Preface

In compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, President John Brazil appointed a committee to conduct a biennial review of Trinity’s Drug Prevention Program.  The committee met over the summer of 2000 to produce this report.

Committee members were:

• Mr. Stewart Angell, Director of Campus Safety

• Dr. Richard Reams, Psychologist and Counselor

• Dr. Diane Saphire, Director of Institutional Research and Assistant Vice President for Information Resources

• Ms. Linda Sendaula, Director of Personnel Services

• Dr. Ted Sparling, Associate Professor of Health Care Administration

• Dr. Mary Stefl, Dean of the Division of Behavioral and Administrative Sciences, and Professor of Health Care Administration

• Mr. David Tuttle, Dean of Students

 By law this document must be made available to the public upon request.  It must be retained for three years after the fiscal year in which it was created.

For additional information about Trinity University’s Drug Prevention program, you may contact:

• Dr. Gary Neal, Director of Counseling, Health, and Career Services, (210)-736-7411

• Ms. Linda Sendaula, Director of Personnel Services, (210)-736-7507

• Mr. Stewart Angell, Director of Security and Safety, (210)-736-8328

Return To Top

Introduction

The committee charged with reviewing Trinity University’s Drug Free School Program unanimously felt an obligation to do more than simply assure that Trinity’s program met the minimal legal requirements.  Part of the University’s mission states:

Through the entire Trinity experience, in and outside the classroom, the University prepares students for the lifelong quest for understanding themselves and their responsibilities in a changing world.  Trinity believes this understanding to be the goal of a liberally educated person. … Furthermore, Trinity provides a supportive and challenging experience wherein students, faculty, and staff can realize the full potential of their abilities and exercise their responsibilities to society.

To best achieve the goal of liberal education and the exercise of our responsibilities to society, Trinity strives to educate the University community about effects of illicit drugs and alcohol.  It is our conviction that this knowledge can contribute to a more responsible approach to drugs and alcohol and to a healthier and happier life.

While the committee has examined Trinity’s compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, and has made some recommendations for assuring our continued compliance, we have also included in this document our observations of the larger efforts of the entire University community to assist all students and employees to develop an informed and responsible approach to alcohol and other drugs.

 Return To Top

Documents Describing the University Policies

To describe our policies regarding the use of illicit drugs and alcohol, Trinity University distributes two different documents, one to students and one to employees.    Both of these documents are included in Appendix I.

The committee reviewed both documents to verify that they contain the following items as described in the U.S. Department of Education Drug Prevention Program Certification for Institutions of Higher Education:

• Standards of conduct that clearly prohibit, at a minimum, the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on its property or as part of any of its activities.

• A description of the applicable legal sanctions under local, State or Federal law for the unlawful possession or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol.

• A description of the health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol.

• A description of any drug or alcohol counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation or re-entry programs that are available to employees or students.

• A clear statement that the institution will impose disciplinary sanctions on students and employees (consistent with local, State and Federal law), and a description of those sanctions, up to and including expulsion or termination of employment and referral for prosecution, for violations of the standards of conduct.

The committee agreed that Trinity’s documents contain the required information. [Committee members – if you have not reviewed the documents, please do so and get back to me with any problems you perceive.]

In addition to the two documents described above, Trinity also publicizes our drug and alcohol policies in other places.  The student document also appears in each year’s Student Handbook, the employee document also appears in the Personnel Policy Manual for Classified Employees, and excerpts of the employee document appear in the Faculty and Contract Staff Handbook.

 Return To Top

Distribution of Documents

To assure that all of our employees are informed about our Drug Prevention Program, every fall the employee document is distributed, with a cover letter signed by the president of the university, to all employees. All new employees receive a copy or our Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policy Statement and sign an agreement stating that they have read and understand its requirements.  The statement and agreement are included in Appendix II.

For students, policy states that since all Trinity University students are supplied an e-mail address that “Email is an official means of communication and will be utilized to conduct business and supply information to students, staff and faculty.”  Each year the University electronically sends the information on illicit drugs and alcohol policies to all students.

Return To Top

Enforcing of Sanctions

During the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 academic years, no instances of a violation of the drug and alcohol policy by a classified employee of the University were reported.  One complaint was raised regarding an employee of one of our subcontractors.  The company was notified and sent an investigator the following day to resolve the issue.

The student discipline system for violations of the drug and alcohol policy involves several Student Affairs offices and the Student Court.  The professional Residential Life Staff handles relatively simple cases of first offense alcohol possession originating in the residence halls unless the accused student wishes to take the case to Student Court.  Such cases, and cases involving multiple charges or repeat offenses, are referred to Student Court.   The Dean of Students handles cases involving felonious behavior, off-campus incidents, and/or violations by student organizations as well as cases adjudicated when Student Court is not in session.

The Department of Campus Safety works closely with the Dean of Students to provide a safe and secure campus.  When campus peace officers detect criminal activities of a serious nature on campus, an arrest is made.  For most minor offenses, such as possession of alcohol by a minor, the individuals are turned over to the Dean of Students and the Student Court.  These offenses are still counted as arrests for statistical purposes.  A table of the Department of Campus Safety's crime statistics may be found in Appendix III.

The following table summarizes the drug and alcohol disciplinary charges handled by Student Court, Residential Life, and the Vice President for Student Affairs, for the 1998-99 and the 1999-2000 academic years, along with the findings:

Students found responsible for a first alcohol offense are given the option of paying a $50 fine or doing ten hours of community service.  In addition they are placed on probation status specific to the drug and alcohol policy so that subsequent offenses are counted cumulatively for the remainder of their Trinity careers.  Students found responsible for a second alcohol offense may choose between paying a fine not to exceed $100 and doing 20 hours of community service.  In addition, these individuals are referred to Counseling & Career Services for an alcohol use assessment.  Third offense violators may choose either a $200 fine or 40 hours of community service.  In addition they are referred to the Vice President for Student Affairs or Dean of Students for review of their citizenship records as Trinity students.

 Return To Top

Ongoing Efforts

In addition to providing information describing our alcohol and other drug policies and consistently enforcing the disciplinary sanctions, Trinity University strives in many ways to educate the University community about alcohol and other drugs and raise awareness of their potential dangers.  Following is a list of some such efforts for education and intervention during the  2000-2001 and academic years.

• Standing Committee.  As per the last committee's recommendation, President Brazil has established the Committee to Review University Compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act as a standing committee of the university including representation from the student body, faculty, administration, Counseling and Career Services, Residential Life, Personnel, Public Safety, and Institutional Research.  This status will assist the ongoing work of the group.
• Perception Correction Campaign.  Throughout fall and spring semesters, this campaign challenges over-estimations among students and others about the level of drinking among students.  The center of the campaign is an advertisement in each week’s edition of the campus newspaper.  The data illustrated in the ads (one for females, one for males) is based on data from an annual Substance Use Survey of a random sample of 400-500 undergraduates.
• Alcohol Use Check-up Ad.  This half-page advertisement in the campus newspaper contains the 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test from the World Health Organization.  Those who score above a specified number are encouraged to seek an Alcohol Use Consultation at Counseling & Career Services.
• Alcohol Use Consultations.  A staff psychologist at Counseling & Career Services provides confidential assessment and feedback to students.  Most of them are referred by Student Court following their second violation of the University’s alcohol policy.  Some seek a consultation on their own initiative.
• 21^st Birthday Greeting.  The vice president for Student Affairs sends this greeting to students who are turning 21.  The greeting includes this message:  “If you celebrate with alcohol, please take it easy.  I want you to have fond memories of your 21^st birthday!”
• Alcohol/Rape Wallet Card.  One side of the card briefly summarizes campus policy and Texas laws regarding alcohol.  The card is distributed to First Year students during the “Surviving and Thriving” program during New Student Orientation.
• Alcohol Poisoning Poster & Wallet Card.  The two-sided wallet card includes signs of alcohol poisoning and a recommended procedure for responding when another person appears to be in danger.  The poster and attached wallet cards are posted in the residence halls.
• Marijuana Poster & Brochure.  The brochure, produced by a staff psychologist at Counseling & Career Services, is made available to students via posters in the residence halls.
• Brochures.  Counseling & Career Services and Health Services provide brochures within their offices and also make them available at other locations on campus via special displays, bulletin boards, etc.
• Great American Smoke-out.  Health Services promotes this annual event.
• Fitness Fair.  Each fair includes tables staffed by representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
• Alcohol 101. Nearly all first year students have been introduced to alcohol issues for the  2001-2003 and 2003-2004 years through Alcohol 101.  The University of Illinois and the Century Council created this interactive CD-ROM program.  All Mentors guide their Mentor groups through this program in the early fall.  Most Trinity University students have gone through this popular program.

 Return To Top

Summary and Recommendations

During the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 academic years, Trinity University has used a wide variety of approaches to educate the University community about alcohol and other drugs.  Going well above the level of simply providing the basic required documents, various units of the University have striven to take advantage of numerous avenues for raising awareness of the dangers involved in using alcohol and other drugs.

While we feel that the overall program is outstanding, the committee has developed several recommendations for improving the program:

1)      The committee should investigate the option of electronic distribution of the student document.

2)      Anything else, committee members?

APPENDIX I

Documents Distributed to Students and Employees

APPENDIX II

Documents from the Office of University Personnel Services

APPENDIX III

Report from the Department of Safety and Security

APPENDIX IV

Documents from Student Affairs, and Health and Counseling

Return To Top

Work Hard, Play Responsibly