Brooke Billingsley —

 

U of L has a policy for students who realize someone needs help because he or she drank too much. It allows students to contact authorities without worrying about being cited for underage drinking. It’s called the Good Samaritan policy, but most students seemed to have no idea it existed.

SGA’s Morgan Cooksey explains more on this policy. “The University of Louisville’s Good Samaritan Policy offers legal protection to people who give reasonable assistance to those who are injured, in crisis or otherwise incapacitated. Medical amnesty at the university level and at the University of Louisville most often pertains to exemption from punishment for an intoxicated or impaired underage student if medical assistance is called to help him or her in an emergency situation.”

Many of the students at the University of Louisville are unaware of the policy. Sophomore, Lucas Jean-Marie and senior Isaac Bowling knew what a Good Samaritan policy was, but did not know U of L has one in place.

“I have never heard of that but it is definitely something that should be publicized to students more because I have definitely found myself in a position where this would have been helpful,” junior Lexi Nageleisen  said. :My freshman year I was out with friends and one of them got so sick that she began to throw up blood. I didn’t want to call the authorities and risk getting everyone else in trouble, so I called her mother.”

Many other students have found themselves in similar situations and haven’t wanted to risk getting everyone into trouble.  If they were aware of the University’s Good Samaritan Policy, they would not have to think twice about getting help.

Other students said they only vaguely remembered learning about it in their Gen 101 course freshman year, which is a required course.

“I never was required to take the Gen 101 course for incoming freshman and didn’t go through the freshman orientation process and have never so much as heard of this policy,” sophomore and transfer student Emily Curtsinger said.

“Each year students read and sign a student code of conduct during freshman orientation,” Cooksey stressed.  “Students’ signed Codes are kept on file. Additionally, Athletics, Greek Organizations and many RSO’s undergo diversity and emergency training to inform them of the law and its implications at the University of Louisville.”

Cooksey said Alcohol EDU and Haven modules are a new requirement for incoming freshman that highlight major components of the Good Samaritan policy.

It can do nothing but positive things for the campus to educate more students on this policy and keep all of the University of Louisville students safe and secure.

Students can find info about the Good Samaritan Policy at the University of Louisville in the Student Code of Conduct, section 15: http://louisville.edu/dos/students/studentpoliciesandprocedures/student-sexual-misconduct-policy/student-sexual-misconduct-policy/codeofconduct Additionally, there are resources and contact information on the Dean of Students website: http://louisville.edu/dos/