organization handbook and training. The Greek community now has an alcohol-free housing initiative in effect. This document is included as is a copy of the Chapter Accreditation Program. A Risk Management Manual has been developed for student organizations and multiple Risk Management meetings and roundtables are conducted throughout the year. Training for all student groups was conducted at the Texas Leadership Exchange. University Police Department The University Police Department has a Crime Prevention Unit that regularly gives alcohol and drug related presentations in the residence halls and in University Seminar classes. The Crime Prevention Unit also supports and/or cosponsors awareness programs with other offices and groups on campus and does a major drunk driving program just prior to Spring Break. Their Campus Watch publication and crime statistics are distributed throughout campus and are always available on their website. Specifics on crime statistics are included. INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING AND GROUP SERVICES Referral and Assessment Included In San Marcos, agencies or groups that provide individual counseling and group services or assist with referrals for employees and students who have problems related to the use and/or abuse of alcohol and other drugs include the following: Texas State Alcohol and Drug Resource Center Texas State Counseling Center Texas State Student Health Center Texas State Employee Helpline Hays Caldwell Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse River Group, A.A. San Marcos Group, A.A.

8 Never Alone, N.A. Al-Anon Cedar Creek Associates Counseling Network Samaritan Center On campus, the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center is the primary source of counseling, assessment and referral for students. The Texas State Employee Helpline for alcohol and drugrelated problems is handled through this same Center. The Counseling Center and the Student Health Center refer students to the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center when the primary presenting problem is alcohol or other drug use and/or abuse. However, the Texas State Counseling Center staff does see students with alcohol and other drug problems when they are not the primary reason the student is seeking counseling. DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS The Director of Student Justice and Residence Life staff deal with student violations of Texas State s alcohol and drug policies. All drug possession, consumption, sale, and distribution cases are handled by the Director of Student Justice. Drug paraphernalia charges occurring in the residence halls are handled by Residence Life. Alcohol sanctions were reviewed and strengthened in 1999 and were revised in both 2001 and 2002 and A copy of Texas State On-Campus Alcohol Guidelines for Sanctions is included with this document. ENFORCEMENT UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT The University Police Department enforces alcohol and drug laws and sends copies of offense reports to Residence Life and the Director of Student Justice. The District Attorney reviews all offenses, class B misdemeanors and above, and determines whether to prosecute the case. A complete list of University Police Crime Watch numbers for alcohol and drug related offenses for is included with this report. ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS Because of the violent death and serious alcohol poisonings that took place on campus in 1999 and were reported in the 2000 Drug Free Schools and Communities Report, the University took a hard look at alcohol and other drug issues and perceptions and attitudes on campus. Policies were reviewed and revised, if necessary, and sanctions for alcohol policy violations were tightened. Departments that are mentioned in this report stepped up their activities, active and passive, in regard to these issues and made a concerted effort to reach all segments of the University population in an effort to reduce the consequences our students and our university deals with in relationship to alcohol and drug use and abuse. This level of activity has continued through these reporting years.

9 In September of 2003, a group of faculty and staff were appointed to a Student Wellness Task Force. The charge for this group was review pertinent health data and to identify needs that were not being addressed by current programming. The role or impact of alcohol abuse in any of the identified issues was to be assessed. The team s key findings are listed below: The six health issues that most need to be addressed on the Texas State campus are alcohol and drug abuse, social/emotional health, stress management, nutrition, and intentional and unintentional injuries Alcohol and drug use is significantly impacting student health and academic performance. Mental health issues, including an inability to manage stress, are affecting students academic performance and personal well-being. There is a great need for student education on general life skills and coping skills. The most significant changes and benefits for students would come from trying to effect change within the Texas State culture as a whole. The final recommendations of the Student Wellness Task Force were as follows: Review campus policies/procedures to ensure they support student health and ensure they are enforced consistently. Implement social marketing campaigns. Influence external factors including alumni, community agencies and retailers, and parents. Continue using traditional health educations programs, including peer education, on the campus. Work with the Paws Preview and orientation programs to ensure that a positive health message is being conveyed to entering students. Encourage faculty to infuse health topics into their curriculum. Form a Student Wellness Task Force, a Student Alcohol Task Force, and a Faculty/Staff Work Life Task Force that involves collaboration between students, faculty, staff and community leaders. The purpose of these groups would be to facilitate cultural change that would enable Texas State to have the maximum impact on student health outcomes. Have a high-level administrator coordinate the work of all three task forces.

10 The campus culture seems to encourage students to engage in unhealthy behaviors. To truly address this issue, further study will be required. Nevertheless, the Team has the following preliminary recommendations for impacting campus health culture. Work with the Student Success Team and the Pride and Traditions Team to promote healthy campus traditions and an academic focus for students. Collaborate with on-campus departments, parents, community groups, and retailer to sponsor entertainment events that do not include alcohol. Work with the Admissions Department to set a curriculum and expectation amongst Orientation Assistants that supports student health. Partner with Greek Affairs and Greek organizations to model healthy alcohol usage in the Greek population. Consider developing a peer education group or partner with an existing group among the athletes to address alcohol use. Consistently enforce rules of conduct and University policies, especially related to alcohol and drug use. Identify academic departments willing to infuse health issues into their Curriculum and provide them with the resources and ideas they need To be successful. The 2002 Core Alcohol and Drug Survey found that 96% of Texas State staff believes institutions of higher education Should be involved in alcohol and drug prevention. Similarly, 95.5% of The faculty surveyed said they believe alcohol and drug use affected their Student s academic performance. Encourage faculty and staff to research methods for addressing the campus health issues. This supports the University s mission to be a research institution. Additionally, significant grant opportunities may exist from Center for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, or other health research funding agencies. Besides implementing the above suggestions, the development of a sophisticated marketing strategy that addresses student health could significantly impact the culture. * EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION The funding committee applied for and received a $30,000 grant from NCAA. this grant will be used to implement a campus-wide social marketing campaign and to develop a peer education program for athletes. The social marketing team conducted a series of focus groups regarding the image of the university and developed a slogan for the campaign. A logo to be used with the slogan and further ideas for the campaign were developed. Two sets of focus groups have been conducted related to the wording and images used in the campaign. The environmental scan was completed and the results will be shared, along with results from the Core Drug and Alcohol Use Survey. The curriculum infusion group was invited to write a chapter on health and

11 Wellness for a textbook that will be used in the Texas State University Seminar program, including segments on alcohol and drugs. The program planning team was able to successfully work with Orientation and Paws Preview programs to include the new slogan and help train the Orientation leaders. Health data was shared and discussed with this group and with the Paws Preview leaders so they can discuss our college health issues with our new students. Student Affairs Wellness Team Annual Reports are included. The scope of alcohol and drug use and misuse on college campuses is a large and complex one and seldom are there people or funding in adequate supply. We have some excellent programs in place and a sense of community in addressing these problems that will stand us in good stead as we continue to try to grow and improve the programs we have, working hard to keep up with college students and the ever-evolving trends and beliefs.