Federal Mandates for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention on Campus

Sound prevention efforts not only support student health and safety but can also serve to comply with federal mandates put in place to ensure campus administrators give alcohol, other drug, and violence issues proper attention.

The U.S. Department of Education administers mandates that require virtually all institutions of higher education (IHEs) to provide documentation that they have dedicated resources to alcohol and other drug abuse and violence (AODV) prevention:

• The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) and Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Regulations require campuses to certify that they have adopted and implemented programming to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees.
• The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) requires IHEs to disclose information about crime on their campuses and in the surrounding communities.
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records and affects how IHEs works with their students concerning AODV disclosure issues.
• The U.S. Department of Education's Web page on The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 describes the most recent amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Satisfying the requirements for these acts does not just protect IHEs from liability. In addition to keeping IHEs in good standing with the U.S. Department of Education, complying with these mandates also helps campus administrators protect the safety and well-being of their students by focusing on AODV prevention.