Ohio University Stats

1
Ohio University Stats

• Located in Athens, Ohio
• 16,644 undergraduate students on the Athens
  campus
• High school class rank Average GPA -- top
  16-44 -- 3.3 (4.0 scale)
• Composite ACT Combined SAT (Math Critical
  Reading) -- 21-26 --990-1180
• 860 full-time faculty (Athens campus)
• 181 student to faculty ratio
• 24 student average class size
• 42 residence halls housing 7825 students
• 340 registered student organizations
• 30 fraternities and sororities
• Nearly 1,000 students from other countries
• 16 NCAA Division I teams in the Mid-American
  Conference

2
MEA Presentation

• Medical Emergency Assistance
• Ohio University Data
• MEA Promotions

3
High-Risk Behaviors

• 78 of the undergraduate population is high-risk
• OU students report having on average 14 drinks
  per week
• 52 of first-year students report high-risk use
  before arriving on campus
• 68 of students had to baby-sit a drunk
• 94 of students surveyed said that they would NOT
  call for help in a medical emergency involving
  alcohol or other drugs

4
Medical Emergency Assistance Pilot Program

• Goals
• Increase the likelihood that students will call
  for emergency medical assistance when faced with
  alcohol or drug-related emergencies, and
• Educate students about the hazards of high-risk
  alcohol and other drug abuse in an effort to
  reduce the likelihood of future occurrences.

5
Medical Emergency Assistance

• MEA Philosophy
•   I will be a responsible member/good citizen
• of the OHIO Community.
•  
• The health and safety of the members of the Ohio
  University community is of primary concern.
• Students need to seek immediate medical attention
  for themselves or others when someones health
  and/or safety is at risk.
• Students may be reluctant to seek assistance for
  themselves or others for fear of facing judicial
  charges.
• Ohio University wants to remove the perceived
  barriers that prevent students from seeking
  immediate medical attention.

6
Medical Emergency Assistance

• Why has Ohio University established a Medical
  Emergency Assistance (MEA) Program?
• The MEA program is part of Ohio Universitys
  comprehensive environmental approach to address
  high-risk behaviors.
• During the fall of 2007 Student Senate passed a
  resolution supporting the need for the creation
  of an MEA program.
• It has been designed for the student who is
  concerned for the well-being of a fellow student
  suffering from an alcohol or drug related medical
  emergency.
• MEA enables Ohio University to more effectively
  address the issue of civility and good
  citizenship with our students. Students are
  encouraged to come to the aid of fellow students
  who are suffering a medical emergency.

7
Medical Emergency Assistance

• Does this mean that Ohio University encourages
  high-risk drinking?
• No Ohio University recognizes that students
  sometimes make high-risk choices about the use of
  alcohol and other drugs. If a medical emergency
  is the result of the high-risk choice, the
  university wants the student to get the required
  medical attention without fear of getting in
  trouble with the universitys judicial system.

8
Medical Emergency Assistance

• Which violations will MEA cover? 
• A-3 (harm to self) alcohol and other drug medical
  emergencies.
•  
• How does MEA relate to the Student Code of
  Conduct?
• MEA applies only to alcohol and other drug
  medical emergencies but does not apply to other
  prohibited conduct such as assault, property
  damage and distribution of illicit substances.
  If other prohibited conduct occurs the student
  will be held responsible for those violations.

9
Medical Emergency Assistance

• Does MEA provide protection from any legal
  consequences?
• NO MEA will not provide protection from legal
  consequences of underage/excessive drinking,
  illegal drug use and the misuse of prescription
  drugs.
•  
• Who decides if a student is covered by MEA?
• The Director of University Judiciaries will
  decide whether or not a student is covered by MEA
  in lieu of facing formal university disciplinary
  action.
•  

10
Medical Emergency Assistance

• What are the stipulations?
• The Director of University Judiciaries will allow
  MEA to cover a student when the student
• has received emergency medical treatment as a
  result of an episode of alcohol or other drug
  abuse, and
• has not previously been covered by MEA or,
• has called to assist a fellow student in need of
  medical attention.

11
Medical Emergency Assistance

• How many times can MEA be used?
• Once. If a student has a second high-risk
  situation they will face judicial charges.
• Students calling for help or assisting in a
  high-risk situation, even if they are in
  violation of an alcohol or drug policy, may use
  MEA multiple times. MEA will not protect against
  other violations that have been documented.
•  

12
Medical Emergency Assistance

• If MEA is granted will the student have any
  responsibility? 
• YES,
• In order to successfully complete MEA, students
  must
• Comply with any and all recommendations for
  educational interventions
• Complete an appropriate alcohol or other drug
  intervention program through Counseling and
  Psychological Services
• Pay a 100 fee to cover the cost of the
  appropriate alcohol or other drug intervention
  program.
•  
• What happens if the student fails to complete the
  intervention?
• Students who fail to successfully complete MEA
  will face university judicial charges for the
  incident that prompted their admission to
  program. 

13
MEA Promotions
14
MEA Promotions Completed

• RAs received training on MEA.
• MEA Training to POWER GAMMA.
• MEA Buzz Poster to all Residence Halls and Greek
  Chapter Houses.
• MEA information on the Wellness Wagon outside of
  Health Promotion.

15
MEA Promotions September/October

• Call 4 MEA refrigerator magnets to residence
  halls and off-campus houses.
• Posters distributed in classroom buildings.
• Call 4 MEA commercials to run on CATVISION, Baker
  Theater and Baker Center Monitors.
• Distribution of materials at neighborhood
  picnics, during After Hours and POWER programs.

16
MEA Promotions November

• Surveys will be sent via Student Voice to
  evaluate the student awareness of MEA program,
  reduction of barriers to calling in a medical
  emergency and utilization of the MEA pilot
  program.
• To date over 800 surveys completed.
• http//www.ohio.edu/alcohol/
• Terry Koons, koons_at_ohio.edu