Lanier Technical College expects faculty, staff, and students to meet appropriate standards of performance, to observe basic rules for good conduct, and to comply with college Student and Personnel Policies and Procedures. In the discharge of its responsibilities as an employer, Lanier Technical College aggressively promotes and requires a drug-free campus among its students, faculty, and staff.

Institutional standards of conduct clearly prohibit the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol on campus or as part of any institutional-sponsored activities. Sanctions up to and including dismissal and referral for prosecution will be imposed for the violation of these standards. The Office of Student Affairs provides assistance to students with drug or alcohol-related problems.

Criminal Sanctions: Federal law prohibits the possession, manufacture, or distribution of various controlled substances. Penalties for these offenses vary depending upon the severity of the convictions but may include imprisonment of up to 40 years with large fines. Penalties double when the offenses occur within 1,000 feet of a postsecondary educational institution.

Title 20-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated states that any student of a public educational institution who is convicted under the laws of the state, the United States, or any other state of any felony offense involving the manufacture, distribution, sale, possession, or use of marijuana, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug shall as of the date of conviction be suspended from the public educational institution in which such person is enrolled. Except for cases in which the college has previously taken disciplinary action against a student for the same offense, such suspension shall be effective as of the date of conviction even though the educational institution may not complete all administrative actions necessary to implement such suspension until a later date. Except for cases in which the institution has already imposed the term, quarter, semester, or other similar period for which the student was enrolled as of the date of conviction, the student shall forfeit any right to any academic credit otherwise earned or earnable for such term, quarter, semester, or other similar period; and the educational institution shall subsequently revoke any such academic credit which is granted prior to the completion of administrative actions necessary to implement such suspension.

Title 20-3-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated specifies that any student organization functioning in conjunction with, incidental to the college which through its officers, agents or responsible members knowingly permits or authorizes the sale, distribution, serving, possession, consumption or use of marijuana, a controlled substance or dangerous drug at any affair, function or activity of that student organization, social or otherwise, which such sales, distribution, serving, possession, consumption or use is not in compliance with the laws of this state, shall be expelled from campus for a minimum of one calendar year from the year of determination of guilt, which it is affiliated or at which it operates, with any and all leasing, possession or use agreements respecting the student organization's use of institutional property to be terminated by operation of law for any such knowing, permission or authorization of the unlawful actions defined in the Code section, subject to the administrative review and hearing procedures set for in this Code section.

Failure to comply with any part of this program will result in serious adverse personnel action, including dismissal or the requirement that the offender satisfactorily participate in a drug abuse assistance program which has been approved for such purposes by a federal, state or local health, law enforcement, or other appropriate agency.

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Personnel Office.