Linn State Technical College is preparing to implement a new drug-screening program to test all students for a variety of drugs, ranging from prescription pills to hallucinogens.
Created with the intent to improve the students’ learning environment by “detecting, preventing and deterring drug use and abuse among students,” screening will be mandatory for the entire student body. Testing will be held Sept. 7 and 8, two weeks before the semester begins.
The Linn State Technical College Advisory Council sent out a survey regarding campus issues to its council members and 49 percent of members ranked the need for a campus drug-free program on campus as a high priority issue.
According to the college’s website, students at the school work with heavy machinery on a daily basis, and having a clear frame of mind unaltered by illegal substance lessens the risk of physical harm while working.
Emails were sent to all students on Aug. 31 to provide information regarding the mission, criteria and consequences of the screening program.
The program will only impact students who are newly classified as degree or certificate-seeking at the college or at any other LSTC location, as well as students who are returning after more than one semester of non-enrollment. An outside agency specializing in the analysis of urine samples will administer the drug screening.
“The program was not made to exclude students from the school, but to help keep them safe here on campus,” said Richard Pemberton, LSTC Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the new program’s spokesman.
If a student tests positive, they have a probationary period of 45 days to re-screen. In order to stay enrolled at the school these results must come back negative for all substances. Depending on the drug detected, a student may also be required to complete an online educational program.
The student will then be subjected to a random screening at a later date and will remain on probation for the duration of the semester. In addition, a student might ask to be re-screened if LSTC feels the results reflected are inaccurate.
If the student tests positive for any illegal substances a second time, they will be withdrawn from LSTC. Simply refusing to be screened will also result in the student being withdrawn from the school.
Because LSTC is a public college, the administration is required to enforce the basic civil rights ensured by the constitution, ACLU spokesman Anthony Rothert said.
He said by implementing this program, the school is in direct opposition of the Fourth Amendment. Requiring an unprecedented search on all students strips away individual rights, violating one’s right to privacy, he said.
“The support we have noted from other adult groups has been very positive,” Pemberton said. “We feel very, very good about what we’re trying to do.”