Policies

Policies Guiding Principles

The athletics department has a department-wide, written policy prohibiting substance misuse, incorporating standards consistent with federal legislation, state law, and NCAA regulations. Student-athletes are engaged in the policy review process, which occurs at least every two to three years. There are medical amnesty and safe harbor policies that provide protection for individuals and teams, guard against retaliation, and reduce stigma for seeking help. Policies clearly define adjudication and appeal procedures and list the range of sanctions for individuals and teams. Policies and procedures are well disseminated to all athletics personnel and are applied uniformly across teams and individuals.

Evidence-Based Strategies to Address Policies

The College Alcohol Intervention Matrix (CollegeAIM) was created by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to help schools select evidence-based programs for substance misuse prevention. Interventions listed below are rated by higher, moderate or lower effectiveness or there is mixed evidence/too few studies to rate effectiveness.  As you develop your action plan, first consider the items below with higher levels of effectiveness.

Higher effectiveness:

Moderate effectiveness:

Lower effectiveness:

Mixed evidence/too few studies to rate effectiveness

Programs developed by past APPLE attendees:

Division I

Drug and Alcohol Policy - The Ohio State University

  • This comprehensive policy includes education, drug testing, sanctioning, and referral. This is a link to the student-athlete handbook.

Alcohol and Drug Education and Testing Program - University of California, Irvine

  • The policy provides information on alcohol & other drug education, banned substances, drug testing selection & procedures, sanctions, counseling options, Safe Harbour program and appeals.

Division II

Substance Abuse Policy - Shippensburg University

  • A detailed policy document that outlines the Athletic Department's philosophy/principles on substance use and sanctions for alcohol, marijuana and illicit drug use.

Student-Athlete Handbook (p. 14) - Concordia University

  • The policy addresses alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and dietary supplements, includes provisions for testing due to reasonable suspicion and provides a statement of support for students in recovery.

Student-Athlete Drug Testing & Education Policy - Adams State University

  • A detailed policy that includes educational requirements for all student-athletes, responsibilities of Athletics Department staff, and a detailed Safe Harbour program.

Division III

Drug Testing Policy - Salisbury University

  • A detailed policy document that outlines the policy purpose, policies for alcohol and for banned substances, the testing process, separate sanctions for alcohol and banned substances and the parental notification policy.

Drug Testing Policy (section 4 of the Student-Athlete Handbook) - Wilson College

  • A comprehensive policy that provides detailed descriptions of the testing procedure, sanctions, and self-referral process. Provides many examples of how they educate their students on the policy and on banned substances.