Unlike Pitt, some Pa. schools have amnesty policies

While some universities in the state have had amnesty policies for underage drinkers for years,… While some universities in the state have had amnesty policies for underage drinkers for years, Pitt officials have maintained that such a policy would not work here.

Amnesty policies at universities generally state that students will not be cited for underage drinking when seeking medical attention. Both Carnegie Mellon and Temple universities have similar amnesty policies for underage students. Pitt officials have said on multiple occasions that the University does not have plans to implement an amnesty policy of its own.

Currently, Pitt’s policy does not address students seeking medical attention. Underage Pitt students found drinking by University police are subject to criminal citations and University judicial sanctions. In addition, any students found “knowingly present” of an alcohol violation on campus are also subject to University sanctions, according to the Student Code of Conduct.

The Alcohol Medical Assistance Procedure, an administrative policy  at CMU, officially grants amnesty to students seeking medical attention as a result of alcohol consumption. Students at CMU are told of the policy both during student orientation and in their first meetings with their RAs in residence halls, said Holly Hippensteel, the assistant dean of Student Affairs at Carnegie Mellon.

Hippensteel said that the university wanted the policy to remove the fear of punishment associated with seeking help.

“If it saves a life, then it is something I feel good about. It doesn’t address the problem directly, but it does help address an existing issue. It is one tool, not a cure-all,” she said.

She also said that it is important to note that even though the protocol grants amnesty to students seeking medical attention, any case of an intoxicated student who is belligerent or vandalizing university property is not within the bounds of the protocol, and the student will be reprimanded as the officers on the scene and the university see fit.

In addition, any student that uses the amnesty policy is required to take part in the alcohol education programs that the university offers.

“This really needed to be a joint effort with all parts of the university working together. From the administration to the students, all players had to be at the table,” Hippensteel said of the amnesty policy, which has been in effect since 2001.

Temple’s student code of conduct states that students seeking medical assistance for the effects of drugs or alcohol will not be charged with any violations of the Student Conduct Code by university police. The amnesty applies to both the student in need of assistance and the person or persons seeking medical assistance on the intoxicated student’s behalf.

Andrea Seiss, senior assistant dean of students at Temple University, said that the school’s policy has been in effect for about five years. In the past few years, she said, she has seen an increase in the number of students taking advantage of the policy, though she could not point to statistics.

According to Temple University’s 2010 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report,  there have been only 18 arrests at on-campus residence halls for alcohol law violations in the past three years. But, in 2009 alone, there were 233 disciplinary actions/referrals made with regards to liquor law violations.

Comparatively, Pitt reported 119 liquor law violations in 2009, with 108 citation arrests and 11 disciplinary referrals, according to the University’s published crime statistics.

Temple informs all students of the university’s amnesty policy during freshmen orientation. Resident assistants also discuss the policy with students during their first floor meetings, Seiss said.

She went on to say that the University’s student conduct office and campus security work in close unison with one another. When there is an incident involving intoxicated underage students, campus safety does not issue a formal citation, but rather files paperwork with the Office of Student Conduct stating that there has been a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, Seiss said. This accounts for the large number of referrals in Temple’s report.

“In most cases, the students do [initially]receive formal notice that they are being charged with a violation of the student code of conduct,” she said.

After the notification, university officials call in the charged student for an informal meeting.

“A question along the lines of, “How did you get to the hospital?” will usually be asked, and if friends called for help, then it falls under the amnesty policy,” Seiss said.

The university then looks into the situation to determine if the students were in the process of seeking medical attention when Campus Safety became involved. If this is the case, then the situation is within the bounds of the amnesty policy and the Office of Student Conduct withdraws all fines and disciplinary charges associated with the incident, Seiss said.

If the student does not complete the university’s Drug and Alcohol Education Program though, charges will be refiled against the student, Seiss said.