RESOLUTION #: SEN-7-18

TITLE: A Bill for Medical Amnesty Door Signs

SPONSORS:

Owen Flomberg, East Area Senator [oflomber@vols.utk.edu]

Hannah Nelsen, West Area Senator [hnelsen@vols.utk.edu]

Kaylee Sheppard, College of Arts & Sciences Senator/Senate lobbyist [ksheppa7@vols.utk.edu]

Paige Shimer, At-Large Senator [pshimer@vols.utk.edu]

Sophia Rhoades, College of Arts and Sciences Senator [srhoade1@vols.utk.edu]

Lindsey Gardner, College of Arts and Sciences Senator [lgardn12@vols.utk.edu]

Addison Bond, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Senator [abond13@vols.utk.edu]

Whereas, on average around 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die annually from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor-vehicle crashes. [1]

Whereas, regularly college students suffer from alcohol poisoning.

Whereas, the University of Tennessee has a Medical Amnesty policy that not many students are aware of. [2][Attachment 1]

Let it be hereby resolved, that the University of Tennessee post permanent signage on the interior and exterior faces of all external doors of all campus residence halls explaining the amnesty policy in simple language.

Sources:

1. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
2. https://hilltopics.utk.edu/student-code-of-conduct/

Attachment 1 – Hilltopics Section XI

XI. Policy on Amnesty for Individual Good Samaritans and Students in Need of Emergency Medical Attention

SECTION 11.1 BACKGROUND.

The University of Tennessee holds paramount the health, safety, and welfare of students. Accordingly, all University students are expected to alert appropriate officials in the event of a health, safety, or welfare emergency including, without limitation, a situation involving the abuse of alcohol or other drugs.

SECTION 11.2 EXPECTATIONS.

When individual students know or reasonably should have known that other individual students are in need of emergency medical attention, the individual students are expected to: (1) contact appropriate people to report the incident and request assistance (e.g., University staff members, law enforcement), and provide those people with the names and contact information for the individual students reporting the incident and the impaired individual students; and (2) demonstrate cooperation and care by remaining with the impaired individual students and providing reasonable assistance during and after the incident. Individual students who take all of the steps described in this Section 11.2 will be referred to as a “Good Samaritan” under the Code. The individual students in need of emergency medical attention will be referred to as an “impaired individual student” under the Code.

SECTION 11.3 AMNESTY FOR INDIVIDUAL GOOD SAMARITANS.

Unless individual Good Samaritans have engaged in a repeated or serious violation of the Standards of Conduct (e.g., physical or sexual assault, property destruction, disorderly behavior, theft, second incident of misconduct involving alcohol or drugs), individual Good Samaritans will not be subject to formal University disciplinary action for misconduct discovered by the University as a result of the Good Samaritan’s report. While no formal University disciplinary action may be taken, the individual students who acted as a Good Samaritan may be required to meet with a University staff member to discuss the individual Good Samaritan’s misconduct and adhere to appropriate remedial and/or educational recommendations.

SECTION 11.4 AMNESTY FOR INDIVIDUAL IMPAIRED STUDENTS.

Unless individual impaired students have engaged in a repeated or serious violation of the Standards of Conduct (e.g., physical or sexual assault, property destruction, disorderly behavior, theft, second incident of misconduct involving alcohol or drugs), individual impaired students will not be subject to formal University disciplinary action for misconduct discovered by the University as a result of the Good Samaritan’s report. While no formal University disciplinary action may be taken, the individual impaired students may be required to meet with a University staff member, participate in educational activities, and/or establish that the individual students have addressed issues that contributed to the misconduct.

SECTION 11.5 APPLICATION OF THE AMNESTY POLICY TO STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.

Student organizations, through their officers and members, are also expected to take responsible action in emergency situations. While the Policy on Amnesty for Individual Good Samaritans and Students in Need of Emergency Medical Attention may not fully apply, adherence to steps described in Section 11.2 by a student organization’s officers and/or members will be considered a mitigating factor when determining the outcome of or sanction for misconduct. Additionally, the University will consider a failure of officers and/or members to adhere to steps described in Section 11.2 to be an aggravating factor when determining the outcome of or sanction for misconduct