M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
Learning Objectives:
M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan participants who attend this session will be able to:
 Recite Code of Student Conduct policies related to Alcohol, Drugs, and Shared Responsibility
 Utilize knowledge of WKU’s alcohol and drug policies in decision making.
*This session is intended to create a dialogue between presenters and students so that students can gain insights for making responsible choices regarding alcohol and drugs.
Duration of Presentation: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Materials Needed:
Presenter’s Guide
Access to the Office of Judicial Affairs website http://www.wku.edu/judicialaffairs/student-code-of-conduct.php
Introduction (5 Minutes)
Welcome to “Walk the Line!” In this session, I hope to provide you with information about alcohol and drug policies at WKU that will empower you to make choices that will help you meet your academic and college career goals. I recognize that alcohol can be a distraction for some students at WKU. Some students may choose to experiment with alcohol or drug use for the first time. Other students come to
WKU with established habits for alcohol and drug use, and choose to continue those habits while in college. While many other students will choose to abstain from alcohol or drug use while underage, or even during or after graduating from WKU.
Regardless of which student of the three types I just mentioned you are, I hope, during the next 60 minutes, to help you explore your beliefs about alcohol and drugs, and inform you of the university’s expectations so that you can make decisions regarding alcohol and drugs that will help you achieve your personal and academic goals while attending WKU.
There are three goals associated with this M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan session. These goals include:
1.
Familiarizing you with WKU’s policies related to Alcohol, Drugs and Shared Responsibility,
2.
Engaging you in interactive case studies of incidents that occurred last year, that deterred students from realizing their full academic potential, and
3.
Empowering you to make informed decisions about alcohol and/or drug use.
Presenter’s Notes: Refer to “Presenter’s Notes” for additional tips and information to share with students in this session.
Walk the Line (40 Minutes)
Before we begin, we need to divide the class into teams of five. For this activity, we are going to have a series of five case studies that will require you to make a choice. Each team will be responsible for reading a case study and deciding the outcome of the student. Every team will be asked to give their choice and the rationale, but the ultimate decision will be offered by the team reading the case study. If there is interest and enough time at the end of the presentation, the outcomes of the other choices will be shown.
1

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
Line #1:
You just started your first semester at WKU, you are getting settled into your new surroundings and beginning to make friends. You are assigned to complete a group project in one of your classes. You all meet up at someone’s house off campus. Everyone has decided to drink instead of completing the project. “It’s college, lighten up!” One of your friends yells; "We have all semester to get it finished.” The project is split up into equal parts, should you stay or go back to your hall and finish your part?
Stay, But Do Not Drink:
You decide to stay and drink with your friends. At the end of the night you and your friends are intoxicated and need to get home. When you get back to your residence hall, the Desk Clerk notices your obvious intoxication and notifies the RA on-call. The RA on-call stops by your room to check on you, and shares that she will need to complete an Incident Report.
When you meet with the Hall Director you decide to be honest and explain what happened the night of the incident. Due to you drinking underage, and coming back to campus intoxicated; you are found responsible for violating WKU’s Alcohol policy.
Go Back to Your Hall:
You go home to complete your portion of the project. Your roommate, who is also in your group, stayed to drink with your friends. When she returns to the residence hall, she is intoxicated and loud, keeping you up later than you had planned for your 8am class the next morning. You confront your roommate about her drinking and behavior. You tell her you do not appreciate her keeping you up late because you almost overslept and missed your 8am class. You talk to her about completing a Roommate Lifestyle Agreement.
Your roommate and other friends become distant when they realize you do not plan to drink with them. You complete your portion of the project and slowly see less and less of them. You eventually make new friends who are more supportive of your choices.
Explanation
From the WKU Code of Student Conduct: Alcohol Policy
 Violation of federal, state, and local laws
 Underage consumption, possession, furnishing, and/or distribution of alcohol, on- AND off-campus
 Driving under the influence
 Public intoxication (this includes common areas in the residence halls)
 Alcohol intoxication (found passed out, or considered to be a threat to self or others)
 Consumption, possession, and/or furnishing of alcoholic beverages (including wine and beer) by student residents of campus housing AND/OR guests of student in residence
 Prohibits the use of rapid consumption devices and drinking games including, but not limited to:
 Kegs, bongs, funnels, and beer pong
 Three Strike Rule
 Any student found in violation of the Alcohol Policy three times in any one-year period may be suspended from the University for a minimum of one semester.
 Strike One: may result in Disciplinary Agreement
 Strike Two: may result in Disciplinary Probation
 Strike Three: may result in immediate or deferred suspension per University
Disciplinary Committee
Alcohol is prohibited in the residence halls. This includes decorative alcohol containers.
2

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
Presenter’s Notes: Any student found in violation of the Alcohol Policy three times in any one-year period may be suspended from the University for a minimum time period of one semester.
Alcohol Amnesty Program:
Students who seek medical attention for themselves or for whom medical assistance was sought related to consumption of alcohol, drugs and/or activities related to inducing an altered state may not be charged with violations of the WKU Student Code of Conduct related to alcohol or drugs provided they comply with specific conditions.
Expectations to be followed:
1. Call WKUPD, 911, notify an RA, Hall Director, or any other University Official
2. Remain with the student seeking medical emergency assistance until help arrives
3. Cooperate with University Officials following the incident
In some cases judicial actions may be reduced or not imposed. In all cases, the incident will be documented in the student's conduct file. Participation in any program as a result of this policy shall not be noted on the student's judicial record.
So what happens if I’m found responsible for violating the Alcohol Policy?
• First offense:
• Sanctioned to attend the Alcohol Education Program: 90-minute interactive session designed to re-educate you about campus policies and further examine your alcohol-related decision making
• Submit a reflection paper that outlines what you learned and how you will apply what you learned to future decision making.
• Sign a Disciplinary Agreement: you’ll agree not to violate the Alcohol Policy again.
• Notify your parents: if you’re under the age of 21, you’ll be required to complete a Parental
Notification Letter, which will be sent to your parents or legal guardians.
Examples of Alcohol Policy Violations
• Empty alcohol containers in the trash can
• Empty alcohol containers used as decoration (i.e. vases, highlighter bottles, etc.)
• Shot glasses, or other rapid consumption devices
• Drinking in the residence halls
• Drinking underage on- or off-campus and returning to campus visibly intoxicated
• Identifiable posting of possession or consumption in a campus residence hall, or underage possession or consumption, on social media
Line #2:
You are in your room one evening working on homework. A floor mate stops by and sees you are stressed out.
They offer to take you to one of the hookah lounges off campus to help you relax. You still have some homework to do, but they claim it will only be an hour and you will be so much more relaxed when you come back.
Go, You Need to Take a Break:
You head out for hookah. On the way, you decide to grab food. At the Hookah Lounge, you enjoy the time with your friend and note that you do feel more relaxed. Your friend offers you weed on the way home; you decline the offer. You’ve got a paper to finish, and it’s not worth the risk of getting caught.
3

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
You eventually distance yourself from this friend because he always seems to be smoking weed and you do not want to get into trouble. And although you enjoyed your visit to Hookah Lounge, you decide to find a more constructive way of managing your stress, and begin shooting hoops with a group of guys at Preston every
Thursday afternoon.
No Hookah for You, but a Car Ride & Break May Help:
You go on the car ride with your friend. As you are driving around town, your friend lights a cigarette. However, you notice a funny smell. You ask your friend what it is, he laughs and tells you, “It’s just weed. Give it a try! It will help you de-stress.” You decide to try it with the windows down- you’re sure you won’t get in trouble!
When you walk back into your hall, the Desk Clerk stops you and says that you smell like marijuana. He asks if you have been smoking, you answer no. The Desk Clerk asks for you to wait in the lobby while he calls the RA on-call. The RA on-call asks you if you have been smoking and you him, “Well, not on-campus!” The RA documents the situation and you are asked to meet with your Hall Director. Your Hall Director finds you responsible for violating the WKU Drug policy.
Explanation
From the WKU Code of Student Conduct:
Drugs
 Use, possession, production, manufacture, sale, intent to sell, trafficking, distribution of controlled substances as established by KRS Chapter 218A on- AND off-campus
 Includes:
 Marijuana and drug paraphernalia
 Anabolic steroids
 Dispensing prescription or prescription drugs not belonging to the student
 Driving while impaired by a drug (legal or illegal)
 Drug-related activities used to “induce an altered state”
 One Strike Rule
 Any student with a violation of the Drug Policy while enrolled at the institution may be removed from student housing and/or suspended from the University. Any student who is found to be manufacturing or distributing drugs on or off campus may be suspended or expelled from the University.
 Strike One: results in Disciplinary Probation, may result in removal from residence hall/directed move to another residence hall
 Strike Two: may result in immediate or deferred suspension per
University Disciplinary Committee
 So, what happens if I’m found responsible for violating the Drug Policy?
 First offense:
 Sanctioned to attend Drug Education Program: a drug education class
 Submit a reflection paper that outlines what you learned and how you will apply what you learned to future decision making.
 Placed on Disciplinary Probation: placed on probationary status during a specified time period (usually a year). If found responsible for violating another campus policy during that probationary time period, may be removed from campus housing or suspended from the University. Note: may affect on-campus employment, financial aid, and leadership opportunities.
 Notify your parents: you’ll be required to complete a Parental Notification
Letter, which will be sent to your parents or legal guardians.
4

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
Examples of Drug Policy Violations
• Sharing of prescription drugs (Adderall)
• Possession or use of synthetic drugs (Spice, K2, herbal, Incense, Potpourri, etc.)
• Possession or use of illegal steroids
• Possession of unlabeled prescription pills
• Possession or use of edible marijuana
• Smoking marijuana in other tobacco sources
• Checking someone who is under the influence of illegal drugs into your hall as your guest
Line #3:
Monday morning, you return to your residence hall after a weekend at home. When you enter your room, you find liquor and beer bottles scattered around your room. When you see your roommate, you ask him to clean it up. He tells you he has to study for a test tomorrow but as soon as the 8AM test is over, he will pick it all up.
Take it Out:
You decide to help your roommate out and bag up all the bottles and cans. As you’re walking through the lobby, the bottles begin to clank. Your Hall Director approaches you, and asks you to show her the contents of your bag. You oblige. You explain that the bottles and cans belong to your roommate, and that you were trying to dispose of them to keep from getting in trouble. She shares that she will have to write an Incident Report and that you will have to meet with her later this week.
When you meet with your Hall Director you explain again that the bottles and cans were your roommate’s. And even though your roommate took full responsibility for the alcohol, your Hall Director finds you responsible for violating Shared Responsibility in reference to the Alcohol policy.
Leave it:
You decide you’re uncomfortable with the bottles and cans being in the room. Afraid that your roommate will forget to remove them before Safety Checks, you decide to tell your RA about the bottles and cans.
Your RA comes to your room, helps you bag up and dispose of the bottles and cans and writes an Incident
Report documenting the situation.
When you meet with your Hall Director you explain exactly what happened. She commends you for making the difficult decision to tell your RA about the violation. You tell her you’re worried your roommate is mad at you, and that “it will happen again.” She offers to meet with the two of you to draft a Roommate Lifestyle Agreement and mediate a conversation between the two of you.
Explanation
From the WKU Code of Student Conduct:
Shared Responsibility for Violations
 Enticing, inciting others, abetting, conspiring, being an accessory, or passively witnessing/participating in any act prohibited by the student conduct code is prohibited.
 So, what happens if I’m found responsible for Shared Responsibility for Violations? o If you witness or know about a person violating the Code of Student Conduct or another Housing policy, and don’t tell a University Official (RA, Hall Director, professor, staff member) about it, you can be held as responsible for violating the policy as the person actually violating the policy.
5

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line o This means, Shared Responsibility for violating the Alcohol Policy could result in you getting your “first strike!” o You play a vital role in ensuring a safe living environment for you and other students living in your residence hall. Approach students violating policies or alert a staff member to the violation if you feel uncomfortable addressing the student alone.
Examples of Shared Responsibility Violations
• Alcohol in the room, including empty containers
• Drugs/Drug paraphernalia in the room
• Knowledge of alcohol or drugs anywhere in the room
• Passive witness to alcohol or drug consumption in your shared space
• Transporting alcohol or drugs
Line #4:
You and your friend are on your way to Fresh Food for dinner. When you get there, you realize you forgot your
ID back in the hall. Your friend tells you that if you will give her one of your Adderall, she will swipe you into the cafeteria.
Do it!
The next day, your RA confronts you about selling drugs. She explains that she received a report that you were overheard exchanging drugs for a meal swipe in Fresh Food. You can’t believe someone overheard you and then reported you to your RA!
You meet with your Hall Director, though you are unsure why because nothing happened in the residence hall.
When you get to her office, she talks with you about the WKU Code of Student Conduct. She explains that when you chose to become a student at Western you agreed to abide by this code and therefore the local, state, and federal laws. She explains that trading one of your Adderall for a meal swipe constituted an illegal drug transaction.
Your Hall Director explains that you will need to meet with the Chief Judicial Officer and go before the University
Disciplinary Committee.
Don’t do it. Only Exchange Meal Swipes
The next day, your RA confronts you about selling drugs. She explains that she received a report that you were overheard exchanging drugs for a meal swipe in Fresh Food. You explain to your RA that while what was overheard did take place, you never actually agreed to the trade. In fact, you told your friend that you didn’t want to do that. She agreed to swipe you in anyway, and you agreed to repay her swipe the next day.
Your Hall Director still asks to meet with you. When you get to her office, she talks with you about the WKU
Code of Student Conduct. She explains that when you chose to become a student at Western you agreed to abide by this code and therefore the local, state, and federal laws. She explains that had you decided to trade one of your Adderall for a meal swipe, the trade would have constituted an illegal drug transaction, a violation of the Drug policy that could have resulted in your being removed from campus housing and potentially WKU.
Explanation
From the WKU Code of Student Conduct:
Violation of Laws
• The commission of acts which constitute a violation of local, state and federal laws.
6

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
• The University will review any conduct reported by members of the University community, law enforcement personnel, or citizens as being in violation of the law.
• Any student convicted of a criminal offense is subject to university judicial action.
• Drug Policy
So, what happens if I am found responsible for Violation of Laws?
• When an illegal act is committed, either on or off campus, in addition to going through legal proceedings, you will go through WKU’s judicial process as well.
• You may be found responsible for violating the Student Code of Conduct and additional sanctions may be applied.
Examples of Violations of Law
• Driving under the influence (DUI), public intoxication (PI), alcohol intoxication (AI) or Underage
Consumption citation
• E-warrants, bench warrants
• Laws are everywhere and the Code of Student Conduct follows you wherever you are!
• Spring Break counts…
Line #5:
You and a friend are getting ready for a night on the town. Both of you are 21, and decide you’d like to have some wine while getting ready in your residence hall room. Your friend takes a Snapchat of you drinking from the bottle and posts it to her story. The party is off-campus, you have a designated driver, and have a place to stay for the night. You head out, have a great night, and make it back the next day to your room with no problem.
While looking through your friend’s Snapchat story, you come across the picture of you. You had totally forgotten about the picture!
Ask Her to Take it Down:
Your friend removes the picture when you ask. However, she gives you a hard time, telling you, “You’re an adult!
You can do what you want!”
Later, while talking to another resident of the floor, you learn that she was found responsible for violating the alcohol policy. Her friend posted a picture of her drinking in her room on Instagram and the RA saw it.
She tells you all about her meeting with the Hall Director. That she tried to argue, telling the Hall Director he couldn’t prove she was drinking in her room on-campus. The Hall Director found her responsible for violating the alcohol policy based on a preponderance of evidence.
Screen Shot, I Look Good!
You screen shot the picture, but so did your RA. Your RA comes to chat with you the next day to let you know she had to document the picture of you drinking in your room. You tell your RA she can’t prove that you were drinking in your room, and that this is totally unfair!
You meet with your Hall Director and he finds you responsible for violating the alcohol policy. You say this is unfair because he can’t prove you were drinking in your room. You tell him, you’re 21, allowed to drink offcampus, and that you took the Snapchat picture off-campus.
Your Hall Director explains that based on a preponderance of evidence (he can identify the items in the picture as current contents of your residence hall room), you have been found responsible for violating the alcohol policy.
Explanation
7

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
From WKU Student Handbook:
Preponderance of Evidence
 If the disciplinary officer (Hall Director, Director of Judicial Affairs, or Assistant Director for
Housing and Residence Life) finds by a preponderance of the evidence (that it is more likely than not) that the alleged violation has occurred, the disciplinary officer may hold the student responsible for the violation.
So what does this mean/how could I be found responsible?
 If it is more likely than not that you did in fact violate a campus policy, you could be found responsible.
Presenter’s Notes: Preponderance of evidence, in other words, allows for some doubt. Cases of student misconduct on a college campus typically utilize preponderance of evidence measurement in determining “more likely than not a student was involved in actions that violate a university policy, and that the evidence presented at the conduct conference is clear and convincing to a reasonable person.”
Examples of Preponderance of Evidence
• Loud noises from a room, smells like alcohol, signs of intoxication
• Scent of marijuana coming from a room, signs of intoxication
• Erratic behavior
On Campus RESOURCES
• Your RA
• Located on your residence hall floor
• Your Hall Director
• Office located on the first floor of your residence hall
• WKU Police
• Parking Structure #1, ground level (270) 745-5863
• Office of Judicial Affairs
• Downing Student Union 2041, (270) 745-5429
• Counseling and Testing Center
• Potter Hall 409, (270) 745-3159
• Others:
• Professors, Academic Advisor, any WKU faculty or staff member
Western Creed
Western Kentucky University is a community dedicated to learning where ideas are offered, examined, and discussed.
As a member of this community, I have both a personal and shared 
 responsibility to participate actively in university life by:
• Practicing personal and academic integrity,
• Seeking inclusion by respecting the rights of all persons,
• Celebrating and embracing diversity,
• Encouraging freedom of expression,
• Acting in accordance with basic principles of citizenship,
• Preserving and appreciating the natural beauty of the campus,
• Enriching all aspects of life through the educational process, and by
• Embracing the ideals expressed on the university seal, "Life More Life" and "The Spirit Makes the
Master", by pursuing personal growth and a life of excellence.
8

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan 2015
Walk the Line
CONCLUSION
As a WKU student, you are responsible for your actions.
There will be positive and negative consequences that accompany every choice you make. It is important to be knowledgeable about your rights and responsibilities as a WKU student, so that you can make informed decisions that support your goals and success at WKU.
Choose to have a great year at WKU!
Presenter’s Notes: If possible, leave time for individual questions! If too much time is left you can go back through the other choices.
9