Wildcat Statue

Medical Amnesty Policy

Medical Amnesty Policy

Purpose:
Northern Michigan University has instituted a Medical Amnesty Policy in order to ensure that students receive prompt and appropriate attention for alcohol or other drug related emergencies, and that there are no barriers to seeking such assistance.

Applicability:
Students

Policy:
In those instances in which a student calls the NMU Police Department, other NMU staff, or another health and safety entity for assistance with an alcohol or other drug related emergency, neither the individual calling nor the student in need of assistance will face formal conduct action by the Dean of Students Office regarding violations of alcohol and other drug policies.  Amnesty applies only to alcohol and other drug violations.  In order to qualify for medical amnesty, medical attention must be received at the time of the incident.

If intoxicated/impaired students demonstrate a reckless or habitual lack of care concerning their well-being and the well-being of the campus community, a member of the Dean of Students Office staff will determine the actions necessary to protect the welfare of the student and the campus community.

A representative of an organization hosting an event is expected to promptly call, at the time of the incident, for medical assistance in an alcohol or other drug related emergency. This act of responsibility may lessen the student conduct consequences against the organization resulting from Student Code violations that have occurred at the time of the incident. Likewise, failure to call for medical assistance in an alcohol or other drug related emergency will be considered an "aggravating circumstance" and may affect the student conduct resolution against the organization if Student Code violations have occurred.

This policy is designed to save lives. The spirit of the Medical Amnesty Policy is that we all have an ethical responsibility to help people in need. There is an expectation that students will take active steps to protect the safety and well-being of our community.

In order to promote student safety and to prevent harm in regards to appropriate attention for alcohol or other drug emergencies, the University has instituted a Medical Amnesty Policy, applicable to:

  • A student requesting medical assistance for himself/herself,
  • A student seeking medical assistance for another person, and
  • The student for whom medical assistance was sought.

For person(s) in need of medical attention:

If help is sought from NMU staff, and/or a student receives an emergency medical assessment by the NMU Police Department or another health and safety entity related to his or her consumption of alcohol or other drugs, he or she will not be subject to formal student conduct action.

A person in need of medical attention is eligible to request medical amnesty on one occasion during his/her enrollment at NMU.  Further requests for medical amnesty will be presented to the student conduct board as a case file review.  The student conduct board will determine if the case will proceed through the formal student conduct system.

In order to qualify for medical amnesty, the student must:

  • Receive a medical assessment at the time of the incident,
  • Meet with a representative from the Dean of Students Office, or designee,
  • Agree to comply with the conditions set forth by the representative. These conditions may include, but are not limited to, parental notification, alcohol or other drug education/assessment, a follow-up appointment with Counseling & Consultation Services and/or the Health Promotion Office.

If these conditions are met, the incident will not become part of the student's conduct record. If the student does not follow assigned conditions, she or he does not qualify for medical amnesty and is subject to the formal conduct process as provided by the University’s Student Code of Conduct.

A student has the option to decline medical amnesty.  A person in need of medical attention is eligible for medical amnesty on one occasion during his/her enrollment at NMU.  A student calling for help, on behalf of another student, is eligible for medical amnesty every time.

Calling on behalf of someone else:

A student who calls for emergency assistance on behalf of a person experiencing an alcohol or other drug related emergency will not be subject to formal student conduct action for the following Code violations in relation to the incident:

  • underage possession/use of alcohol or other drugs

The caller will not be required to disclose where the alcohol or other drugs were obtained.

The caller, if an NMU student, will be required to meet with a member of the Dean of Students Office, or designee, to discuss the incident and available resources.

Actions Not Protected by Medical Amnesty:

Amnesty will apply to medical emergencies involving alcohol or other drugs but does not apply to other prohibited conduct such as noise, disorderly conduct, sexual assault, physical assault, property damage, etc.

Date Approved:6-18-2015
Last Revision:6-18-2015
Last Reviewed:6-18-2015
Approved By:Board of Trustees
Oversight Unit:DEAN OF STUDENTS