The Urbana-Champaign Senate Committee on Student Discipline unanimously approved the Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan procedures at its meeting Monday.
The approved motion will become part of the sanctioning guidelines of the committee, which worked with the Office for Student Conflict Resolution on the policy. This is the first step in getting the legislation in the University’s Student Code.
For nearly a year, the Illinois Student Senate lobbied for legislation to protect students seeking medical attention under the influence of a substance from disciplinary action.
“The Illinois Student Senate initially proposed the creation of a Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan policy last year, and I was very pleased to have been able to vote in favor of its final adoption earlier today,” said Jim Maskeri, senator and senior in LAS. “The adoption of the Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan policy by the Senate Committee on Student Discipline shows that our University wants to emphasize the importance of student safety.”
Maskeri said the procedures are similar to those University Police are already practicing but will hold officers more accountable. University, Champaign and Urbana police do not currently ticket students who call 9-1-1 for substance use, whether they are of age.
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“The policy is very similar to what students were advised to do before, but its passing puts it down on black and white,” Maskeri said.
Students who repeatedly violate the Student Code are not protected, nor is this a “blanket immunity for all possible violations,” according to the policy.
“The adoption of this policy will hopefully make it easier for students to make the choice to seek help in emergency situations,” Maskeri said.
The policy’s guidelines protect victims of crime, the person in need of medical attention, the caller and the organization.
If an organization fails to call law enforcement in the case of an emergency, this will be considered an “aggravating circumstance” and will call for further disciplinary action.
According to the document, this policy only applies to the University Conduct System, and students should expect local law enforcement “will be focused on providing aid and assistance rather than taking enforcement action.”
Dan can be reached at [email protected].
