Illegal Substance Testing Policy
Campus Life Handbook Policy Statement: Use or Possession of Illegal Drugs. The purchase, possession, use, or distribution of drugs, drug paraphernalia, or any substance of abuse is prohibited except under the direction of a licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse. A substance of abuse is any form of narcotics, amphetamines, hallucinogenic, sports enhancement or "street drug," alcohol, and any other controlled substances as defined by law. Local law enforcement may be called. Please see the Dean of Student Life for Union's Drug Testing Policy. Minimum Sanctions:
- Individual - University Probation
- Organization - Suspension of University organization status
If a student is suspected of drug use, he or she may be asked to submit to testing. Refusal or attempts to evade testing will be interpreted as evidence of illicit drug use, and will result in disciplinary action. If tests are positive for drug use, the student will be responsible for the cost of the test. Please contact the Dean of Student Life for the complete illegal substance testing policy.
For-Cause Test: By its very nature, for-cause testing is based upon indicators of drug usage. With this in mind, the University may request that a student, as a condition of his or her student status, undergo drug testing if the University has a reasonable belief that the student may have violated the Illegal Drug policy. Such reasonable belief may be based on, but not limited to, the following factors:
- The student exhibits physical signs of illegal drug use;
- A University representative reasonably believes that a student's unsatisfactory performance, misconduct, or poor attendance may be related to drug use;
- The University obtains reliable information that the student has or may have violated the University's Illegal Drug policy.
Process/Protocol: The Drug test will be sub-contracted through Physicians Quality Care/Omega Laboratories by Health Services. Physicians Quality Care will be responsible for the Chain of Custody form, collection, the actual screening of the urine or hair specimen, and the confirmation of any positive results by CG/MS.
The screening test will be a Drug Abuse Panel 5 which includes Amphetamines, Cocaine Metabolites, Opiates, Cannabinoids, and Phencyclidines. The sample will be split and any non-negative results will be confirmed by GC/MS.
Results of the test will be reported back to the Director of Union University Health services via courier within one to four days. Union University Health Services will notify the student when his/her test results are ready for review. The results of the drug screens are considered highly confidential and only the persons mentioned in this policy may have access to view results. For this reason, the student must present his/her Student ID plus one other form of ID before results will be given.
The results of the test will be discussed with the student by the Director of Health Services. In the event of a confirmed non-negative result the student will have the opportunity to reveal any drug abuse problems to the Director of Health Services. The Director for Health Services will provide referral information for drug abuse treatment. The Dean of Student Life will be notified and a meeting between the Dean of Student Life and the student will be scheduled. The student may request the Director for Health Services to be present at the meeting.
Disciplinary Sanctions
- A student who (1) refuses to submit to a drug test in accordance with the provisions of this policy, or (2) refuses to fill out and sign the written consent form agreeing to submit to the testing and permitting Union University to be apprised of the testing results, will be treated as in violation of the Illegal Drug policy and sanctioned accordingly.
- A student who switches or alters any sample submitted for testing will be treated as in violation of the Illegal Drug policy and sanctioned accordingly.
- A student who is determined, as a result of a drug test, to have used illegal drugs, will be treated as in violation of the Illegal Drug policy and sanctioned accordingly.