Pubdate: Wed, 02 Apr 2008 Source: Captain's Log, The (VA Edu) Copyright: 2008 The Captain's Log Contact: http://www.thecaptainslog.org/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2905 Author: Matthew MacGregor Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) DEALING WITH DRUG OFFENSES It is no secret that any college campus is constantly faced with the issue of illegal drug use. From marijuana, to cocaine, to ecstasy, illegal drugs will inevitably find their way onto school grounds. For CNU, assessing and responding to drugs on campus is a multi-faceted process. The first step begins with identifying the situation, and in the case where students live on campus, much of that responsibility falls on the shoulders of resident assistants. "We don't want to put our student staff in any danger. But we do have an expectation that our staff, when necessary, will be the eyes and ears of the university," said Jerry Roeder, director of residence life. According to Roeder, RAs are trained to respond to any drug use or suspicion of drug use that they find in a manner that emphasizes safety. Hands-on training sessions take place in the beginning of each fall semester. RAs run through scenarios where they may find themselves in a situation where they would need to respond to a student using or possessing drugs. One of the aspects emphasized during the RA trainings is to never put themselves in a situation of danger or direct contact, and that includes confiscation. "The role that we want them to play is immediate referral to university police," said Roeder. Another key aspect in identifying drug use or possession on campus comes in the form of the silent witness program - an anonymous, internet-based reporting tool for students and faculty to use if they witness a drug or any other type of violation on campus. This information is forwarded directly to one of the university police's investigators. According to University Chief of Police Jeffrey Brown, the information they receive from students through both the Silent Witness program and other means is vital in terms of appropriately addressing each situation. "Patrol officers are very involved in community policing activities which may include making presentations to student groups or simply talking to a student with a question. These relationships often result in members of the community sharing information to the police officers regarding illegal drug trafficking." For instances where tips are received, one of the investigative officers would validate the information and charge the violator. The role of CNU's investigative officer is to handle situations that require more discernment. "As the investigator interviews the target, additional probable cause may develop which could result in the investigator conducting a lawful search," said Brown. Responding to a drug situation as quickly and as accurately as possible is important to CNU police, so they work the most when the need is greatest. "We are most busy between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., so what we do is have two shifts working during that time. We have more policemen when we are most busy so that we can respond to calls for service in a timely manner," said Brown. All students who are found in possession of drugs are referred to the Center for Honor Enrichment and Community Standards for judicial review and in addition may face legal repercussions. "All felonies are prosecuted," said Brown. "We would obtain a warrant and that goes to the Newport News court system." One of the key elements CNU's judicial process emphasizes is that a violation is never a black-and-white scenario - each violation is handled differently. "We are not an equation-based judicial process," said Kevin Hughes, dean of students and the former director of CHECS. "We will respond differently depending on the specifics of the case and the individual." Much of what determines each outcome is based upon the impact on the community, and the impact on the individual. For example, selling marijuana would be looked upon more harshly than personal use. When determining individual punishments, CHECS uses what is referred to as a quadrant-based approach, which consists of educational, developmental, community contribution and punitive sanctions. Marijuana 101 and Alcohol Education, two online courses added within the last two years, would be examples of educational sanctions. The enlistment of an outside counselor would be considered a developmental sanction. Punitive, the harshest of the quadrant-based sanctions, refers to loss of privilege, including removal from campus housing or suspension/expulsion from the university. In addition to sanctions, the university also encourages, but cannot require, students with drug problems to make use of the counseling center. "The purpose of the counseling center is not to be a sanction, it's to be a resource for our students," said Hughes. "So if we can use that and it helps them get back on track, then that's accomplished what we want." Through the use of classes such as Marijuana 101 and with the aid of services such as the counseling center, Hughes hopes to be able to reduce the number of students who must face harsher punitive sanctions. "We're not looking to get rid of anybody, but we want them to live up to our expectations. Drug use and abuse has much greater implications beyond here, and we want to get them off that train and back on to that train that takes them through CNU as a graduate."