Drug-Free Schools and Community Act
Background on Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act
The Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations (34 CFR art 86) of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) require an institution of higher education (IHE) such as Northeastern State University to certify it has implemented programs to prevent the abuse of alcohol and use or distribution of illicit drugs by NSU students both on its premises and as a part of any of its activities. At a minimum each institution of higher education must annually distribute the following in writing to all students:
Standards of conduct that clearly prohibit the unlawful possession, use or distribution
of illicit drugs and alcohol by students;
A description of the legal sanctions under local, state, or federal law for the unlawful
possession or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol;
A description of any drug or alcohol counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation or reentry
programs that are available to students; and
A clear statement that the institution will impose sanctions on students and a description
of those sanctions, up to and including expulsion and referral for prosecution, for
violations of the standards of conduct.
The law further requires that the institution conduct a biennial review of its program
with the following objectives:
Determining the effectiveness of the policy and implementing changes to the alcohol
and other dug programs if they are needed; and
To ensure that the sanctions developed are enforced consistently. To view the report
in its entirety refer to the Drug Free Schools & Communities Act Student Biennial Review 2020-2022 (pdf).