Amnesty/Good Samaritan Policy
The safety and well-being of students is a Maryville University priority. Because students’ concern of possible formal conduct action may deter their desire to seek medical attention for themselves or others, the University has adopted this Amnesty/Good Samaritan Policy to remove barriers for students seeking medical attention in alcohol and drug-related incidents. The purpose of this Amnesty/Good Samaritan Policy is to encourage students to offer help and assistance to other students in need.
Endangered Student: any student whose physical or mental safety is impaired and is in need of emergency medical assessment and possibly treatment or other professional support and assistance. The sources of impairment may be, but are not limited to, alcohol abuse, alcohol poisoning, drug use, or drug overdose.
Assisting Student: any student trying to assist an “Endangered Student” by seeking help.
Maryville University students seeking immediate medical assistance for themselves, as an Endangered Student, experiencing alcohol or drug-related emergencies may be granted amnesty from formal conduct action by the University for violating alcohol and/or drug policies as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct provided that any such violations did not and do not place the health or safety of any other person at issue. In a situation where such amnesty is granted, formal conduct charges will be deferred, and will be dismissed upon successful completion of an approved alcohol and/or drug education/intervention program. Failure to successfully complete the education and/or intervention program will result in charges of a policy violation(s).
In situations where Assisting Students are seeking help for Endangered Students, the University will consider the positive impact of the Assisting Student’s actions when determining any corresponding disciplinary actions. The University will strive to balance the Assisting Student’s actions against the series of choices that led to the emergency situation. Without question, when an Assisting Student acts responsibly to assist an Endangered Student, such actions will be viewed positively by the University when determining whether any conduct actions are necessary. At the discretion of the Dean of Students, an Assisting Student and/or a witness participating in an investigation concerning possible conduct violations or student grievances may also be granted amnesty under the same conditions outlined in this policy requiring completion of an approved alcohol and/or drug education/intervention program. In other cases, when the Assisting Student’s actions prior to seeking help, or a witness’s actions prior to participating in any investigation, negatively contributed to the Endangered Student’s situation, some formal conduct action may be imposed.
This Amnesty/Good Samaritan Policy does not shield or protect those who flagrantly or repeatedly violate University policy. In cases where repeated violations occur, or the violations are considered especially egregious, the University reserves the right to initiate formal conduct action on a case-by-case basis, regardless of the manner in which the incident was reported. Additionally, students granted medical amnesty may still be held accountable for any other violations of the Student Code of Conduct related to an incident including, but not limited to, endangering the health or safety of others, fire safety violations, vandalism, failure to comply, etc.
This policy provides amnesty only from violations of Maryville University’s Student Code of Conduct. It does not grant amnesty from criminal or civil consequences for violations of federal, state, or local law.
Policy Revised July 2020