Biennial Review of Monroe Community College's Alcohol and Other Drug Programs

Mission

Monroe Community College, through access to affordable academic programs, leads excellence and innovation in higher education, inspires diverse students to transform their lives and communities, drives regional economic development, and builds global engagement and understanding.

Committee Members

John Delate (Co-Chair)
Associate Vice President, Student Services

Dolores Pasto-Ziobro (Co-Chair)
Institutional Compliance Office and Internal Auditor, Compliance and Internal Audit

Aaron Bouyea
Director, Athletics

Jacqueline Carson
Director, Health Services

Jamia Danzy
Director, Housing and Residence Life

Kimberly DeLardge
Interim Director, Retention & Student Services

Kristin Lowe
Director, Human Resources

Virginia Geer-Mentry
Executive Director, MCC Association, Inc.

Amy Greer
Director, Student Rights and Responsibilities

Rick Sadwick
Associate Director, Registration and Records

Darrell Jachim-Moore
Associate Vice President, Administrative Services

Terry Keys
Associate Vice President, Academic Services

Ryan Messenger
Assistant to the Vice President, Student Services

Yolanda Johnson
Manager, Campus Events

Jodi Oriel
Director, Office of Student Life and Leadership Development

Michael Quinn
Controller, Administrative Services

Aubrey Zamiara
Director, Counseling Center and Disability Services

I. Overview

The Drug Free Schools and Campuses Regulations (34 CFR Part 86) of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) require an institution of higher education (IHE) such as Monroe Community College (MCC) to certify that it has adopted and implemented programs to prevent the abuse of alcohol and use of or distribution of illicit drugs by MCC students and employees both on its premises and as part of any of its activities. At a minimum each institution of higher education must annually distribute the following in writing to all students and employees:

  • Standards of conduct that clearly prohibit the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees.
  • A description of the legal sanctions under local, state, or federal law for the unlawful possession or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol.
  • A description of any drug or alcohol counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation or re-entry programs that are available to employees or students.
  • A clear statement that the institution will impose sanctions on students and employees and a description of those sanctions, up to and including expulsion or termination of employment and referral for prosecution.
  • The law further requires that the institution conduct a biennial review of its program with the following objectives:

    1. determining the effectiveness of the policy and implementing changes to the alcohol and other drug (AOD) programs if they are needed, and
    2. to ensure that the sanctions developed are enforced.

The biennial review must also include a determination as to 1) the number of drug and alcohol-related violations and fatalities occurring on the campus or as part of their activities that are reported to campus officials and 2) the number and type of sanctions the IHE imposes on students or employees as a result of such violations.

MCC acknowledges its legal obligation to conduct a biennial review for compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to determine if the College fulfills the requirements of the aforementioned Federal regulations.

The following College departments provided information for the report:

  • Academic Services
  • Administrative Services
  • Athletics
  • Campus Events
  • Counseling Center and Disability Services
  • Health Services
  • Housing and Residence Life
  • Human Resources
  • Institutional Research
  • Institutional Compliance and Internal Audit
  • Office of Student Life and Leadership Development
  • Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
  • Public Safety
  • Office of Student Services


MCC’s Biennial Review Committee used the Department of Education’s Complying with the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations Guide including the Compliance Checklist and Supplemental Checklist to conduct the biennial review. The intention of this document is to meet the legal requirements of conducting a biennial review and to also summarize the programs and activities related to alcohol and drug prevention on Monroe Community College’s campuses during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years.

II. MCC Drug and Alcohol Prevention Policy

Monroe Community College’s Drug and Alcohol Prevention Policy is attached – Appendix A. The policy is reviewed on a three-year cycle and was last approved by the MCC Board of Trustees on March 7, 2016. As required by The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act the policy contains the following information:

  • Standards of conduct that prohibit unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol on its property or as a part of its activities
  • A description of the health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and abuse of alcohol
  • A list of applicable legal sanctions under local, state or federal law
  • A description of counseling or treatment programs available to employees and students
  • A statement and description of the disciplinary sanctions the institution will impose on students and employees

New York State Laws Governing Alcohol

All Monroe Community College students are responsible for complying with the New York State laws, which include the following:

  1. Persons under 21 found possessing alcohol may be given a maximum fine of $50.
  2. Anyone convicted of fraudulently using a driver’s license to buy or to attempt to buy alcohol may have his driver’s license suspended for up to 90 days.
  3. Persons convicted of buying alcohol through fraudulent means face a possible $100 fine and/or being required to do up to 30 hours of community service work.

A violation of any state law regarding alcohol is also a violation of the Monroe Community College conduct regulations and will be treated as a separate disciplinary matter by the College.

Behavior that disrupts the educational environment, causes public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creates a risk to people and/or property, even though motivated by alcohol, is a violation of law and college conduct regulations.

Additional policies and guidelines which provide information related to alcohol and drugs can be found on the following website links as well as in designated offices:

III. Distribution of MCC's Drug and Alcohol Prevention Policy

The federally mandated MCC Drug and Alcohol Prevention Policy is distributed through the Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report to all enrolled students and staff and is made available to all potential students and new employees. Each year, all enrolled students as well as all employees receive an email notification by no later than October 1 of the year describing how to access the report electronically. Prospective students and employees are also provided information on accessing the report either electronically or hard copy. Print versions of the report are distributed to select offices at each campus location.

The MCC Drug and Alcohol Prevention Policy is also available for employees on the Employee Policy Website and the College Catalog provides students with information for viewing the Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report which contains the policy. Additionally, there is a direct link to the MCC Drug and Alcohol Prevention Policy on the Student Consumer Information webpage for prospective students, parents, guidance counselors, coaches, and the public.

IV. MCC's Alcohol and Drug Program Goals

Monroe Community College believes that the illegal use of drugs and alcohol presents a serious health and safety hazard to the college community and interferes with educational and occupational success. The College fully complies with the Drug-Free School and Communities Act of 1989 to prohibit the illegal possession, consumption and distribution of drugs and alcohol on college property, during classes and at activities officially sponsored by the College.