Decoding the medical amnesty policy
Chelsea Sisson |
Last Updated:11/17/09 Section: News
Sometimes an intended fun night out with friends can turn dangerous. In these cases, the College wants a student who is under the influence to seek medical attention without worries of punishment by the College for illegal drinking or use of other substances. As it is stated on the William and Mary website, "Student health and safety are of primary concern at the College of William and Mary." It is due to this concern that Alcohol Amnesty was introduced.
Ultimately, according to the William and Mary website, if an "intoxicated" student "actively" seeks help, "the Dean of Students Office will not pursue conduct sanctions against the student for violations of the Alcohol Beverage policy or the Drugs policy of the Code of Conduct." Instead, the student in question meets with someone in the Office of the Dean of Students, who discusses the problem and possible solutions.
According to Dean Gilbert, "Educational requirements may include completion of Alcohol.edu for Sanctions; the Back on Track program; a referral to Courtney Dowell, the Substance Abuse Educator; or referral to an off-campus counselor with certification in the area of drug and alcohol treatment." Basically, instead of punishing a student for the problem, the sanctions in this program are aimed at fixing the problem in the first place. Dean Gilbert states there is no standard sanction and that instances are looked at on a "case-by-case" basis.
While all of this seems straightforward, Alcohol Amnesty begins to get a bit complicated when one explores the fine print. It appears that Alcohol Amnesty is not a one-time deal for students. "In theory, there is no limit…" Dean Gilbert stated when asked if a student could receive alcohol amnesty more than once. "However...my office may issue progressively more comprehensive strategies to address the misuse of alcohol or drugs so a second or subsequent referral for medical amnesty would elicit a different response than a first instance…" Dean Gilbert said.
Ultimately, according to the William and Mary website, if an "intoxicated" student "actively" seeks help, "the Dean of Students Office will not pursue conduct sanctions against the student for violations of the Alcohol Beverage policy or the Drugs policy of the Code of Conduct." Instead, the student in question meets with someone in the Office of the Dean of Students, who discusses the problem and possible solutions.
According to Dean Gilbert, "Educational requirements may include completion of Alcohol.edu for Sanctions; the Back on Track program; a referral to Courtney Dowell, the Substance Abuse Educator; or referral to an off-campus counselor with certification in the area of drug and alcohol treatment." Basically, instead of punishing a student for the problem, the sanctions in this program are aimed at fixing the problem in the first place. Dean Gilbert states there is no standard sanction and that instances are looked at on a "case-by-case" basis.
While all of this seems straightforward, Alcohol Amnesty begins to get a bit complicated when one explores the fine print. It appears that Alcohol Amnesty is not a one-time deal for students. "In theory, there is no limit…" Dean Gilbert stated when asked if a student could receive alcohol amnesty more than once. "However...my office may issue progressively more comprehensive strategies to address the misuse of alcohol or drugs so a second or subsequent referral for medical amnesty would elicit a different response than a first instance…" Dean Gilbert said.
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