Responsible Action

Responsible Action Plan (RAP)

Student health and safety are of primary concern at UCSC. As such, in cases of significant intoxication as a result of alcohol or other substances, the University encourages individuals to seek medical assistance for themselves or others.

If medical assistance is sought, a conduct record for violations of the University’s Alcohol and Drugs policies will not be created for the intoxicated student or the student(s) actively seeking medical assistance so long as all of the following conditions are met:

1. The student requests OR another person contacts a University Official (e.g., Resident Assistant (RA), Community Safety Officer (CSO), police officer, etc.) for medical assistance on behalf of a student experiencing an alcohol or controlled substance medical-related emergency, stays with the individual requiring aid, follows the requests of medical staff, meets with the appropriate University Officials, and cooperates with any University investigation.
2. No other Code of Student Conduct violations were committed by the students involved during the same incident.
3. The student(s) has not received amnesty under this Plan more than twice in two calendar years starting from the date of the initial incident.
4. Neither the UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (Appendix G) Immunity clause or the UC Santa Cruz Anti-Hazing Policy already apply.

Actively assisting requires that an individual:

• Call UCSC Police (831-459-2231 or 911) or seek another individual qualified to assess the student’s condition such as a Resident Advisor (RA), Community Safety Officer (CSO) or other Residence Life professional.
• Monitor the intoxicated student’s condition.

The following are not covered by the Responsible Action Plan:

• Students that do not take action prior to arrival of a University Official or emergency personnel.
• Action by police or other law enforcement personnel.
• Violations of the Code of Student Conduct other than the alcohol/drugs policy.
• Possession with the intent to distribute drugs.
• Students who have utilized this Plan more than two times in two calendar years from the date of the initial incident.

Actions by the Office of Student Conduct:

• The intoxicated student (and possibly those who were attending to/assisting the student) will be required to meet with a conduct officer who may issue educational requirements that may include, but are not limited to, alcohol and/or other drug education, counseling, and/or a substance abuse assessment.
• Serious or repeated incidents may prompt a higher degree of concern/response.
• Failure to complete the educational assignments or treatment recommendations may  result in formal disciplinary action.
• The student will be responsible for any costs associated with alcohol and/or drug education interventions.

Application to Student Organizations:

In circumstances where an organization is found to be hosting an event where medical assistance is sought for an intoxicated individual, the organization, consistent with this plan and the stipulations above, will not be held responsible for violations of the alcohol/drugs policy. However, as with individual students, the organization will be required to meet with a University Official and participate in appropriate educational activities in order to utilize the Responsible Action Plan.

Illustrative Examples:

Please note: Incidents are reviewed on a case by case basis. The following are general examples. All students involved in an incident will be invited to participate in the investigative process.

Example 1: Sam consumes a cannabis edible off campus. As they return to campus, they start experiencing adverse effects. Afraid they are perhaps having a medical emergency, they call 911. Emergency personnel respond and determine that Sam is ok to stay in their room. The incident is reported by Community Safety Officers (CSOs), who are dispatched to Sam’s room ahead of emergency crews. This is the first time that Sam has been reported for an alcohol/drug policy violation.

The Responsible Action Plan applies in this example because Sam was actively seeking medical attention. Sam will be contacted to meet with a University Official to discuss the incident or may be referred to other support services. If Sam had already utilized the Responsible Action Plan twice during the past two calendar years from the date of this incident, Sam would not qualify to use the Responsible Action Plan for this incident.

Example 2: Chris consumes LSD and begins to have a panic attack in the bathroom after locking themself out of their room. When Chris’ sober friends find Chris on the bathroom floor, they contact an RA. The RA calls 911 for medical response. Chris is taken to the hospital for assessment and monitoring.

The Responsible Action Plan does apply because even though Chris was not actively seeking medical attention, their friends did so on their behalf. The RAP also applies to Chris’s sober friends who sought medical attention for Chris. All students may be contacted by a University Official to discuss the incident and may be referred to other support services.

Example 3: Jay is in a campus apartment with a number of other students. Everyone present is underage and under the influence of some substance, either drugs and/or alcohol. Jay becomes belligerent and punches a hole in the living room wall. Jay then loses consciousness. Another student present tries to help Jay and calls for medical assistance. Paramedics arrive to assess Jay and CSOs respond to the scene, listing everyone present. CSOs also note the hole in the living room wall and that the smoke detector is covered.

The Responsible Action Plan does not apply to Jay for the other policies in the Code of Student Conduct such as punching a hole in the wall. The RAP may apply to Jay’s friends, depending on the circumstances. Although Jay’s friends sought medical attention for Jay, they may be held responsible for policy violations other than alcohol and drug violations because of the covered smoke detector which places the entire community at risk. All students will be contacted by a University Official to discuss the incident and may be referred to other support services.

Example 4: Joey and Skylar are at a campus party when Skylar begins to show signs of intoxication (slurred speech, unsteady on her feet). Joey decides to walk Skylar home to their residence hall. While walking, an RA sees Skylar walking unsteadily and stops Skylar and Joey. The RA reports the incident. Skylar may be responsible for underage possession/consumption of alcohol and public intoxication. Joey may be responsible for underage possession/consumption.

The Responsible Action Plan does not apply because Joey was not actively seeking medical attention for Skylar, and Joey did not seek out a qualified individual (such as an RA, CSO, or police officer) to assess Skylar’s condition. Both students will be contacted by a University Official to discuss the incident and may be referred to other support services.

Example 5:  A Santa Cruz police officer observes a large group of people exiting the Catalyst late one night. The officer observes Jean being held up by two of their friends; Jean is unable to speak coherently and is passing in and out of consciousness. The Santa Cruz police officer arrests Jean and transports Jean to jail.

The Responsible Action Plan does not apply to Jean because their friends were not seeking medical attention for Jean. Had the friends affirmatively called 911 or sought out the police officer, the Plan would apply to Jean and Jean’s friends. All students will be contacted by a University Official to discuss the incident and may be referred to other support services.

Example 6: Barney is at a party of the Pi Gamma Gamma fraternity. Sometime during the party, Barney passes out. A member of the fraternity calls for medical assistance, and Barney is taken to the hospital. Barney's friends later confirm that they had been consuming liquor at the party, and Barney is 19 years old.

The Responsible Action Plan applies to Barney.  The Responsible Action Plan also applies to Pi Gamma Gamma because the organization actively sought medical assistance. All involved parties will be contacted by a University Official to discuss the incident and may be referred to other support services. Pi Gamma Gamma may be required to complete educational programming.