VCOM Faculty Handbook

employees to consent to testing may result in termination for student safety.

The requirement that an employee be tested as well as the test results will remain confidential and disclosed only to those individuals within VCOM with a need to know, as well as any licensing, registering or certification boards that have a need to know. Any employee who tests positive on a drug screen for controlled or illicit substances and/or marijuana (whether prescribed or not), demonstrate illegal or disruptive actions related to drug or alcohol use, are arrested for drug paraphernalia or other illegal use of drugs, or demonstrated dependence to alcohol will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, and/or required to satisfactorily participate in a drug-abuse assistance or rehabilitation program at the discretion of administration. Disciplinary action will be administered in accordance with the Standards of Conduct and Guidelines. Self-Identification of Substance Use Dependence or Arrest/Criminal Charge of a Substance Use Violation Employees must report an arrest or charge for any illegal behavior, including substance use, whether guilty or not guilty, to the Director for Human Resources within 72 hours from the time of the arrest or charge. Employees who do not report such an arrest or charge are considered as acting in an unprofessional and/or unethical manner and may be dismissed. Failure to disclose a substance use condition that subsequently results in impairment, patient safety concerns, professional misconduct, or violation of institutional policies will be considered unprofessional conduct and will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Substance Abuse Prevention Information regarding the risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and the misuse of alcohol, including applicable health consequences and legal sanctions, is distributed annually to students and employees. In addition, all students and employees are required to complete VCOM’s alcohol abuse prevention program. Building and Grounds Etiquette When VCOM’s lecture halls are not used for formal instruction, VCOM encourages students to use the rooms for quiet study. Periodically, the lecture halls will be used for other events; therefore, students are requested to pick up their personal possessions daily. Items left behind will be turned into Facilities. VCOM is not responsible for items left behind. Items not accounted for within 30 days will be disposed of or donated to charity. Study areas are available for students throughout the building and each campus may have specific procedures in place for the use of certain areas (i.e. reservations), while other areas may have open access on a first come/first serve basis. Areas are often reserved for student use such as peer tutoring sessions or other curricular events. Students will be made aware of the procedures regarding the use of these study areas annually. Students are asked to be considerate of others and refrain from placing belongings in study areas when not in the room to occupy or reserve the room for future use. Concerns regarding student abuse of study areas should be brought before student leadership and the Honor Code Council. While on campus, it is important for everyone to consider the immense effort it takes to keep the property and its landscapes in order. These are provided for the students’ sake and VCOM encourages students to take advantage of the campus and enjoy the atmosphere and walking paths. For safety reasons, students and employees are asked to refrain from walking on plant beds, across lawns or entering restricted areas. The pathways are provided for safety. VCOM encourages and often hosts outdoor activities that are planned. Impromptu or unplanned use of facilities for sports such as golf, volleyball, baseball, etc. are not permitted as they may have a direct and immediate impact on the safety of others or may cause damage to certain areas. Students and employees should contact Facilities if they

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