Biennial Review of Queensborough Community College’s Alcohol and Other Drug Programs

Queensborough proudly reflects the unique character of the local Queens community, the most diverse county in the United States. We distinguish ourselves from other higher education institutions in America because of that diversity, with nearly equal populations of African Americans, Asians, Caucasians and Latinos. In fact, our students come from more than 130 countries and speak some 78 different languages.

More than 15,000 students are currently enrolled in associate degree or certificate programs, and another 10,000 students attend continuing education programs on our campus. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Queensborough Community College, through its 15 academic departments, offers transfer and degree programs, including Associate in Arts (A.A.), the Associate in Science (A.S.), and the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees. The college also offers non-credit courses and certificate programs.

Students attend Queensborough primarily as the gateway to transfer to a four-year college or university (over half of our Associate degree graduates transfer to a four-year CUNY college), or to obtain the necessary skills for career advancement.

A key goal of the college is to provide an academic environment that strengthens our students’ commitment to their own education, thus making it possible for them to graduate and complete their academic or professional goals in a timely manner.

Queensborough Community College is dedicated to academic excellence and rigor and to providing an affordable, high-quality education to pre-college, college, and lifelong learners. Our faculty and staff are committed to the holistic development of today’s students in a nurturing and diverse environment that prepares them to be successful in a dynamic workforce. The College affirms its open admissions policy and its strong support of intellectual inquiry, global awareness, civic responsibility, and cultural and artistic appreciation.

The Drug Free Schools and Campuses Regulations (34 CFR Part 86) of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) require an institution of higher education (IHE) such as Queensborough Community College (QCC) to certify it has adopted and implemented programs to prevent the abuse of alcohol and use of or distribution of illicit drugs both by QCC students and employees both on its premises and as part of any of its activities. At a minimum each institution of higher education must annually distribute the following in writing to all students and employees:

• Standards of conduct that clearly prohibit the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees.

• A description of the legal sanctions under local, state, or federal law for the unlawful possession or distribution of illicit drugs and 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 sanctions on students and employees and a description of those sanctions, up to and including expulsion or termination of employment and referral for prosecution.

The law further requires that the institution conduct a biennial review of its program with the following objectives: 1) determining the effectiveness of the policy and implementing changes to the alcohol and other drug (AOD) program if they are needed, and 2) to ensure that the sanctions developed are enforced. The biennial review must also include a determination as to 1) the number of drug and alcohol-related violations and fatalities occurring on the campus or as part of their activities that are reported to campus officials and 2) the number and type of sanctions the IHE imposes on students or employees as a result of such violations.

QCC acknowledges its legal obligation to conduct a biennial review for compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and an authorized administrative review to be conducted.

William V. Faulkner, Vice President for Finance and Administration

Brian Kerr, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs

Liza Larios, Dean Human Resources and Labor Relations

Dr. Wilma Fletcher-Anthony, Director Counseling Center

John Triolo, Director of Public Safety

Isabel Hocevar, Director of Health Services

Jon Hochberg, Director of Student Athletics

Belinda Delgado, Title IX Coordinator

The following materials and programs were examined for the biennial review:

• Queensborough Community College Catalog and Student Handbook

• Queensborough Community College Annual Campus Security Safety Report

• The City University of New York Policy on Drugs and Alcohol

• The City University of New York Drug/Alcohol Use Amnesty Policy

• The QCC & CUNY Websites

• QCC Faculty Handbook

• Counseling Center Helpful and Handy Referrals & Referrals Brochure

• CUNY Standard of Conduct

• CUNY Sanctions

• Nursing Department Student Code of Conduct

• CUNY Work/Life Program

• Communications to Students (Appendix I)Communications to Faculty & Employees (Appendix II)

QCC follows The City University of New York Policy on Drug and Alcohol as federally mandated which can be located at CUNY’s Policy website. The review included the following:

Policy 7.031 Drug-Alcohol Use Amnesty

Policy 7.04 Drug, Tobacco, and Alcohol Education

Policy 7.041 Drugs and Alcohol

The college distributes the Drugs and Alcohol, Drug-Alcohol Use Amnesty and the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Education policies to all students in an email each year, as required by CUNY policy and the federal regulations. In addition, students receive the CUNY Risks and Consequences of Drug and Alcohol Use document describing the legal sanctions for drug and alcohol use, health risks of such use and information regarding available counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation programs.  The Drugs and Alcohol policy is also distributed to all new employees as part of our orientation process. However, in the process of conducting the Biennial Review, it was determined that the College has not consistently provided annual notification to all employees as required by the statute. An Annual Notification has been developed to include a brief description of all required employee and student consumer information and a hyperlink to each section contained in the website. This notification will be distributed each fall and spring semester.

The CUNY Policy on Drugs and Alcohol Use is located in the following literature and QCC website pages provided by QCC and are accessible to all:

• College Catalog

• Student Consumer Information web page

• Public Safety web page

• Office of Human Resources and Labor Relations web page

• The Campus Safety Guide

• Information on referrals and resources on the QCC Student Affairs Counseling Center web page

The College offers the following programs and student classes to support students and employees in the awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse:

• All first time, full time students attend a mandatory 5-week course Introduction to College Life (ST-100) which includes the CUNY Drug and Alcohol policy.

• Alcohol.edu, a student online training program initially piloted in support of student athletes (coordination responsibility of Athletic Director) and all students who participate in overnight travel (coordination responsibility of Academic Affairs).

• Nursing Students commit to the National Student Nurses Association, Inc Code of Ethics

• CUNY Work/Life program supporting employees.

• HE-101, Introduction to Health Education

• HE-102, Health, Behavior and Society

• HE-104,

  Addictions and Dependencies

The College holds the following events annually, or more frequently, as possible:

• Health fairs including Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) specific information

• The College has instituted the following student event each semester:  Substance and Alcohol Abuse, specifically designed for students and families to learn the depth and breadth of the effects of drug and alcohol abuse as well as current treatment options to empower sufferers for continued success.

• Smoking Cessation clinics

• Benefit Fairs for employees including information about CUNY Work/Life.

• Counseling Center Stress Management workshops addressing drug & Alcohol use

QCC had no fatalities and has had the following reported violations during this period:

Total Incidents Involving Drugs and/or Alcohol:…… 11

Drugs Incidents Involving QCC Students:…… 8

Alcohol Incidents Involving QCC Students:…… 3

Fatalities…… 0

The College makes every effort to ensure a safe environment for it students, faculty and staff including the regular meetings of the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), the primary purpose of which is the implementation of policies and procedures relating to disruptive and threatening behavior, its reporting, assessment, intervention, and resolution.  Having undertaken this review, we believe that the College has been effective in its communications and awareness campaigns related to the consequences of drug and alcohol use. However, as a result of this review, we have identified a number of actions and activities that are recommended to improve our compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.

After review of the College's alcohol and other drug policies and programs, the primary recommendations to enhance strengths and remedy weaknesses include the following:

A Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program Committee composed of a cross-section of faculty, staff, and students has been established. The committee will meet semi-annually to continue the review of policies and procedures and awareness activities, to ensure QCC's commitment to the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. The Committee Chair will be the VP Finance and Administration, or a designee determined by the College Cabinet. This committee will be charged with the following activities

1. Continue review of the College's website to ensure that contents are updated to provide students and employees with additional information on available resources for drug and alcohol treatment, and the health risks associated with drug and alcohol abuse.

2. Continue to provide a variety of student activities that offer students safe and alcohol free alternatives and student activities focusing on drug and alcohol issues.

3. Review each notification to students and employees during the fall and spring semesters and in all new employee orientations.

4. Review and consider the implementation of an Athlete's Code of Conduct.

5. Continue the roll-out of the online training program alcohol.edu to all students.

6. Continue to utilize outside resources to assist QCC in the development of effective programs and messaging of drug and alcohol abuse and prevention.

Communication to Students via Email each Semester is sent through Microsoft Office 365 in coordination with the Office of Student Affairs

The City University of New York Policy on Drugs and Alcohol

The City University of New York ("CUNY") is an institution committed to promoting the physical, intellectual, and social development of all individuals. As such, CUNY seeks to prevent the abuse of drugs and alcohol, which can adversely impact performance and threaten the health and safety of students, employees, their families, and the general public. CUNY complies with all federal, state, and local laws concerning the unlawful possession, use, and distribution of drugs and alcohol.

Federal law requires that CUNY adopt and implement a program to prevent the use of illicit drugs and abuse of alcohol by students and employees. As part of its program, CUNY has adopted this policy, which sets forth (1) the standards of conduct that students and employees are expected to follow; (2) CUNY sanctions for the violation of this policy; and (3) responsibilities of the CUNY colleges/units in enforcing this policy. CUNY's policy also (1) sets forth the procedures for disseminating the policy, as well as information about the health risks of illegal drug and alcohol use, criminal sanctions for such use, and available counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation programs, to students and employees; and (2) requires each college to conduct a biennial review of drug and alcohol use and prevention on its campus.

This policy applies to all CUNY students, employees and visitors when they are on CUNY property, including CUNY residence halls, as well as when they are engaged in any CUNY-sponsored activities off campus.

CUNY Standards of Conduct

The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of drugs or alcohol by anyone, on CUNY property (including CUNY residence halls), in CUNY buses or vans, or at CUNY-sponsored activities, is prohibited. In addition, CUNY employees are prohibited from illegally providing drugs or alcohol to CUNY students. Finally, no student may possess or consume alcoholic beverages in any CUNY residence hall, regardless of whether the student is of lawful age, except for students living in the Graduate School and University Center's graduate housing facilities who may lawfully possess and consume alcoholic beverages. For purposes of this policy, a CUNY residence hall means a residence hall owned and/or operated by CUNY, or operated by a private management company on CUNY's behalf.

In order to make informed choices about the use of drugs and alcohol, CUNY students and employees are expected to familiarize themselves with the information provided by CUNY about the physiological, psychological, and social consequences of substance abuse.

CUNY Sanctions

Employees and students who violate this policy are subject to sanctions under University policies, procedures and collective bargaining agreements, as described below. Employees and students should be aware that, in addition to these CUNY sanctions, the University will contact appropriate law enforcement agencies if they believe that a violation of the policy should also be treated as a criminal matter.

Students

Students are expected to comply with the CUNY and college policies with respect to drugs and alcohol. Any student found in violation may be subject to disciplinary action under Article 15 of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, which may result in sanctions up to and including expulsion from the University. In addition, any student who resides in a CUNY residence hall and who is found to have violated any CUNY or college policy with respect to drugs and alcohol may be subject to sanctions under the CUNY Residence Hall Disciplinary Procedures, up to and including expulsion from the residence hall. In lieu of formal disciplinary action, CUNY may, in appropriate cases, seek to resolve the matter through an agreement pursuant to which the student must see a counselor or successfully participate in a drug and alcohol treatment program. In accordance with the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), CUNY may also choose—when appropriate—to contact parents or legal guardians of students who have violated the CUNY policy on drugs and alcohol.

Employees

Any employee found to have violated this CUNY policy may be subject to disciplinary action, in accordance with the procedures set forth in applicable CUNY policies, rules, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. Sanctions may include a reprimand, suspension without pay, or termination of employment. In lieu of formal disciplinary action, CUNY may, in appropriate cases, seek to resolve the matter through an agreement pursuant to which the employee must successfully participate in a drug or alcohol treatment program.

Responsibilities of CUNY Colleges/Units

Each college or unit of the University should make its best efforts to educate employees and students about this policy and the risks associated with the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs and alcohol. The President of each college or unit may choose to ban alcohol at on-campus functions or at any particular function. This policy, together with information about the health risks of illegal drug and alcohol use, criminal sanctions for such use, and counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation programs available to employees or students, must be distributed annually to all employees and students. The Chief Student Affairs Officer shall be responsible for the distribution of this material to students, and the Director of Human Resources shall be responsible for the distribution of the material to employees.

The Vice President for Administration, or person performing the equivalent function at each college or unit of CUNY, shall be responsible for conducting a biennial review to determine the effectiveness of CUNY's drug and alcohol program at its college or unit, and to ensure that sanctions for drug and alcohol violations are consistently enforced. Upon completion, the biennial review must be sent to the University's Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer. This biennial review must include the number of drug and alcohol-related violations and fatalities that occur on the college's campus or as part of the college's activities, as well as the number and type of sanctions imposed as a result of drug and alcohol-related violations and fatalities that occur at the college as part of its activities.

The City University of New York Drug/Alcohol Use Amnesty Policy

The City University of New York's ("CUNY's") Drug/Alcohol Use Amnesty Policy has two principal purposes. First, it is intended to encourage students to seek medical assistance related to drug and/or alcohol use without fear of being disciplined for such use. Because the use of drugs or alcohol may be life-threatening, CUNY wishes to reduce barriers to seeking and receiving medical help in those situations. Second, CUNY wishes to encourage students under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol who may be the victims of, witnesses to, or otherwise become aware of violence (including but not limited to domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault) or sexual harassment or gender-based harassment to report that violence or harassment. Toward that end, CUNY's Policy is that students who seek medical assistance either for themselves or others and/or are reporting violence or harassment will not be subject to discipline under the circumstances described below.

1. Students who in good faith call for medical assistance for themselves or others and/or who receive medical assistance as a result of a call will not be disciplined for the consumption of alcohol (either if underage or if consumed in a CUNY-owned or operated residence hall or facility where alcohol consumption is prohibited) or drugs as long as there are no other violations that ordinarily would subject the student to disciplinary action. Similarly, students who may be the victims of, witnesses to, or otherwise become aware of violence or sexual harassment or gender-based harassment and who report such violence or harassment will not be disciplined for the consumption of alcohol or drugs in the absence of other violations that ordinarily would subject the student to disciplinary action. Other violations that would invoke discipline include but are not limited to (i) unlawful distribution of alcohol or drugs; (ii) sexual misconduct, as defined in CUNY's Policy on Sexual Misconduct; (iii) causing or threatening physical harm; (iv) causing damage to property; (v) hazing.

2. The students involved will be encouraged to complete alcohol and/or drug education activities, assessment, and/or treatment, to be determined by the individual campuses or units of CUNY with which the students are affiliated. If repeated incidents of alcohol or drug use are involved, there may be issues of medical concern, which may result in parental notification, medical withdrawal, and/or other non-disciplinary responses.

3. CUNY's Policy is intended both to implement Article 129-B of the Education Law (which mandates drug and alcohol amnesty for reporters of violence) and to complement New York State's Good Samaritan Law, which is designed to encourage individuals to call 911 in the event of an alcohol or drug-related emergency. Generally, the Good Samaritan Law protects persons who witness or suffer from a medical emergency involving drugs or alcohol from being arrested or prosecuted for drug or underage alcohol possession after they call 911. It does not protect Against arrest or prosecution for other offenses, such as the sale of drugs.

Annual Communication to Faculty and Staff (coordinated by Office of Human Resources and Labor Relations)

We want you to be aware of CUNY's Policy on Drugs and Alcohol which was amended by the Board of Trustees on May 2, 2011. You can find the policy on Queensborough's Policies, Procedures and Practices website.

We are attaching a document entitled "Information for the CUNY Community on the Risks and Consequences of Drug and Alcohol Use." This describes the health risks of drug and alcohol use, and resources available for those who suffer from drug or alcohol problems. It also describes the sanctions for violating the Policy.

If you have concerns regarding this information, we encourage you to contact the Office of Human Resources and Labor Relations or the Counseling Center, or to contact the CUNY Work/Life Program. (You can find a link to the Work/Life Program on the Human Resources and Labor Relations website.

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