Updates to the Biennial Review Krista Bau chaired the Biennial Review Committee during the fall of 2023 to update our Biennial Review as required by the 1989 amendments to the DrugFree Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA). The Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations require institutions of higher education to conduct a biennial review of their alcohol and other drugs (AOD) programs and policies to determine program effectiveness and consistency of policy enforcement and to identify and implement any changes needed to either. The committee consisted of Sean Blackburn, dean of students, Dr. Chelsee Shortt, faculty representative, Krista Bau, director of student rights and responsibilities/Title IX coordinator, Susan Bostian, AVP and director of human resources, Marty Sabolo, director of residence life and dining services, Becky Kuch, director of counseling and health services, and Brenda Mammenga, director of institutional research. Northern’s Biennial Review is available to students, applicants, parents, employees, and the public. A copy will be posted on NSU’s website and can be obtained from the Student Affairs office at 605-626-3007. Convening the Biennial Review Committee to review program effectiveness and progress on recommendations is Key Result 70 of the Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2021-2025). Sanctioning Rubric Approved for Student Conduct Creating a sanctioning rubric for all Student Conduct educational sanctions is Key Result 149 of the Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2021-2025) and was achieved this spring by Director Bau. This rubric increases the consistency of educational sanctions issued for student policy violations and helps Northern comply with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA). This effort was first envisioned during Northern’s 2018-2020 Biennial Review. The Rubric is available for student review and will improve confidence in the Student Conduct process. Safety App Launched Another effort to improve campus safety involved expanding the campus contract with Everbridge to add a safety application to our campus alert system. Announced on Sept. 12, 2023, Everbridge Mobile App became available for free to all members of the Northern community. With a push of a button, the Everbridge Mobile App will allow individuals to connect with local emergency services, the campus police officer Eric Paul, and the on-call Residence Life team. The Everbridge Mobile App also enables Northern to notify you of class cancellations, emergency notifications, and timely warnings. All community members must first be registered with the Campus Alert System. Thanks to Susan Bostian, AVP and director of human resources for configuring the Everbridge Mobile App. Implementing a safety app is Key Result 157 of the Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2021-2025). All these efforts were made to improve campus safety at Northern, which allows students, faculty, and staff to work, learn, and grow in a safe and supportive environment. Advancing Campus Safety is Object 6 of the Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2021-2025). STUDENT AFFAIRS 12 ANNUAL REPORT Advancements in Campus Safety continued…
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