DRUG POLICY IN SPOTLIGHT

Drug abuse on campus extends beyond violations of the alcohol policy
and students who are caught face harsher punishments than under the
alcohol policy.

St. Olaf does not classify alcohol as a "drug" and the alcohol policy
has a different set of rules and consequences. "Drug" refers to
illegal substances, regardless of age, or abuse of prescription
drugs. If caught with drugs, students face consequences, which depend
on if the person is using or supplying the drugs.

If caught using drugs on campus, the offending student enters an
online drug course on how drugs affect the body, which is a
consequence similar to the penalty for students caught with alcohol.

"We try to give students the opportunity to change," said Pamela
McDowell, associate dean of students and director of residence life.
"The idea is that if they understand exactly what drugs do to the
body, it may lead them to make different decisions."

Residence life may also issue financial penalties to students caught
using drugs. For example, if a student is caught smoking a substance
in a room, any functional damage done will be paid for out of pocket.
This may include replacing mattresses ruined by smoke leaks ($110) or
carpets that require dry-cleaning (approximately $100).

In extensive cases of drug abuse that include violence, the residence
life department reserves the right to administer random drug testing
to the student.

"This is extremely rare," McDowell said. "I've only ever seen it
happen twice in 19 years."

McDowell said that she believes that the people who get caught are
not habitual users. While some students use marijuana every day,
McDowell said that she understands that drug use often occurs in
social situations.

Supplying drugs can lead to even more serious consequences for
students. The college always provides the name of a supplying student
to the police, the student loses their on-campus housing and the
college issues either an academic or co-curricular suspension. Once
the Northfield police receive the name, the police keep the student
on watch as a drug dealer. The college attempts to catch suppliers by
requiring students caught using drugs to divulge the name of their
drug supplier. Failure to do so again results in a form of suspension.

"You have to be honest," McDowell said. "It's hard, but it really
says something about your character and your ability to handle tough
situations."

McDowell emphasizes that, just as the honor code upholds the school's
academic integrity, so other policies, like the drug policy, attempt
to do the same for the school's social reputation. This is the basis
of the new medical amnesty policy for alcohol-intoxicated, which
emphasizes safety and mutual responsibility.

According to McDowell, about one percent of St. Olaf students have
been reported for supplying or using illegal drugs.