Athletics

Murray State College Academic and Student Affairs

Student Activities

17 Athletics

Murray State College Athletic Department Policy Statement on Alcohol and Drug Use

All student-athletes are subject to compliance with this policy. The deﬁnition of a “student-athlete” is “any participant on an intercollegiate squad, regardless of athletic ﬁnancial assistance.” All students that accept the privilege of participating in intercollegiate athletics for MSC are subject to drug testing. Our drug testing program is based on the concern that if an athlete is using illicit drugs he/she may endanger themselves or cause injury to another individual. Given this concern for the student-athletes’ health and safety, the College will also attempt, through drug screening, to deter the illegal use of drugs. The Murray State College Athletic Department will use scheduled and unscheduled urine tests to screen for possible drug abuse. The test will be conducted at any time the athlete’s ﬁtness to perform is in question, when their behavior is antisocial, or if they exhibit reasonable suspicion.

In Oklahoma, consumption of alcohol by persons under the age of twenty-one is illegal. Any violation of civil or criminal law involving drugs or alcohol will result in the student-athlete’s inclusion into the Murray State College drug program. Drinking alcohol by athletes, cheerleaders, student trainers, and managers on school sponsored trips is strictly prohibited and against department policy. The Athletic Department at Murray State College makes every eﬀort to educate and protect our students and student-athletes from the dangers of substance abuse and tobacco use. Smokeless tobacco and any other tobacco use are prohibited during practices and contests by Murray State College and the NJCAA.

Murray State College Athletics participates in drug testing of our athletes. Reasonable eﬀort will be made to ensure conﬁdentiality during the collection and processing of specimens and results. Conﬁdentiality of the results will be observed except for the person administering the test, Athletic Director and Head Coach. The Student Compliance/Director of Drug Education may be informed if the student-athlete participates in a Drug Education Program. Prior to testing, individuals will have the opportunity to provide evidence of drugs that they are using under the direction and supervision of their physician or for legitimate treatment of a given medical condition.

Drug Testing will be:

At any time, the athlete’s ﬁtness to perform is in question
Routine or unannounced tests, initiated by MSC Athletic Director in conjunction with the VP for Student Aﬀairs
Random drug screening by MSC or the NJCAA
Team Testing

Drug Testing results of POSITIVE incur the following consequence for the student-athlete:

Suspension from participation pending 2 additional negative drug screens
Possible termination of Financial Aid
Termination of Financial Aid
Expulsion from Student Housing

Prior to the implementation of suspension from athletic participation and termination of ﬁnancial aid, the athlete will be given an opportunity to fully discuss the matter with the Athletic Director and present evidence of any circumstances which he/she feels to be of importance. Students with a positive test results will also be required to complete, at their own expense, a drug counseling program conducted by a licensed drug counseling practitioner. Such drug counseling must be approved in advance by the Executive Director of Student Aﬀairs. Prior to returning to team activities, students with positive test results must provide written documentation of the completed drug counseling program. Students with a ﬁrst positive result are subject to reasonable suspicion follow-up testing at any time while remaining a student athlete at MSC. The student-athlete will be required to produce two subsequent drug screens with veriﬁed NEGATIVE results before consideration of participation in his/her sport. The required drug screens will be administered one week apart with the ﬁrst required test one week from the ﬁrst positive result. Student-athletes are free to refuse drug testing; however, those who refuse will not be allowed to participate in intercollegiate athletics for the college. Refusal to consent to be tested for illegal drug use may result in forfeiture of all ﬁnancial assistance provided to a student-athlete. Since alcohol clears the human body quickly it is not one of the drugs of abuse included on NJCAA drug tests. Note: Suspicion characteristics are not limited to but can include;

Behavioral Characteristics that may contribute to suspicion

absenteeism; tardiness
behavioral changes such as mood swings, irritability, decreased productivity
isolation/withdrawn from teammates
decreased or ﬂuctuating classroom performance/productivity
inappropriate physical appearance
inconsistent communication patterns
odor/scent of chemicals or unlawful substance

Physiological Characteristics that may contribute to suspicion

ﬂushed face
red eyes
abnormal pupil construction or dilation
unsteady gait
slurred speech
declining health

Drug Testing for Student Athletes

You need to Know

Murray State College Athletics participates in drug testing of our athletes. Reasonable effort will be made to ensure confidentiality during the collection and processing of specimens and results. Confidentiality of the results will be observed except for the person administering the test, Athletic Director and Head Coach. The Student Compliance/Directory of Drug Education may be informed if the student-athlete participates in a Drug Education Program. Prior to testing, individuals will have the opportunity to provide evidence of drugs that they are using under the direction and supervision of their physician or for legitimate treatment of a given medical condition.

Drug testing will be:

At any time, the athlete’s fitness to person is in question.
Routine or unannounced tests, initiated by MSC Athletic Director in conjunction with the VP for Student Affairs.
Random drug screening by MSC or the NJCAA team testing.

Drug testing results of POSTIVE incur the following consequence for the student-athlete:

Suspension from participation pending 2 additional negative drug screens.
Possible Termination of Financial Aid.
Expulsion from Student Housing.

Prior to the implementation of suspension from athletic participation and termination of financial aid, the athlete will be given an opportunity to fully discuss the matter with the athletic director and present evidence of any circumstances which he/she feels to be of importance. The student-athlete will be required to produce (2) two subsequent drug screens with verified NEGATIVE results before consideration of participation in his/her sport. The required drug screens will be administered one week apart with the first required test one week from the first positive result. Student-athletes are free to refuse drug testing; however, those who refuse will not be allowed to participate in intercollegiate athletics the the college. Refusal to consent to be tested for illegal drug use may result in forfeiture of all financial assistance provided to a student-athlete. Since alcohol clears the human body quickly it is not one of the drugs of abuse included on NJCAA drug tests.

Legal Sanctions – Drugs

Federal and state laws impose grave penalties on those who illegally possess, use, or distribute drugs or alcohol. According to the Oklahoma Criminal Laws, a person found in possession of a controlled, dangerous substance within this state, such as marijuana, cannabis, or methamphetamine, and/or drug paraphernalia (pipes, roach clips, cocaine spoons, etc.) will be placed under arrest. All vehicles or any other means of transportation use to transport a controlled, dangerous substance and money, weapons. or devices therein, are subject to forfeiture. Upon Conviction, penalties range from fines to a year in the county jail, to life in the state penitentiary, and/or both. In addition to fines and prison terms, federal sanctions for the possession or distribution of illicit drugs may include the forfeiture of federal Financial Aid eligibility for a period of one or more years. If the conviction occurs while the student may be required to repay all federal aid received. Eligibility my be regained by completing an acceptable drug rehabilitation program.

Sanctions

College sanctions for students: The following sanctions may be imposed by any of the following: Director of Student Compliance, Student Compliance, Executive Director of Student Affairs, the Student Conduct/Appeals Committee, or by the President. The severity of the imposed sanctions will be appropriate to the violation; possible sanctions include probation, suspension, expulsion, loss of institutional aid, and/or restriction of student’s activities or privileges. Students will be charged for for all damages or misappropriations of property, which occurs in the violation of a rile or regulation. restitution may be monetary compensation, replacement, or repair. Community service hours will be performed in an area of the college or a community agency for a specified number of hours. Professional counseling, referral to a rehabilitation program, and/or specific restrictions may be used in conjunction with various sanctions.

Athletic Insurance and Risk Management

All MSC Athletes who participate in any sport will provide proof of primary health insurance to the Athletic Director before any practice or oﬃcial play takes place. Athletes are expected to maintain primary health insurance while they are active in the athletic program at MSC. Any athlete who does not provide proof of coverage to the Athletic Director will not be allowed to practice or play. All athletes will complete the MSC PROOF OF COVERAGE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

The Athletic Risk Management Group consists of the Athletic Director, Assistant Athletic Director, Vice President for Administration and Finance, and the Executive Director of Student Aﬀairs. When any athletic injury occurs the injury must be reported by the coach to the Athletic Director who will convene the Athletic Risk Management Group for a consultation prior to any athlete being referred for treatment. The Group will document the injury type and course of action to be kept on ﬁle in the oﬃce of Student Aﬀairs. Murray State College insurance is secondary and will be utilized after the primary health insurance has been utilized for an injury claim.