Alcohol and Other Drug Biennial Report | Onondaga Community College

A Message from the Dean of Students

NATIONAL SURVEYS SHOW

9 out of 10 experiment with alcohol
7 out of 10 drink regularly, and
3 out of 10 will become problem drinkers

SUNY OCC SURVEYS SHOW

8 out of 10 OCC students don't binge drink

90% of OCC students did not use a fake ID for purchase alcohol

Student safety and well-being is a priority at Onondaga Community College. In addition to educating our students inside the classroom, we must also focus on educating the student outside the classroom. This co-curricular education must address challenges that our students will face not just academically, but personally. Understanding that many students who attend Onondaga Community College are at a developmental level where personal exploration might include experimenting with drugs and/or alcohol, it is incumbent of us to ensure that we have a robust and active strategy to inform our students of the challenges, and possible consequences, of such use.

I am pleased to see the positive impact we have had with educating, and intervening with, our students as they develop their level of personal acceptance and/or tolerance for alcohol and other drug use. Our campus experts provided students proactive outreach, engagement opportunities, and multi-faceted harm reduction based educational activities to encourage help seeking behavior. This multi-dimensional approach helped to effectively create awareness of the harmful effects that could come from substance misuse and that use is not a requirement or ritual that must be met to be an Onondaga Community College student. I look forward to seeing these efforts continue as I have seen the positive impact they have had on our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Scott Schuhert
Dean of Students
Onondaga Community College

Introduction/Overview:

The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989 requires that all Institutions of Higher Education follow federal regulations regarding alcohol and other drugs, as well as keep on file a biennial report documenting the institutions compliance with the required criteria.

The Onondaga Community College document titled “Annual Drug Free Workplace Notice” is posted on our website. Onondaga Community College’s Policies are published in the Centralized Policy Manual and the employee handbook, both of which are found on the employee website. This document includes the five required components:

Campus policy regarding expected standards of conduct that prohibit unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol
Health risks associated with alcohol misuse or use of illegal substances
Federal, state and local laws surrounding unlawful possession/distribution of alcohol and illicit drugs
Campus programs and services as well as treatment resources available to employees and students
Sanctions imposed on employees and students for policy violations.

Onondaga Community College has completed the Biennial Review below that encompasses the following:

A summary detailing how the information above (in the annual notice) is distributed to students, staff and faculty;
A representative sampling of alcohol and drug program strategies, including their effectiveness suggesting changes or improvements (if needed); and
Information ensuring that sanctions developed for students and staff are consistently and effectively enforced.

This report details OCC’s Alcohol and Drug Prevention Efforts during the period of January 1^st 2021-December 31^th 2022. The following departments participated in the completion and compilation of the Biennial Review data and narrative: Human Resources, Campus Safety & Security, the Counseling Center, Office of Student's Rights, Responsibilities and Residence Life, and the Dean of Students Office.

OCC Demographic Information:

Onondaga Community College is a two-year college, originally founded in 1961, with two locations: a 280-acre main campus in Syracuse, New York, and a nearby satellite location in Liverpool, New York. OCC operates under the State University of New York (SUNY) system and is locally sponsored by Onondaga County. Onondaga Community College is Central New York’s partner in education for success. Achieving our mission through:

Student Access, Retention, Completion, Transfer
Academic Excellence
Student Engagement and Support
Career and Workforce Advancement
Responsible Stewardship of Resources
Community Engagement

Number of Students in On-Campus Housing Per Semester

Spring 2021- 276 students

Fall 2021- 501 students

Spring 2022- 432 students

Fall 2022- 576 students*

*Due to COVID-19, our fourth residence hall on campus was morphed into a quarantine and isolation space. This space continues to be utilized for this purpose.

New York State Office of Addiction and Support Services (OASAS) Grant Support:

In September of 2017, Onondaga Community College was one of 20 colleges in New York State to receive a grant from the New York State Office of Addiction and Support Services (OASAS). This grant is $125,000 for five years to increase alcohol and drug prevention efforts on our college campus. The grant has the following goals that are evaluated and assessed every year by the full time College Prevention Coordinator (CPC) to determine effectiveness of prevention efforts.

Create an ongoing Needs Assessment of OCC’s Campus AOD data

Increase Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) with all OCC students *
Create a Campus Community Coalition with members from 12 sectors and work through the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to determine what strategies are needed on campus and assess and reevaluate as needed. *
Evaluate and refine alcohol and other drug policies as needed
Increase and evaluate alcohol and other drug enforcement efforts on campus
Increase environmental and evidence-based prevention efforts on campus *

In addition to the above goals, OCC’s Alcohol and Other Drug Program aims to increase student awareness and education surrounding alcohol and other drugs as well as how substance misuse can negatively impact intended academic goals. *

*=Starred bullets in the above are elaborated on in assessment goals and outcome measures starting in the section "Assessment of Above & Program Data with Goals and Outcomes".

Overall Campus Prevention Efforts for Students:

Onondaga Community College is a dry campus and no alcohol is permitted (apart from non-student events with the approval of the College President). OCC encourages students to participate in alcohol and drug free programming that occurs throughout the year in partnership with the AOD Prevention Office and Student Leadership and Engagement. At the beginning of each semester the college holds a “Get Involved Fair” to inform students about various ways that they can become engaged with the campus community. We hope that by encouraging students to become engaged with the community and become familiar with campus resources, it will encourage healthy choices and deter from substance use. The following clubs and organizations are available for all interested students to join on campus:

American Sign Language (ASL) Club
Animal Conservation Club
Anime Club
Business Club
Cheer Team
Chess Club
Creative Writing Club
Cyber Security Club
Drama Club - Act 2
Geology Club
History Club
Spanish Club
Pride Alliance (Gay-Straight Alliance)
Veteran’s Association
Whole Earth

Alcohol and Other Drug Programming:

During the first few weeks of each semester, programming in the Residence Halls focuses on increasing knowledge about dangers of substance misuse and campus policies including Alcohol and Other Drugs; this includes:

1 large scale program
4 RA facilitated programs (one per Residence Hall)
Passive Programming (e.g., bulletin boards, mailbox stuffers, door knocking, etc.)
Mandatory AOD education for student athletes

Professional and Student Staff Training in the Residence Halls consists of the following:

Protocol Response- staff are trained on the protocols and procedures for incident management
“Behind Closed Doors”- this allows staff to run through potential incidents that could occur in Residence Halls prior to the start of the semester with support of returning staff members
Training for Resident Advisors (RAs) and Residence Hall Directors (RHDs) on Hidden Drug Culture Messages/Drug and Alcohol Overview
Additional training is facilitated by Campus Safety, Office of Residence Life, Dean of Students, and Counseling on their collaborative role with Residence Life in terms of incident response, resources, and how to help students follow up with each office
Training for RAs and RHDs on the Student Code of Conduct and standard sanctions including how to write up AOD incidents and procedures for referral to each sanction
Focus on strict and consistent enforcement of standards of conduct in the Residence Halls
Bystander Intervention Training- Step Up

Presentation of AOD and Student Code of Conduct Information to parents at information sessions for Summer Orientation:

Reminder of OCC’s status as a drug-free campus and our no tolerance policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs (regardless of a student’s age)
Distribution of “The Parent Handbook” to help educate parents on how to talk to their college students about alcohol and heavy episodic drinking
Review of Student Code of Conduct and standard sanctions
Information on support services available to students

Distribution of AOD and Code of Conduct materials to students during Orientation, Welcome, and other campus-wide events:

Student Rights & Responsibilities tabling and distribution of Student Conduct Handbooks
Creation of an “8 things to know while living on campus” handout that describes OCC’s current AOD policies and “The Good Samaritan Law.” This handout also details current and off campus resources including: campus safety, Residence Life, Counseling, Student Rights & Responsibilities and Vera House.
Providing updated information to students on sanctions and the conduct process
All Residential Students and their parents sign a “contract” upon move-in that outlines alcohol and other drug policies and details potential to lose campus housing if engaging in harmful behavior.

*Due to COVID-19, all new student and parent orientation sessions transitioned to a virtual platform. Alcohol and other drug information, screenings and on campus resources were added to the online orientation program in Summer of 2020.

Universal AOD Prevention Programs:

The following voluntary AOD Programs were made available to all students:

Weekly tabling events with various activities during April’s Alcohol Awareness Month
Twisted Halloween
Stress Relief Events with AOD Awareness Activities at beginning and end of each semester
Tabling events and additional programming around high-risk cannabis “holiday” 4/20
AOD Jeopardy
Let’s Taco About Alcohol
Narcan Training

Collaborative Efforts in Support of AOD Prevention Initiatives:

Onondaga Cares About Prevention Coalition

As a result of the NYS OASAS College Prevention Grant, OCC created a Campus Community Coalition in 2018 with a focus on overseeing and assisting and on campus drug and alcohol prevention and assessment initiatives. The coalition came up with the name Onondaga Cares About Prevention (OCAP) to represent the group and overall goals of the coalition. The coalition meets once a month and creates workgroups as needed to assist with task development and completion. As of December 2020, the coalition has representation from the following on and off campus partners: Prevention Network, Counseling Center, Office of Student Leadership & Engagement, Residence Life, Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities, Community Care Hub, Southwest YMCA, Dean of Students, Campus Safety & Security, Human Resources, Athletics, and OCC’s ASA Program. We continue to grow the coalition and add members as needed to help with on campus programs and tasks.

Counseling Center

OCC’s Counseling Center provides additional student supports that function as overall protective factors to address potential reasons why students might choose to drink or misuse substances:

Weekly Support Groups started in 2019- Grief/Loss, Anxiety Support/Relaxation, College Life Transition, Social Hour & Mindful Mastery
Short term counseling and mental health support
ASSIST screening of all new student intakes
All counselors are Narcan and SBIRT trained

Community Care Hub

The Community Care Hub is a system of community-based support services and resources for OCC students to address non-academic barriers (such as food and housing insecurity) which inhibit academic progress. Based on a Public Health and Social-Ecological Model, “the Hub” reflects the unique needs of OCC students and leverages community partnerships to focus on:

Prevention for all students
De-stigmatizing help seeking
Increasing access to services
Helping students develop long-term resilience to avoid future emergencies

Wellbeing Committee

In the Fall of 2022, from a charge from OCC's President Dr. Hilton, Onondaga Community College established a Wellbeing Committee comprised of students and various departments and offices across campus. This committee's focus is specifically to increase all types of overall wellbeing events on campus for students. Two on campus events were held for students in December of 2022, over 150 students attended each event per day. The Committee will continue to plan and evaluate effectiveness of wellness focused events for students over the next year.

NYS OASAS Mini Recovery Grant

In the Spring of 2018 OCC received the New York State Office of Addiction and Support Services mini recovery grant. This grant allowed us to expand on available services for students who identified as being in recovery from substance abuse. Funding provided an opportunity for students to become Certified Peer Recovery Advocates (CPRAs) through a five-day training institute. This project was student centered and worked to create an on-campus recovery group. A total of 7 students were trained as CPRAs. These students helped lead recovery groups on campus twice a week with an average of 5 attendees per group per session. These sessions continued until the funding ended in September 2019. This funding also aided in the creation of a new Living Learning Community (LLC) in the Residence Halls- Healthy Living. A Narcan Training was also sponsored in partnership with the OCAP Coalition and OASAS with 35 students, staff and faculty in attendance. Lack of funding has caused any current recovery efforts to cease but is something that we look to expand upon in the future based on student need and interest.

Truth Grant

OCC received the Truth Grant in the Spring of 2018. The Truth Grant purpose was to engage 10% of students on campus in the process of raising awareness to the harmful effects of smoking and tobacco use. This was a student lead project using targeted marketing to increase education and help highlight areas of improvement for current smoking and tobacco policy on campus. A joint committee representative of various areas of the college was formed and worked to create a Campus Wide Smoke Free Policy. This was submitted to OCC President Dr. Crabill for review and was officially approved to go into effect July of 2021. Educational programming will be taking place in Spring of 2021 to educate students, faculty and staff on the new policy and available resources in the campus community for those interested in quitting.

Community Policing Initiative

The Campus Safety and Security department is responsible for the security and overall well-being of OCC's students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Campus Safety utilizes the Community Policing Model of law enforcement. Utilizing this model becomes an immense attribute to the students and overall culture of any College campus. As students’ progress into higher education they often move away from family systems and local support networks they have created throughout adolescence. This can cause feelings of depression or loneliness that may also make students susceptible to experimentation with drugs or alcohol. Subsequently, the experimentation with drugs and alcohol will also expose them to contact with Campus Safety. By using “non-traditional” Policing methods, like Community Policing, the officers they encounter are equipped with resources and information about programs or counseling they can refer the students to, which may far better serve the student than the traditional arrest or typical law enforcement function. The community policing model allows Officers to develop relationships with students, faculty and support networks within the campus community that are unique. In this way the community policing model allows Campus Safety Officers to have a much more positive impact on the culture of the institution and helps them become a gateway to leading the students back onto the proper path rather than just punishing them for their wrong doings. All Campus Safety Officers are trained in campus Alcohol and Other Drug policies and educated about potential campus resources that could benefit students in need. All officers participate in a yearly updated “Drug Trends” training that helps them understand new drug culture references and up and coming drugs to be aware of.

Evidence Based and Indicated Prevention Efforts:

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Services Available to all OCC students

As a result of the OASAS Environmental Prevention Grant, SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) Services have been increased on OCC’s campus beginning in January of 2018. The following programs are ways that OCC utilizes SBIRT:

Screen-U Cannabis & Alcohol- these screenings are utilized with students who have level one alcohol or other drug offenses
E-Checkup Cannabis & Alcohol- utilized as an individual sanction or in conjunction with BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) or CASICS (Cannabis & Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students)
WellScreen- The Counseling Center utilizes WellScreen to have all new student intakes complete the ASSIST Screening tool to determine potential use of all substances. If a student screens at moderate or high risk, they are asked to make an appointment with the AOD Prevention Coordinator for additional brief interventions.
The AUDIT and CUDIT are utilized for on campus AOD Workshops

BASICS/CASICS:

Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students and Cannabis and Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students is a sanction typically utilized for students with at least two alcohol or other drug violations, or one more serious violation (such as a transport). Students are required to complete two sessions with the AOD Prevention Coordinator or other trained practitioner. These sessions are based on motivational interviewing, harm reduction and discussing a student's current and future educational goals. A student completes an online screening tool (E-Checkup) and tracks their potential use for two weeks prior to their second appointment. During the second appointment, student and practitioner work together to create a plan to help students reduce risk and harm causing behaviors. The online screening tool is reviewed with the student and the student is provided with feedback on various factors including: current risk score, family risk for substance use, potential tolerance to alcohol and/or drugs, and tips for reducing consumption.

AOD Workshop:

Hosted by OCC’s AOD Prevention Coordinator, this workshop is typically an hour and a half and provides information on short- and long-term health effects of substance use. This workshop requires active participation from all students, reviews OCC’s Code of Conduct and sanctions, and is designed to help students set goals and find alternatives to drug and alcohol use. While in the workshop, students complete the AUDIT or CUDIT screening tool to determine their current risk level. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the AOD Workshop has been converted into individual meetings with the potential for larger online workshops as needed. The same information is covered.

Goals of AOD Program for Employees:

The goal of the AOD Program for employees is to have zero incidents occur on campus for violations of the employee policy I-8, “Drug and Alcohol Policy”. Adherence and enforcement of this Policy will lead to a safer, injury-free workplace from on the job accidents because of employee intoxication. Efforts to date have proven successful. Data shows that over the last two years, (1/1/19-12/9/20) Onondaga Community College has had no accidents or injuries as a result of intoxication (alcohol or other substances) on the job. Further, there have been no warnings, discipline or sanctions levied against any employee for violation of the Policy. The employees who hold and require a class CDL license received a random drug test per Policy I-8 and in conformance with the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991 and applicable Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. No violations were found during this testing.

Goals of AOD Program for New Hires:

Before proceeding to their individual work area, employees receive an “onboarding” session in Human Resources by a member of the Human Resources Team. Each employee receives the Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”) pamphlet from our service provider, Crouse Hospital’s “HelpPeople”. An explanation of the free and confidential nature of the program is provided to new employees. Questions are solicited at this time.

Human Resources Employee Based Alcohol and Other Drug Efforts:

The "Alcohol and Other Drug College Prevention Coordinator" who joined the staff in October 2017 is still here in the college-funded position of Assistant Director of Student Health and Wellness. This person's role is to facilitate all wellness related programming including drug and alcohol prevention, Title IX, and mental health. Her primary focus is prevention for students but is available to provide education and training to employees as well. Unless other noted, Mrs. Magowan facilitated the following AOD topics for employees:
Fall 2021 and Fall 2022 presented sessions to the new full-time faculty on drug and alcohol related counseling services and resources
HR is staying abreast of current NYS legislation that has legalized medical cannabis use for certain illnesses and is following ways to implement the legislation that has approved the use and sale of cannabis in NYS.
Training on risks and signs to look for from employees possibly "under the influence" was added to the section on "Performance Management" as part of the "OCC Supervisor Academy"
HR explores drug and alcohol awareness and prevention programs for employees and students (working with the Assistant Director of Student Health & Wellness) through an online training program called "EduRisk" and through the Workers' Compensation vendors, "OneGroup" and "MEMIC"
The Safety Committee continues to meet on a regular basis and a standing agenda item is report of employee accidents and injuries. All injuries/accidents are discussed and reviewed for corrective measures to prevent the same from occurring in the future. The Committee does consider whether alcohol and/or drugs was a factor in the employee incident.
All Campus Safety Officers have received training on the use of Narcan for suspected overdoses. Their patrol cars are equipped with a "go-bag" that contains basic first aid supplies as well as Narcan doses. In addition, OCC Campus Safety & Security has become a Narcan training center. The plan is to offer Narcan training across campus in 2023 as well as expand CPR/AED training.
There is a supply of EAP pamphlets outside the HR Department for easy access for employees. The link to "HelpPeople" is also on the employee website.
All employees covered under the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Collective Bargaining Agreement receive the set of work rules for Onondaga County, which includes the prohibition of illegal substances in the workplace or coming to work or being under the influence of an intoxicant at work and the potential penalties for violations of these work rules.
Employees are invited to attend programming on campus geared toward students such as speakers/presenters on AOD topics.
The campus complies with all regulations regarding drug testing for persons who hold a CDL License or operate College vehicles.
Drivers of College vehicles have their drivers' licenses run against convictions through the LENS program, and they attend the NYS 6-hour Defensive Driving Class every three years. Form Jan 2021 to Dec 2022, 80 employees who drive College vehicles completed the class. The class covered the risks and consequences of drinking and driving and provides an overview of alcohol and drug topics related to impairment behind the wheel.
Employee health insurance includes coverage for addiction/substance abuse treatment for covered persons.
Any employee who seeks rehabilitation through an inpatient program may be eligible for an unpaid leave of absence in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act.

AOD Distribution Plan Procedures:

The annual AOD Notice is emailed as an “AllUser” to all employees and all students. The annual notice is provided to all new hires in a hard copy form and reviewed during their onboarding session in Human Resources. Hard copies are made and distributed to supervisors who have employees that do not typically check email (maintenance and custodial). The annual notice is posted on the employee intranet site.

Alcohol and Other Drug Policies are reviewed on a yearly basis and determined changes or additions are submitted to the College’s Executive Council for final approval. These changes are then updated on the college’s main website and are sent via email to all faculty, staff and students by OCC’s Assistant to the President with the coordinating link to each amended policy.

A copy of the Annual AOD Notice and/or copies of current and past Biennial Reviews are available to all students, staff and faculty members by contacting the Assistant Director of Human Resources- Enid Reiley.

Alcohol & Other Drug Policy Development and Enforcement:

Bystander Intervention Policy:

Onondaga Community College students are expected to be aware of their health and safety and encouraged to help fellow students when their health and safety is in danger. When a person’s health or safety is threatened due to consumption of alcohol, unlawful drugs, controlled substances and/or synthetic materials, or for other reasons, immediate action should be taken. This could include alerting medical personnel, Campus Safety and Security, or an appropriate college official.

In all cases, the incident will be documented. When determining the appropriate response in the conduct process, Student Conduct will consider actions taken by any student who seeks assistance on his or her own behalf or on behalf of another student experiencing a medical emergency related to consumption of alcohol, unlawful drugs, controlled substances and/or other synthetic materials. In some cases, College disciplinary sanctions may be reduced. This practice does not preclude action by Campus Safety and Security or other legal authorities

Alcohol and Other Drug Use Amnesty in Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Cases:

The health and safety of every student of the State University of New York and its New York state-operated colleges is of utmost importance. Onondaga Community College recognizes that students who have been drinking and/or using drugs (whether such use is voluntary or involuntary) at the time that violence, including, but not limited to, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault occurs, may be hesitant to report such incidents due to fear of potential consequences for their own conduct. The college strongly encourages students to report incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual assault to college officials. A bystander acting in good faith or a reporting individual acting in good faith who discloses any incident of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault to college officials or law enforcement will not be subject to the college's code of conduct action for violations of alcohol and/or drug use policies occurring at or near the time of the domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault incident. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the college's ability to provide amnesty in additional circumstances.

Safe Harbor:

Onondaga Community College has a Safe Harbor rule for students. Onondaga Community College believes that students who have a drug and/or addiction problem deserve help. If any Onondaga Community College student brings their own use, addiction, or dependency to the attention of Onondaga Community College officials outside the threat of conduct sanctions and seeks assistance, a conduct complaint will not be pursued. A written action plan may be used to track cooperation with the Safe Harbor program by the student. Failure to follow the action plan will nullify the Safe Harbor protection and campus conduct processes will be initiated.

Drugs/Controlled substances are defined in OCC’s Student Code of Conduct as the following:

Illegal drugs, look-alike drugs, or prescription drugs prescribed to another person, Salvia or other hallucinogens - Look-alike drugs include, but are not limited to "imitation drugs" or synthetic materials that are either not intended for human consumption or used to produce effects similar to an illegal drug or a substance or drug being used for an unintended purpose (e.g., synthetic cannabis, herbal incense, and or herbal smoking blends, bath salts, whip-its, and other similar products).

Prohibited Behaviors

The following are prohibited behaviors involving drugs on Onondaga Community College’s Campus:

#9. Drugs/Controlled Substances

Use or possession of drugs/controlled substances
Sale and/or distribution of drugs/controlled substances
Attendance at a gathering where controlled substances, illegal drugs, look-alike drugs or prescription drugs prescribed to another person have been used
1. 1. If, in on-campus housing, marijuana (odor, material, and/or residue) is positively identified by trained law enforcement personnel and (a) no one opens the door for Onondaga Community College Campus Safety Officers or Housing Staff or (b) no residents of that suite take responsibility for the behavior if found in a common/shared space, all residents of that living space will be held responsible for violating Code 9.3.

The following are prohibited behaviors involving drugs on Onondaga Community College’s Campus:

#10. Alcohol

Use or possession of alcohol
Sale and/or distribution of alcohol
Disorderly, destructive, or violent behavior to self or others while under the influence of alcohol
Attendance at a gathering where alcohol has been consumed

I. If, in on-campus housing, alcohol is found in a suite and no residents of that suite take responsibility for the alcohol found in a common/shared space, all residents of that living space will be held responsible for violating Code 10.4

Possible Sanctions for AOD related Policy Infractions

The following are potential sanctions for violating the Student Code of Conduct, sanctions include but are not limited to: parental notification, AOD Workshop, BASICS, CASICS, Screen-U, AUDIT or CUDIT screening, research or reflection papers, bulletin boards, probation, residence hall suspension, residence hall expulsion, involuntary removal from campus, potential criminal charges, campus suspension, and campus expulsion. Each hearing officer has been educated about potential sanctions and has available to them the OCC Sanction guidelines document. Alcohol and Other Drug violation sanctions are determined by offense type, number, and severity of violations committed. Additional sanctions may be imposed as a result of non-compliance. Conduct holds are placed on the accounts of students who fail to comply with required sanctions.

All students must not only follow the Onondaga Community College Student Code of Conduct but must also abide by all state and local laws and regulations.

In March of 2020, the world was hit by the global health pandemic COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic, the State University of New York (SUNY) issued all SUNY colleges a document entitled “Uniform Sanctioning in Response to COVID-19 Student Violations.” This document provides sanctions that must be adhered to considering the global pandemic. These policies became effective October 1^st, 2020. Although alcohol and drugs are not mentioned, this document contains additional sanction guidelines regarding attending or hosting on and off campus gatherings.

Continuing Needs Assessment Data:

Database Management:

Onondaga Community College utilizes a third-party student conduct tracking database (Maxient) to manage all incidents occurring on Onondaga Community College’s campus. This software provides an inclusive way to ensure that all incidents occurring on campus are documented, categorized in one central location and kept on file. Incidents, sanctions and hearing actions are organized in a manner that ensures all hearing officers and conduct staff can document incidents properly as well as document hearing outcomes and related sanctions. These records are kept behind an institutional firewall to ensure that we are protecting confidential student information.

Total Alcohol Cases=150

Total Drug Cases=112

Total AOD Cases=262

The table above represents the total number of alcohol or drug related cases, and the total of both from Spring of 2021 until end of the Fall Semester of 2022. The table below represents the total number of students found responsible for each specific alcohol or drug policy violation within stated timeframe.

Student Conduct Data Spring 2021-Fall 2022 Students Found Responsible
AOD Violation	Spring 2021	Fall 2021	Spring 2022	Fall 2022
10i. Use or possession of alcohol	4	37	26	25
10ii. Sale or distribution of alcohol	0	0	0	0
10iii. Disorderly, violent behavior under the influence	2	3	1	0
10iv. At a gathering where alcohol is being used/consumed	2	35	7	8
9i. Use or possession of drugs	8	29	16	34
9ii. At gathering where drugs are being used	0	16	3	6

This information above represents actual instances where students had been found responsible for AOD violations in 2021 and 2022. The last Code of Conduct edit occurred in Fall of 2022 and the term, "controlled substances" was added to any drug charges to encompass all possible substances.

OCC’s Environmental Prevention Project Final Report Findings:

In compliance with the NYS OASAS College Prevention Grant, OCC created a final grant report outlining the overall findings from the five-year grant initiative. Key findings relevant to AOD surveys and programming are outlined below.

30 Day Prevalence of Alcohol Use with OCC Students
	2017	2019	2021
Alcohol	45.3	45.3	48.7
Cannabis	18.9	22	31.3
Source: OCC RIA Survey Data 2017, 2019, 2021

Comparison of 30-day prevalence of alcohol use data remained relatively similar between 2017 and 2019 and saw an increase in the data from 2021. Based on the Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) survey, student cannabis use increased from 2017-2021 but this can be linked to a changing legalization landscape as well as a decrease in student perception of harm caused by cannabis use. Pandemic related stressors caused an increase of substance use throughout the country in 2020. We look forward to conducting additional surveys to determine if our increase in use data was pandemic related or if additional interventions need to be looked at for our population.

OCC Student AOD Related Transports by Year
	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Alcohol		3	1	2	1
Cannabis		3	0	3	0
Total	56	6	1	5	1
Source: OCC Campus Safety & Security 2022

OCC had 56 transports in Fall of 2016 before the start of grant initiatives. Data above shows a drastic decrease in the number of AOD related student transports over the five years of grant implementation.

OCC Student Protective Factors by Percentage
	2019	2021
Did not exceed set number of drinks	43.1	47.5
Alternate alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks	42.2	58.0
Source: OCC RIA Survey Data 2019, 2021

The coalition assisted CPC in increasing educational programming on campus with a focus on harm reduction strategies that included limiting number of drinks as well as safe drinking practices. Data shows a significant increase in positive protective factors.

30 Day Prevalence of Alcohol Use with OCC Students
	2017	2019
Yes	45.30%	43.3%
No	54.70%	56.70%

The chart above compares RIA Results from 2017 & 2019 regarding students who responded that they had used alcohol in the last 30 days. Our results have stayed somewhat consistent, it will be helpful for future social norms messaging to show that a little over half of our students have not drank in the last 30 days.

Future of AOD Prevention on OCC’s Campus Post OASAS Grant

Moving forward, OCC has decided to support this work by continuing to implement all chosen environmental prevention strategies. We will continue to collect student AOD use data to determine patterns and prioritize interventions in the future. Cultural competence and sustainability are integrated into all interventions and strategies and will continue to be prioritized.

OCC will continue to increase student screenings on campus by building additional capacity in different areas of the college as well as with all residential students.

At the conclusion of the grant, CPC will transition to the role of Assistant Director of Student Health and Wellness. This role will allow sustainability of many key aspects of the OASAS College Environmental Prevention Grant including but not limited to:

Continuing to act as co-chair of the campus coalition, Onondaga Cares About Prevention, by assisting in coordinating and facilitating coalition meetings and related activities
Developing and facilitating passive and active health education initiatives, with special emphasis on campus alcohol and drug prevention activities, collaborating with campus partners as appropriate
Assisting students in locating and/or obtaining community-based wellness resources
Facilitating AOD screening and brief intervention services for students on campus, including BASICS
Supporting and facilitating campus compliance requirements related to health education and AOD prevention

Campus Safety Data:

The Fall 2021 semester was met with increased patrols from Campus Safety. These increased patrols allowed for students on campus to see Campus Safety Officers and understand that their patrols were going to be a constant all year. Many students reported that the increase in patrols helped them feel safer and more comfortable reporting incidents.

Onondaga Community College has a Campus Safety department who operates with a motto of community policing. It is extremely important for the officers to build rapport and relationships with students in our campus community while they are patrolling as well as in everyday interactions. Campus Safety has a friendly and active presence on campus during the school year as well as in the summer. The College Prevention Coordinator (CPC) planned several on campus alcohol and drug educational awareness activities in which Campus Safety was involved and participating. Campus Safety has also added an anonymous tip reporting feature to their website. This allows students who are uncomfortable reporting in normal ways to have an anonymous way to report when things are occurring. We look forward in being able to review data on anonymous reporting to determine how often it is being utilized by our students and if this makes a difference in how enforcement can be conducted on campus.

Assessment of Above & Program Data with Goals and Outcomes:

“Goal 1: Increase Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) with all OCC students”

The number of OCC students screened has grown since the grant supports were implemented in 2017. 2020 saw the largest number of students screened as a partnership was established with Residence Life and Screen-U was sent to all current residential students in Spring 2020 at the start of the semester. The numbers may have remained consistent, if not for COVID-19 when all residential students were asked to leave campus and OCC did not return to typical capacity until Fall of 2021. We hope to re-establish this screening partnership in the future and continue to increase our SBIRT numbers in the years to come. These SBIRT numbers include all types of screenings implemented on OCC’s campus including: Screen-U Alcohol, Screen-U Cannabis, BASICS & CASICS, E-Checkup Alcohol, E-Checkup Cannabis, Wellscreen, AUDIT, and the CUDIT-R. A total of 25 OCC staff members were trained in SBIRT over the five years of the grant.

“Goal 2: Create a Campus Community Coalition with members from 12 sectors and work through the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to determine what strategies are needed on campus and assess and reevaluate as needed.”

Campus Community Coalition 2021 & 2022:

Numbers of coalition sectors represented by December, 2022	11
Numbers of monthly coalition meetings held during last two years	7
Numbers of coalition steering committee meetings	11
Number of work group or subcommittee meetings	10
Number of campus community events supported by coalition	34
Titles or topics of coalition related events Cookies, Condoms & Consent (2), Out of the Darkness Walk, Chalk the Walk Events (2), Alcohol Awareness Month (4), Pre- 4/20 Event, Open House Tabling (2), Stress Relief Events (2), Party on the Quad (2), Hidden Drug Culture Messages, Behind Closed Doors, SBIRT Training, Tabling Information Fair (2), Twisted Halloween Event (2), Lets Taco About Alcohol, Mental Health First Aid, Love Your Elephant, Finding Your Zen, Scavenger Hunt, National Umbrella Day, Cinco De Mayo Mocktail Event, Matt Bellace A Better High Speaking Event, Campus Wellbeing Days (2), Wellness Week Tabling
Total coalition meetings/events	73

Key areas of progress, notable accomplishments and challenges of the campus community coalition (e.g. increase in membership, bureaucratic barriers, etc.): The coalition was able to collaborate with some new departments on campus this past year. We worked with Campus Safety, Athletics, Human Resources, Counseling, Student Leadership & Engagement and Residence Life to hold several larger scale programs on campus for various groups of students. Coalition workgroups were held to plan and organize these larger scale events and allowed for participation of coalition members in ways that allowed them to see the progress made. At the conclusion of the OASAS grant, the coalition has remained sustainable and functions to help plan not only alcohol and other drug based educational activities on campus, but other wellness focused events in other areas such as mental health and sexual health education.

“Goal 3: Increase environmental and evidence-based prevention efforts on campus”

BASICS/CASICS

In January of 2018, 15 staff members from Residence Life, Conduct and AOD Prevention Office were trained to become BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students)/CASICS (Cannabis and Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) practitioners. This two-day training enabled all who attended with motivational interviewing skills as well as basic drug and alcohol information to effectively meet with all students sanctioned to BASICS/CASICS for alcohol or drug violations. BASICS and CASICS have been implemented since 2018 and 36 students have completed either program as of December 20th, 2022. This evidence-based strategy is currently being used as a second level drug or alcohol offense sanction. We look forward to continuing to offer BASICS and CASICS in the next two years and seeing the number of students who complete the program increase.

Continued Review of Alcohol and Other Drug Policies

Our Alcohol and Other Drug Policies are reviewed on an annual basis by the Onondaga Cares About Prevention Coalition. Any recommended changes are submitted to the Dean of Students who then submits approved changes to the Executive Council. Policies are reviewed based on feedback from hearing officers, Campus Safety and any alcohol and/or drug data collected for the year.

Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Education

AOD Policy education is done throughout the semester, with a focus on Residential Student awareness of policies in the first month of each semester. Targeted policy education is done in first level AOD Sanction meetings. Students are educated on OCC’s alcohol and drug policies and potential future sanctions for continuing to violate said policies.

“Goal 4”: Increase Prevention Programming & Information Dissemination related to Substance Use and Alcohol and Other Drugs

Key Training Events for Campus Community Coalition, Students, College Faculty/Staff and Community Stakeholders 2021-2022:

Title/Topic of Training Presenter Audience Participant #

Bystander Training (twice per year)	Sarah Magowan	RAs, RHDs	25
OCC Student AOD Trends- Pro Staff Training	Sarah Magowan	Students Rights, Responsibilities and Residence Life Staff	6
Behind Closed Doors & AOD Trends	Sarah Hartman & RHDs	RAs	25
New Faculty Orientation- AOD Services on Campus	Sarah Magowan	New Faculty Members	5
AOD On Campus- Jeopardy	Sarah Magowan	ResHall Students	60
Matt Bellace A Better High Speaking Event	Matt Bellace	Students, Staff & Faculty	75
Narcan Training	Prevention Network	Counseling Center & CCH Staff	20
Last Call Podcast with Sarah & Marissa	Marissa Whitaker & Sarah Magowan	SUNY OCC students, SUNY Cortland students, staff, and faculty	917 Downloads
Counseling Center Drug and Alcohol Trend Updates (once per year)	Sarah Magowan	Counseling Center & CCH Staff	10
		Total Participants Trained	226

Additional Comments: Alcohol and Other Drug Jeopardy was also done in all three residence halls as large-scale building programs. This program reviewed campus policies, laws, harm reduction, and educational information about alcohol and drugs. This program was completed in all four residence halls before Halloween, as this is a potentially high-risk drinking holiday. In addition, The Last Call Podcast with Sarah and Marissa was created. This is an Alcohol and Other Drug Topic focused podcast was created in partnership with SUNY Cortland. A total of 26 podcasts were released on various alcohol and other drug topics ranging from cannabis, anatomy of a hangover, facts and myths about alcohol, and keeping the balance. A total of 917 podcast downloads occurred from the first episode in August of 2021 until the last episode released in December of 2022. The podcast is available here, or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts!

Alcohol and Other Drug Program Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths:

Organization-wide, top down message of zero tolerance.
Having a “Prevention Specialist” on staff who has expertise in the area of drug and alcohol use, abuse and prevention is important and helpful to our message and allows access to newest drug and alcohol information and topics based on regular professional development.
The Safety Committee meets monthly while classes are in session and reviews all employees’ accidents and injuries.
A member of Human Resources continues to sit on the Alcohol & Other Drug Coalition (formed in October 2017) which meets to review and discuss potential alcohol and other drug policy changes or current issues on campus.
The Onondaga Cares About Prevention Coalition (formed in October 2018) contains representation from campus and community members. This coalition meets every month to discuss and work on environmental prevention strategies based on current needs assessments and Maxient incident data.
Procedures are in place for random drug testing for those holding class CDL licenses. Currently, two employees hold CDL licenses.
Funds are available for the Employee Assistance Program (“HelpPeople”).
Available support in Human Resources-The Assistant Vice President, Labor Relations at the College is available to address concerns about employee behavior that may include substance use or abuse.
Before an employee works, he/she is provided information on the EAP benefit.
EAP information is folded in to other training programs such as Prevention of Workplace Violence. A link to EAP has been added to the employee website.
A member from Human Resources has been on the Smoke-Free Campus work group and was involved in the successful implementation of a smoke-free campus effective in July of 2021.
OCC’s 9th President, Dr. Warren Hilton, organized a Wellbeing” Committee which is charged with providing healthy activities for students and employees. The Committee is made up of employees from around campus as well as students.

Areas for Continued Improvement:

Advertising/promotion of EAP services is not on going or “in your face” after hire.
Other than random drug testing for employees with CDL licenses, there is no other random drug testing performed, which may send a message that it will not be uncovered or is not important.
Our Collective Bargaining Agreement(s) may limit our ability as an employer to perform random drug testing or to mandate the use of the Employee Assistance Program.
Due to the conclusion of the OASAS College Prevention grant, there is not currently a budget for a lot of fund-requiring prevention activities. Assistant Director of Student Health & Wellness will continue to conduct no or low-cost programming and work with the Grant’s Office to examine potential grant opportunities that could benefit our college student population.
The Wellbeing Committee utilized COVID funds to develop fall programming. These funds will not be available beginning in spring, 2023. The Committee will be responsible for raising funds to support activities which can become a challenge.

Employee AOD Goals for next Biennium:

Increase safety training and safety awareness for those driving any type of College vehicle, not just those with CDL licenses.
Continue to offer and ensure compliance with Defensive Driving for those required to drive College vehicles.
Work with the Assistant Director of Student Health and Wellness to ensure employees have access to applicable alcohol and other drugs seminars.
Utilize the new Hirezon Applicant Tracking System to store and send new hires the Annual AOD Notice so that they can read it prior to their first day of employment.
Explore resources such as EduRisk and those from OneGroup and MEMIC on alcohol and drug free workplaces.
Offer more virtual and in-person (when allowed) programming from EAP.

Student AOD Program Goals for Next Biennium:

Continue ongoing needs assessment to determine and evaluate alcohol and other drug interventions
Implement a pre and posttest in AOD Workshop to determine effectiveness of intervention (this did not happen in 2021-2022 due to Covid and a decline of students referred to AOD workshops)
Increase SBIRT numbers on campus with a focus on Residential Students
Increase AOD Programming and trainings on campus
Policy education with students about existing and new AOD Policies

Conclusion:

At SUNY Onondaga Community College, it is our priority to focus efforts on Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention and ensure that we follow and comply with Edgar Part 86 Drug Free Schools & Campus Regulations. OCC has developed a comprehensive Alcohol and Other Drug Program that aims to educate students on the potential harms of alcohol and drug misuse and ensure that we are implementing needed evidence based and environmental prevention efforts. We look forward to reevaluating our program again in 2024. For additional information please see our updated “Annual Drug Free Workplace Notice” or contact the Assistant Director of Student Health & Wellness- Sarah Magowan at 315-498-2403 or by email at s.j.magowan@sunyocc.edu.