Health Sciences Drug Testing Procedure

The names and screen/test results of all students will be forwarded to the reviewer designee of the Health Sciences division. A drug screen/test clearance will then be reported to the appropriate program director.

If a medication appears on the drug screen, but a prescription is provided for clearance, and the prescription(s) in question are for a schedule II or III drug, or any other drugs that may impair student judgment, behavior, or thinking, regardless of classification, the student may be required to provide a medical release from the ordering physician based on specific program of study handbook. This release must contain language that verifies that as long as the student is taking the medication as prescribed, the student is safe to care for patients in the clinical setting.

All students who do not receive a clearance will be notified by the program director of the non-clearance and inability to continue in any lab or clinical, practicum, or fieldwork courses. At that time the student will either be dropped from the course or program, or receive an “F” for clinical, practicum, fieldwork, or lab portions of the courses they are currently enrolled. Additionally, the student’s non-clearance of the drug test will be referred to the Dean of Students for any further student conduct concerns.

The “F” or drop from the courses will be determined by the published drop date deadline. If the non-clearance occurs prior to the drop deadline the student will be dropped. If the non-clearance occurs after the drop deadline the student will receive an “F”.

If the student is not currently enrolled in a course with clinical, practicum, fieldwork or lab components, the student will not be allowed to advance to any course that does have clinical, practicum, fieldwork or lab activities. Nor will they be able to enroll into further program specific courses in subsequent semesters or block even if the course does not have clinical, practicum, fieldwork or lab until they meet readmission criteria for the program.

A student who has an inconclusive test result such as negative dilute or invalid, will be required to repeat the screening/test and the school will be responsible for payment of any fees charged by the vendor(s) for such testing. Students must be re-tested within 2 business days of receiving notification from the Dean of Health Sciences office. The student is required to complete an alternative method other than urine testing if a second inconclusive result is found. The cost for this alternative testing method will be covered by the student. The student is not allowed to attend clinical/fieldwork/practicum or lab until cleared.

Failure to consent to testing, or failure to report to the testing facility and provide the sample during the allotted time shall be sufficient cause for immediate dismissal from the Health Sciences program. The student will be dropped or receive an “F” for the clinical/practicum/fieldwork and/or course(s) depending on timeframe of the failure to consent to testing. The “F” or drop from the course(s) will be determined by the published drop date deadline. If the refusal occurs prior to the drop deadline the student will be dropped. If refusal occurs after the drop deadline the student will receive an “F”.

Failure to consent to testing, or failure to report to the testing facility and provide the sample during the allotted time shall be sufficient cause for immediate dismissal from the Health Sciences program. The student will be dropped or receive an “F” for the clinical/practicum/fieldwork and/or course(s) depending on timeframe of the failure to consent to testing. The “F” or drop from the course(s) will be determined by the published drop date deadline. If the refusal occurs prior to the drop deadline the student will be dropped. If refusal occurs after the drop deadline the student will receive an “F”.

Appeal Process

If the incoming student or current student is denied admission to or continuance in their program due to drug or alcohol screening/testing, the student may appeal that decision to the Dean of Health Sciences. All requests for appeals must be made in writing via OTC email by the student within five (5) business days of the student’s emailed notification of failed screen/test and/or withdrawal from a Health Sciences program. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the appeal process by emailing a written request to the Dean of Health Sciences. Any such request for appeal must include:

• The name of the individual requesting the appeal;
• The disciplinary decision being appealed and the date the disciplinary decision took place; and
• The basis for the appeal

Appeals can be filed for the following reasons only and proof for the reason must be provided:

• New information that alters the finding of fact and was not reasonably available at the time of the issuance of the written decision;
• A procedural error that unfairly and materially affected the outcome of the test;
• The sanction outweighs the offense;
• Drugs related to a disability were not disclosed initially and may have affected the test results.

The status of the respondent will not be changed during the process of the appeal. Meaning, while the appeal is be being processed the student cannot attend any Health Sciences clinical or lab activities. The Dean of Health Sciences will have up to five (5) business days to respond via email to the students appeal.

Once a final decision is made regarding the student’s appeal, including removal from clinical, leave of absence, and dismissal from the program, the Dean of Health Sciences will immediately notify the student by email. The Dean of Health Sciences office will copy all related correspondence to the program director and clinical coordinator of the respective program, along with the Dean of Students.

The respondent or complainant may request that the chancellor review the dean of health sciences’ decision from an appeal only where the sanction imposed is expulsion or a suspension of more than ten (10) college business days.  The request must be made within five (5) college business days of the dean of health sciences decision. The request for review must be made in writing to the vice chancellor for student affairs. If the respondent or complainant, if applicable, chooses not to seek a review or does not request a review by the appropriate date, the decision of the dean of health sciences will go into effect as specified.

Any request for review by the chancellor shall include the following:

• the name of the individual requesting the review;
• the decision being reviewed;
• the reasons for the review; and,
• any other information the person requesting the review believes is important
• A decision can be reviewed for the following reasons only as determined by the vice chancellor for student affairs:
• new information that alters the finding of fact and was not readily available at the time of the hearing;
• a procedural error that materially or unfairly affected the outcome;
• the sanction imposed is excessive or disproportionate to the offense(s); and/or,
• conflict of interest or bias on the part of person(s) who participated in the decisions.

When a request for review has been timely filed or has otherwise been accepted with an extension, the vice chancellor for student affairs will review the substance of the request and may take either of the following actions:

• deny the request if a proper basis for review has not been identified or,
• send the record of the hearing, the vice chancellor for student affairs’ decision and the request for review to the chancellor.
• The vice chancellor for student affairs’ decision to grant a review by the chancellor is final.

The standard of review will be the preponderance of the evidence and the chancellor will give presumptive weight to the decision of the vice chancellor for student affairs. The decision of the chancellor will be final and is not subject to further appeal or review.

The chancellor can affirm, vacate or modify the vice chancellor for student affairs’ decision in whole or in part. The chancellor may also remand the matter to a student conduct panel for an appeal hearing if one was not previously conducted or for an additional appeal hearing for further fact finding. The decision of the chancellor will be sent in writing simultaneously to the respondent and the complainant.

Chancellor Review Appeal Extensions

Within five (5) college business days from receipt of the vice chancellor for student affairs’ decision from an appeal or appeal hearing, the respondent or complainant may request an extension of time to request a review by the chancellor:

An extension will be granted only for serious illness or injury of the respondent/complainant, serious illness or injury of the respondent’s/complainant’s immediate family, or death in the respondent’s/complainant’s immediate family.

The request for an extension must be made in writing to the vice chancellor for student affairs and include documentation supporting the reason for the needed extension such as an obituary notice, doctor’s note, etc.

Within five (5) college business days from receipt of the request for an extension, a written decision on the request will be sent to the requesting student. If the college grants an extension, the decision will include the length of the extension and the new date by which the student must submit a review request.

The decision of vice chancellor for student affairs concerning a request for a time extension to submit a request for a review by the chancellor shall be final.

The college will grant students with disabilities a reasonable amount of time to request a review when a student’s disability impacts or limits the student’s ability to request a review within the deadline of five (5) college business days after receipt of the vice chancellor’s decision. Upon receipt of an untimely request for review from a student with disabilities, the vice chancellor for student affairs, in consultation with the director for disability support services, will determine if the student’s untimely request for review was due to a disability impacting or limiting the student’s ability to request a review within the 5-day deadline. The vice chancellor for student affairs’ decision to grant or deny the review is final, and notification of the decision will be made in writing within five (5) college business days.

The chancellor may appoint a person to act for the chancellor concerning any process set forth in this section.

Students removed from any Health Sciences program for drug or alcohol related issues are not eligible to re-apply to any Health Sciences program for up to one year depending on the specific program handbook. If the student plans to re-apply to a Health Sciences program, the student must meet with OTC’s Counseling Services or other licensed professional counseling service provider to obtain an alcohol/drug assessment to determine the most appropriate level of care needed. The student must comply with the individualized treatment plan based upon the assessment prior to reapplication. To be eligible to apply for any Health Sciences program, documentation of the above must be provided to the Health Sciences office. Readmission/acceptance to a Health Science program would be based on the specific program handbook and seat availability.

Missouri state law permits the use of medical marijuana, however, in accordance with federal law and as a recipient of federal funding, the college does not permit the possession, use or distribution of marijuana. As such, students in possession of medical marijuana (issued in Missouri or any other state), or CBD products with THC, are not permitted to use or possess marijuana in any form on college owned or leased property, or at any college-sponsored programs, clinical/fieldwork/practicum assignments. If a student’s non-clearance drug screen/test is positive for marijuana and the student has a prescription for medical marijuana, they will be held to the same standards as all other positive drug screens/tests within this policy.

If a student or employee is interested in resources available in the community for drug or alcohol counseling, treatment, rehabilitation or re-entry they may contact the OTC Counseling Services department at counseling@otc.edu or 417-447-6974. Counseling Services provides educational information on drug and alcohol abuse through the distribution of printed materials, scheduled programming throughout the academic year and a website that includes substance use-related resources and links to online screenings.

Other resources are also available, including, but not limited to, the following:

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (https://www.drugabuse.gov/)
• National Institution on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMSHA)(https://www.samhsa.gov/)
• Alcoholics Anonymous (https://www.aa.org/)
• Narcotics Anonymous (https://www.na.org/)