Drug and Alcohol Education Biennial Review

2021 – 2023 Biennial Review of Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Programs and Policies

Introduction

McPherson College is committed to an environment that supports the academic success and health of our students as well as our employees.  The college has a drug-free campus program that services to provide the campus with activities, resources, and services designed to encourage a healthy and drug free lifestyle.  In keeping with the requirements of the Drug Free Schools and Campuses Regulations (EDGAR Part 86), McPherson College has a Substance Abuse Possession Policy and a Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy, both of which describe the standards of conduct that clearly prohibits the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on College property or as a part of any McPherson College-sponsored activity.

These policies include:  1)  the description of the legal sanctions under federal, state or local law for the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol; 2) a clear statement of disciplinary sanctions McPherson College will impose on students and employees for violations of the standards of conduct; 3) a description of the health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol; 4) a description of the drug and alcohol counseling and treatment resources available to students and employees; 5) the guidelines for the policy dissemination to students and employees; and 6) some guidance for preparing the biennial review of McPherson College’s Alcohol and Drug Free programs and policies to determine the program effectiveness, consistency of policy enforcement and the identification of any changes needed.

As outlined in Complying with the Drug Free Schools and Campuses Regulations (EDGAR Part 86), this required biennial review has the following two objectives in preparing the report: (1) to determine the effectiveness of, and to implement necessary changes to the Drug and Alcohol Free policies and programs, and (2) to ensure that our campus enforces the disciplinary sanctions for violations standard of conduct consistently.

The following report will include 1) a description of the campus officials assigned responsibility for conducting the review; 2) inventory or programs, policies and enforcement procedures, with special note made of those interventions that are evidence-based; 3) findings from the college’s data monitoring and evaluation work; 4) documentation regarding the consistency of enforcement and 5) recommendation for improvement.

Campus Officials Responsible for Biennial Review

The campus drug and alcohol free task force includes a member from Academic Affairs, a member from the campus facilities management office, a member from Student Affairs, a member from Human Resources and a member from the college President’s office.

Inventory of Program, Policies and Enforcement Procedures

Students
As part of the New Student Orientation (NSO), first-year students participate in an online educational program designed to review the drug and alcohol policies of the campus and meet federal requirements. The program supports our education efforts on issues surrounding alcohol abuse, marijuana use, and consent and respect. The program includes signs and interventions related to high-risk alcohol consumption and other drug use. In addition, all residential students attend residence hall meetings, where Resident Assistants (RAs) facilitate discussions about campus policies and issues.

Employees

Educational programming about alcohol and drug use is held throughout the academic year. The programming is a combination of interactive educational activities and passive programming, such as email, bulletin boards, and posters. The college’s Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy is distributed annually to the college community. In addition, referrals may be made to the on-site counseling center, which conducts drug and alcohol screenings for students.

Employees of the college participate in an annual discussion about the institution’s drug and alcohol policy. All employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). There is also a local substance abuse provider available to all members of the campus community.

All constituents
The community of McPherson also offers Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These organizations offer a wide range of times and locations for meetings. In addition to this, we have an on-campus clinic that provides a wide range of health and mental services to faculty, students, and staff.

Findings of the Biennial Review

Students

For the fall of 2021, the student handbook and code of conduct were updated. There are 16 student codes of expected behavior. Those that directly relate to this policy are:

2) Alcohol–Using or possessing alcoholic beverages including the following: a) If one is underage; b) On campus or at College sanctioned activities where alcohol is not allowed; c) Using or being in possession of alcohol paraphernalia (including, but not limited to, beer cans, bottles, bottle caps, and/or shot glass collections).

5) Drugs—The unlawful possession, use, or sale of any drug or controlled substance including the following: a) Manufacturing, growing, distributing, selling, possessing, using, or offering for sale narcotic drugs, depressants, or stimulant substances, hallucinogens, cannabis and/or derivatives (including synthetic derivatives); b) Being in the presence of illegal drugs; c) The use of prescription drugs without a prescription; d) The presence of drug paraphernalia; and/or e) Evidence of drugs such as smell or items used to mask drug odors

12) Failure to Comply with Policies, Laws, and Requests–Failing to comply with the reasonable and lawful requests of College officials acting in the performance of their duties, and with College policies, local, state and federal laws including the following: a) Failure to properly comply with or complete a sanction or obligation resulting from a disciplinary hearing or adjudication; b) Committing any act which is a violation of criminal law of the United States, the State of Missouri or a municipal ordinance; c) Failing to obey Residential Life rules and regulations, whether or not one is a resident; d) Failing to obey any College policy.

Additionally, a “Substance Abuse and Possession” section includes information on general campus policies and standards; promotion and distribution of alcohol; drug policy; drug dogs / law enforcement searches; information / referral services for substance abuse; the college response for substance abuse, including consequences (category 1, 2, and 3 offenses)  for alcohol policy violations.

With the updated code of conduct and new staffing, response to student conduct has intensified to better provide consistency of enforcement. It is expected that drug and alcohol conduct numbers may be heightened this year. However, we do not believe that the number of cases has gone up, rather that our response to incidents is now better being documented.

Employees
Over the past two years, there have been no reports of employees using recreational drugs or alcohol in the workplace. Yet employee education continues annually as required, as well as access to rich resources, including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and an on-site campus health clinic.  The college’s policies also include a leave of absence policy and an ADA accommodations policy to allow an employee, who self identifies alcoholism as a disability, to leave and attend rehab.

Consistency of Enforcement

We are in compliance with all policies that surround the reporting and investigation of issues involving employees and students. In the case of students, educational sanctions are consistently applied to each situation to ensure that they are held accountable for their actions.

Recommendation for Improvement

The following recommendations are intended to provide additional support in the enforcement of the existing Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Program:

1. Continue to promote a climate in which abstaining from alcohol and drug use is acceptable through social norms marketing campaigns.
2. Continue to develop the role of students in the prevention program through formal and informal opportunities (peer educators) and classroom-based efforts.
3. Expand distribution of information about the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and available coverage for students in its materials.
4. Develop procedures to measure outcomes and provide needs assessment and trend data that can be used over multiple years and
5. Mirror the student on-line alcohol and drug educational programs for the employee population

Copies of Distributed Policies

https://www.mcpherson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2122StudentHandbook.pdf

https://wwwi.mcpherson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ADM-195-Drug-Free-Workplace-Policy.docx

1/1/2022