Spring Break
U-Md. may protect alcohol good samaritans
Issue date: 4/30/09
A good Samaritan proposal, pushed by students for the past two years, was voted on by the university senate last week. The proposal could lessen the penalties for violating university alcohol rules if a student is caught because he called authorities out of concern for someone's safety.
Schools across the country are addressing the same issue as they try to avoid sending a message of permissiveness about illegal underage alcohol use without scaring students into inaction when a situation becomes dangerous.
About 100 colleges, including George Washington University and the University of Virginia, have good Samaritan rules that provide amnesty to students who seek help in a medical emergency.
The proposal would not protect students who break the law, but disciplinary charges would be dismissed if the student met with administrators and completed an alcohol intervention program, if necessary.
Students began advocating a new policy in 2007, but the issue died in committee at the university senate. Many senators said a new policy would create a more permissive environment for drinking.
In a compromise reached earlier this spring, the senate will review a proposal that would not officially rewrite the student code of conduct, but would guide the way the current policy is implemented. After a year, the senate will decide whether to rewrite the policy.
Schools across the country are addressing the same issue as they try to avoid sending a message of permissiveness about illegal underage alcohol use without scaring students into inaction when a situation becomes dangerous.
About 100 colleges, including George Washington University and the University of Virginia, have good Samaritan rules that provide amnesty to students who seek help in a medical emergency.
The proposal would not protect students who break the law, but disciplinary charges would be dismissed if the student met with administrators and completed an alcohol intervention program, if necessary.
Students began advocating a new policy in 2007, but the issue died in committee at the university senate. Many senators said a new policy would create a more permissive environment for drinking.
In a compromise reached earlier this spring, the senate will review a proposal that would not officially rewrite the student code of conduct, but would guide the way the current policy is implemented. After a year, the senate will decide whether to rewrite the policy.
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