Alcohol and Drug Policies

Alcohol Policy

The College follows city and state regulations regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. All members of the college community are expected to abide by the laws of the state, to conduct themselves in a manner reflecting credit on themselves and the College, and to share responsibility for the functioning of this policy.

The provisions of this policy are as follows:

Possession of alcohol anywhere on campus by anyone under the age of 21 is a violation of the College alcohol policy.
The possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages for those 21 years of age and over is permitted in a students’ housing unit (residence hall room/suite/apartment/house etc.) only if certain requirements are met:
1. In housing units that are comprised of one room (Newman, Guadalupe, etc.):
  1. Alcohol is never permitted in any capacity if any of the residents of that room are under the age of 21.
  2. If all residents of the room are 21 or over, beer and alcoholic beverages are permitted if there are no guests under 21 in the room when alcohol is being consumed.
2. In housing units that have common spaces such as a lounge, kitchen, etc. that normally house more than two residents (Row House, Campus House, Legacy, Elizabeth, McDonald, etc.): The regulated spaces in these units are separated into bedrooms and common spaces.
  1. If all residents of the housing unit are 21 or over, beer and alcoholic beverages are permitted in both the common spaces and the bedrooms if no guests under 21 are presentwhen alcohol is being consumed.
  2. If you live in a unit where some but not all residents are 21 or over, you should review the FAQ Alcohol Sheet and speak with your Residence Director as it may be possible that alcohol can be kept and consumed in a bedroom of your housing unit.
  3. If some but not all of the residents of your housing unit are 21, alcohol can never be kept or consumed in any of your common spaces.
  4. If none of the residents of your housing unit are 21, alcohol is never permitted in any capacity in your housing unit.
Consumption of alcohol is never permitted in any residential space on campus if there is a minor present. Regardless of who is drinking/not drinking, if alcohol is being consumed with a minor present, all parties present are in violation of the College alcohol policy.
Residents assigned to a housing unit are responsible for any violations of College policy (including the alcohol policy) that occur in their housing unit whether they are present or not.
Regardless of age, (even if you are 21 or over) consumption of alcohol by students anywhere on campus in areas that are not designated drinking areas (apartment where all residents are 21 or over, College sanctioned beer garden, etc.) is a violation of the college policy. Drinking alcohol in parking lots, apartment breezeways, lawns etc. is a violation of the College alcohol policy.
Students who are 21 may host a function with alcohol on campus with prior approval from the Student Life Office.
All alcohol must be packaged and unopened when brought onto the campus and transported to sanctioned drinking areas such as an apartment where every resident is 21 or over.
Kegs are not allowed in the residence halls or at any student event unapproved by the Student Life Office. In addition to all violators receiving alcohol policy violation outcomes, kegs/taps that are found will be confiscated by the College and not returned.
Empty beer and alcoholic beverage containers are not permitted in non-21 year old rooms or common spaces in the residence halls. Possession of empty containers will be treated as full violations of the College alcohol policy.
While there is no magic number which distinguishes between a few friends drinking and a party, some limits on number have been set in an attempt to give some guidelines. There may be no more than eight (8) people in a room or sixteen (16) in a McDonald suite; Kremmeter, Legacy, Lemke & Wolf Apartment; Row House; St. Joseph Suite; or campus house, when drinking occurs. Guests whose behavior is unacceptable will be requested to leave the residence hall and/or the College premises. If they refuse to leave, the police will be notified and the college will press charges of trespassing.

Intimidation or harassment of a residence hall director, resident assistant or college official in connection with problems due to drinking, or the refusal to follow their directives, may result in immediate suspension.

No individual or group may interfere with the atmosphere that is expected in the residence halls where the primary purpose is the educational pursuits of residents.

Failure to follow alcohol policies will result in disciplinary action. During such an incident, the student’s ID will be requested and must be presented upon the request of a college official.

This policy does not sanction drinking parties of any kind in residents’ rooms, but is intended to allow moderate drinking by residents, who are of age, in their room with a reasonable number of guests.

If a student is ever unclear on the alcohol policy, they are encouraged to meet with a College staff member (Residence Director, etc.) to gain clarity on College policy.

Benedictine College Alcohol Example FAQ

All residents of the room or apartment are under 21.

Can I drink in my bedroom? No.

Can I drink in my lounge? No.

Can others, who are 21, drink in my bedroom or lounge? No.

Can we store alcohol in our bedrooms or lounge? No.

Can we have empty alcohol bottles in our bedrooms or lounge as decoration? No.

All residents of the room or apartment are 21.

Can I drink in the presence of a minor? No.

Can I drink in my bedroom? Yes, if there are no minors present.

Can I drink in my lounge? Yes, if there are no minors present.

Can I drink in my bedroom if there is a minor in the lounge? Yes, with the door closed and there are no minors present in your bedroom.

Can we store alcohol in our bedrooms or lounge? Yes.

Can we display empty alcohol bottles in our bedroom or lounge as a decoration? No.

I’m 21, my roommate’s 21, one of our suitemates is 21, but the other suitemate is 20.

Can I drink in the presence of a minor? No.

Can I drink in my bedroom? Yes, with the door closed if there are no minors present.

Can we drink in the lounge, if the under 21 suitemate is in their bedroom with the door closed? No.

Can we drink in the lounge, if the under 21 suitemate is gone for the weekend? No, it doesn’t matter that the under 21 housemate is gone for the weekend or at class etc., drinking in the common areas will always/still be a violation of the alcohol policy.

Can I store alcohol in my bedroom? Yes.

Can I store alcohol in my lounge? No.

Can we display empty alcohol bottles in our bedroom or lounge as a decoration? No.

I’m 21, my roommate’s 20, and both of my suitemates are 21.

Can I drink in the presence of a minor? No.

Can I drink in my room if my roommate is gone? No.

Can I drink in my suitemates’ room? Yes, with the door closed if there are no minors present.

Can we drink in the lounge, if the under 21 suitemate is in their bedroom with the door closed? No.

Can we drink in the lounge, if the under 21 suitemate is gone for the weekend? No.

Can I store alcohol in my bedroom? No.

Can I store alcohol in my suitemates’ bedroom? Yes, if they let you.

Can I store alcohol in my lounge? No.

Can we display empty alcohol bottles in our bedroom or lounge as a decoration? No.

Drug and Controlled Substance Policy

Benedictine College has a well-defined policy on both illicit drugs and controlled substance usage for its students. Existing policies prohibit the unlawful possession, use, and distribution of illicit drugs/drug paraphernalia by students on College property or as a part of college-sanctioned activities.

All members of the college community are expected to abide by state and federal laws, to conduct themselves in a manner reflecting credit on themselves and the College, and to share responsibility for the functioning of this policy.

Implementation

The following behaviors would specifically violate the Benedictine College drug policy:

The unlawful manufacture, distribution, and dispensation of controlled substances.
The possession or use of controlled substances without a physician’s prescription.
Possession or use of illegal drugs/drug paraphernalia.

Examples

Possession and or usage of any amount of marijuana is a direct violation of Benedictine College’s drug policy.
Possession and or usage of drug paraphernalia including but not limited to marijuana pipes, marijuana grinders, bongs, etc. is a direct violation of Benedictine College’s drug policy.
Possession and or usage of controlled substances without a prescription (e.g., possession and or usage of Adderall without a prescription) is a direct violation of Benedictine College’s drug policy.

Controlled substances include narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and performance-enhancing substances deemed illegal to possess without a doctor’s prescription by federal or state statutes. Illicit usage or abuse of controlled substances does not include use pursuant to a valid prescription or other uses authorized by law.

Failure to follow the drug and controlled substance policies will result in disciplinary action by Benedictine College. Violations of this policy are serious in nature and the outcomes given will reflect the severity of the violation. Specific determination of consequences in each case will be made by the appropriate College administrator and any applicable hearing or conduct boards. Consequences for students discovered in violation of the drug policy may include: notification of law enforcement officials, $500.00 fine, drug assessment, notification of parents, drug testing, probation, suspension or dismissal from school.