Amnesty Protocol

Student health and safety is a core priority at Pacific University. The purpose of this policy is to reduce harm—and ultimately save lives—by encouraging students to seek assistance for their friends and themselves when a medical emergency arises due to the use of alcohol or other drugs. Therefore, the Office of Student Conduct has adopted the Medical Amnesty Protocol as follows:

  • After an incident involving medical emergencies related to use of alcohol or other drugs, the student who receives medical assistance - and the student who summoned help - will have the option to participate in educational follow-up, rather than have a conduct hearing for potential violations of the alcohol or drug policies that may have occurred during that incident.
  • In order to make use of this option, the student must:
    • Remain present at the scene of the incident after they have sought assistance, until given permission to depart by a University official.
    • Participate in a conversation with designated Student Life staff to discuss the incident and agree to comply with any recommendations or educational follow-up resulting from their conversation in a timely manner.

This option is meant to apply to isolated incidents, and may not be available in cases of repeated or flagrant violations of alcohol or drug policies. Additionally, this protocol does not preclude conduct action regarding other violations, including but not limited to threatening, endangering or discriminatory behavior, sexual misconduct, property theft and/or damage, and hazing.

Finally, the Director of Student Conduct, or designee, may at their discretion offer amnesty for:

  • victims of another student's misconduct, who may be hesitant to report to the University because they fear that they themselves may be accused of some policy violations, such as underage drinking, at the time of the incident.
  • students who may have engaged in lower-level violations but who choose to bring related serious violations by others to the attention of the University.

For situations such as these, the student receiving amnesty may need to participate in educational follow-up consistent with other parts of this policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the Medical Amnesty Protocol?

Since alcohol or drug overdose, poisoning, and misuse are potentially fatal, it is essential that someone call for medical assistance when an individual experiences severe intoxication or a serious injury after consuming alcohol or other drugs. At the same time, students may be reluctant to seek help in alcohol or drug-related emergencies because of fear of University Student Conduct consequences. This protocol aims to encourage students to seek help during such emergencies by giving students seeking medical assistance and the friends who help the option of choosing to participate in educational follow-up instead of a conduct hearing.

How does the Medical Amnesty Protocol work?

The student who receives medical assistance - and the student who summoned help - will have the option to participate in educational interventions, rather than have a conduct hearing for potential violations of the alcohol or drug policies that may have occurred during that incident.

In order to make use of this option, the student must:

  • Remain present at the scene of the incident after they have sought assistance, until given permission to depart by a University official.
  • Participate in a conversation with designated Student Life staff to discuss the incident and agree to comply with any recommendations resulting from their conversation in a timely manner.
  • This protocol does not preclude conduct action regarding other violations, including but not limited to threatening, endangering or discriminatory behavior, sexual misconduct, property theft and/or damage, and hazing.

This option is meant to apply to isolated incidents, and may not be available in cases of repeated or flagrant violations of alcohol or drug policies. The Director or designee of the Student Conduct Office will make this determination.

How many medical amnesties can a student receive?

Repeated incidents for the student needing assistance may prompt a higher degree of medical concern with the possibility of non-conduct university responses, such as parental notification and medical leaves of absence. Students who call for help on behalf of someone else are NOT limited to one amnesty.

What is the “educational follow-up” that is required for amnesty?

The follow-up will depend on the needs of the student involved. Some students will be required to complete BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students), a two-session, individualized education program designed to help students explore their use of substances and identify changes to reduce their level of personal risk. BASICS is coordinated by the Student Counseling Center. It is a nonjudgmental and confidential program. For amnesty incidents, the $75 fee is waived.

What if illegal drugs are involved?

Medical amnesty applies to emergency situations involving ALL drugs. Both the student needing assistance and the one that called will receive amnesty, if all the conditions described above are met. However, this protocol does not supersede state and federal laws, so legal consequences may arise from illegal drug use. Legal, civil, or criminal consequences would be handled by the local police department and justice system.

What about alcohol or other drug emergencies that happen off campus?

This protocol only provides amnesty under the Student Conduct system. Since most off-campus incidents typically do not fall under the University’s jurisdiction, this protocol would not apply. However, Oregon passed the Medical Amnesty Law (ORS 471.430.10(a)) in 2015, which protects those who seek medical assistance for themselves or someone else because of alcohol poisoning from receiving a Minor in Possession (MIP) for alcohol. The law does not give immunity for other alcohol or drug offenses. The full text of the law can be viewed here.

What if I have additional questions about this protocol?

You can always contact the Office of Student Conduct (studentconduct@pacificu.edu) for an answer by email, or to set up a meeting to discuss the Medical Amnesty Protocol.

 

How to help during medical emergencies involving alcohol or other drugs

Call for help when:

  • Someone cannot be roused with shouting or vigorous shaking or cannot be roused for more than 2-3 minutes at a time. Passing out IS an alcohol emergency.
  • Someone vomits while being passed out, does not wake up after vomiting, or is incoherent while vomiting.
  • Breathing is irregular or slow, or there is a lapse in breathing.
  • Pulse is weak, very rapid, or very slow. Skin is cold, clammy, or bluish.
  • You have ANY concerns regarding a person’s safety.

What to do:

  • Keep the person awake – Do not let them "sleep it off."
  • Stay with the person until help arrives.
  • Turn the person on his/her side to prevent choking if the person vomits.
  • Be prepared to give the emergency medical personnel as much information as possible, including any drugs or medications taken.

What NOT to do:

  • Do not leave the person alone; alcohol may take some time to be absorbed before peak levels are reached in the brain.
  • Do not leave the person lying on their back.
  • Do not try to give the person anything to eat or drink.
  • Do not put the person in a cold shower. They could fall or pass out from the shock.

 

Policies and tips adapted from Lewis & Clark College and Ithaca College.