More than a dozen recommendations made by the SMU Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention have been implemented since April. Implementation of other recommendations is in progress, with a goal of acting on all 36 of the suggestions accepted by President R. Gerald Turner.
The initiatives are intended to foster a community in which academic achievement is the highest priority, students look out for themselves and each other and they make the best use of resources and assistance, says Vice President for Student Affairs Lori White.
New initiatives include:
Caring Community Connections Program, an online process for registering reports of students in distress, enabling the dean of students to follow up on urgent matters or take other action.
The Call for Help Program, encouraging students to seek medical assistance for themselves (Medical Amnesty) or for another person (Good Samaritan) at high risk due to substance abuse. Students who seek help will now not normally be subject to the discipline process at SMU, though they will participate in educational programs.
Students listen to Jampact perform a weeknight jazz concert at the Hughes-Trigg Varsity.
Social Event Registration, requiring student organizations to register most on-campus and off-campus events through the Office of Student Life. For some events, organizers are required to meet in advance with the Social Event Registration Committee.
Law-Enforcement Partnership, in which SMU collaborates with University Park police to share a police officer on the North Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, which consists of area police departments and federal agencies.
Parental Notification of a first offense of a substance abuse or alcohol violation.
Late-Night Options, including expanded hours of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center and Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, and a Late Night Programming Grant Fund.
Extended Health Center Hours and Services, open overnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; availability of a paramedic and an emergency medical technician during the night hours; and a mobile intensive care unit for immediate transport to area hospitals.
AlcoholEdu, a newly required online alcohol education program.
SMU also is participating in ALOUD (Alliance on Underage Drinking), which includes representatives from local and state agencies, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and local hospitals.
SMU also clarified explanation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and developed a Web site for permission to release FERPA information.
To strengthen a culture of academic achievement and accountability, SMU also implemented several academic recommendations, including scheduling more Friday classes, encouraging faculty to take class attendance, asking faculty to help identify students at risk and providing early grade reports.
White says that although wise student choices are the ultimate protection against substance abuse, SMU is committed to a proactive approach, to be monitored by the new Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention and communicated through print and electronic materials. “We are dedicated to providing a campus environment that encourages good decision-making, responsible behavior and personal and intellectual growth,” she said.