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The Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation has approved this policy. The Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation reserves the right to amend this policy from time to time as needed. Furthermore, this policy is not to be construed as a contract between the university and the student-athlete.
 
The Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation at the Rochester Institute of Technology is concerned with the health, safety and well-being of the student-athletes who participate in its programs and represent the university in competitive athletics.  Substance abuse is one of the most important issues facing athletics and society today. The use of illegal drugs, misuse of legal drugs and dietary supplements, use of performance-enhancing substances, use of alcohol and use of tobacco are inconsistent with the standards expected of student-athletes at Rochester Institute of Technology.  Substance use and abuse in sport can pose risks to the student-athlete’s health and negatively affect his or her academic and athletic performance.  It also can compromise the integrity of athletic competition and the ideals of the Rochester Institute of Technology.
 
The Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation at the Rochester Institute of Technology believes it is our responsibility to do everything possible to protect the health and well being of our student-athletes.  It is our desire, therefore, to educate our athletes about the effects (both long and short term) of drugs, alcohol and over-the counter dietary supplements on their performance and much more importantly, on their lives.  It is our hope that our student-athletes will recognize the dangers of drug and alcohol use and therefore compete and live free of all dangerous substances.

The Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation believes that random drug and alcohol testing and testing based on reasonable suspicion are appropriate to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, to promote fair competition in intercollegiate athletics, to affirm compliance with applicable rules and regulations on drug and alcohol abuse, to identify student-athletes who are improperly using drugs or alcohol and to assist them before they harm themselves or others.  Furthermore, the Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation recognizes its responsibility to provide educational programming that will support a positive decision-making process. 
 

Athletes who are educated about substance use in sport are more likely to make informed and intelligent decisions about usage.  The Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation will conduct a drug and alcohol education program for student-athletes at least twice a year.  These educational programs will be designed to review, the Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, institutional and NCAA policies related to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Appropriate educational materials will be made available to participants.   Additionally, a resource pool of educational materials will be made available for use by coaches and student-athletes at any time throughout the year.  All student-athletes and athletics staff members are required to attend the educational programs.  Make-up sessions are available for participants who must miss a scheduled educational session for an approved reason. 
In addition to educating student-athletes and athletics staff about the various policies, a review of Rochester Institute of Technology’s institutional drug and alcohol-testing program will be conducted.  Dietary supplements and their inherent risks for student-athletes will be discussed.  Time will be allowed for questions from participants. 

All athletics staff members must be aware of and committed to the drug education and drug-testing program.  No athletics staff member shall encourage or advise any student-athlete to take performance-enhancing or non-therapeutic drugs and further, they shall not issue or assist student-athletes in obtaining any performance-enhancing or non-therapeutic drugs.  Staff members shall advise and educate student-athletes against these types of substances and shall report the use, or suspected use, of performance-enhancing and/or non-therapeutic drugs by a student-athlete to the appropriate athletic department administrator.  All athletics staff members shall direct student-athletes who desire to use dietary supplements to the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine or the Team Physician.  Any staff member found to be in violation of this policy is subject to dismissal.

As a condition of participation in intercollegiate athletics at the Rochester Institute of Technology, each student-athlete will be required to sign a Rochester Institute of Technology consent form agreeing to undergo drug and alcohol testing and authorizing release of test results in accordance with this policy (See Appendix A).  Failure to consent to or to comply with the requirements of this policy may result in suspension from participation or termination of eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  Additionally, student-athletes will be given an opportunity to ask any questions regarding the information contained in the policy, the testing program, or other related issues prior to signing the Rochester Institute of Technology drug-testing consent form.
 
All Rochester Institute of Technology student-athletes listed on the institutional squad list and who have signed the institutional consent form shall be subject to drug and alcohol  testing under the terms of this policy.  This includes but is not limited to student-athletes who are “red shirting,” student-athletes who are academically ineligible, student-athletes who are injured  and/or using other athletic-related services.  All student-athletes shall be subject to drug and alcohol testing under the terms of this policy throughout the calendar year, including summer.

Many dietary supplements or ergogenic aids contain banned substances.  Often the labeling of dietary supplements is not accurate and is misleading.  Terms such as “healthy” or “all natural” do not mean dietary supplements are free of banned substance or are safe to take.  Using dietary supplements may lead to negative side effects such as dehydration and/or may cause positive drug tests.  Student-athletes who are currently taking dietary supplements or intend to take any are required to review the product with the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine or Team Physician.  Student-athletes are encouraged to contact the National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc. at www.drugfreesport.com or the Dietary Supplement Resource Exchange Center (REC) at www.drugfreesport.com/rec for information on dietary supplements and other banned substances.

As a result of the accessibility of alcohol by students, alcohol use and abuse are prevalent on college campuses.  Student-athletes shall abide by all federal, state, local, university, and Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation alcohol policies.   An alcohol violation shall include any violation of federal, state, local, university, or department alcohol policies, which includes any known and documented incident(s) documented by a Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation staff member.

It is the responsibility of all student-athletes to know all federal, state, and local laws as well as the university and athletic program policies related to the use of alcohol and drugs. Federal, New York State and local laws provide many legal sanctions for the unlawful possession or distribution of controlled substances.  These sanctions include severe criminal penalties such as fines and/or imprisonment. 
 
If a student-athlete is determined to be involved in an alcohol or drug related incident, or if the student-athlete tests positive for alcohol, the student-athlete may be required to attend a counseling session for the purposes of evaluation, education, and if necessary, treatment or rehabilitation.  If counseling is required, the student-athlete will be required to sign a release of information to allow basic communication (e.g. whether the student-athlete arrived for an appointment or not) between the university counselor, a Rochester Institute of Technology team physician and the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  Failure to sign such a release will render the student-athlete ineligible for practice and competition.
 
An alcohol or drug related incident shall include but is not limited to the following: underage drinking, minor in possession (MIP), public intoxication, drunk and disorderly conduct, DWI/DUI, assault while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, possession of drugs, and/or any violation of the Rochester Institute of Technology Code of Conduct involving alcohol or drugs.
 
The Director of Athletics or his or her designee, the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine, and the Head Coach, in consultation with the university conduct office, will determine on a case-by-case basis if the circumstances warrant suspension of the student-athlete from practice and/or competition. 
 

 
Conviction of an alcohol or drug related bad behavior will be considered the same as a positive alcohol or drug test for the purpose of determining sanctions.  The sanctions for a positive test are outlined later in the policy.

The NCAA and the Rochester Institute of Technology prohibits the use of tobacco products by all game personnel (e.g. coaches, student-athletes, athletic trainers, managers and game officials) in all sports during practice and competition.  See NCAA Bylaws 11.1.5. and 17.1.7.  A student-athlete who violates this tobacco policy shall be disqualified for the remainder of that practice or competition. The Director of Athletics or his/her designee will sanction other game personnel (e.g. head or assistant coach) who violate this tobacco policy on a case-by-case basis.

The Rochester Institute of Technology drug screening process may include analysis of, but is not limited to, the NCAA list of banned-drug classes.  The NCAA banned-drug classes are as follows: stimulants, anabolic agents, diuretics, street drugs, peptide hormones and their related compounds.  For an ongoing updated listing of the NCAA banned-drug classes, student-athletes are urged to review the NCAA’s web site at www.ncaa.org or contact the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine or the sport specific athletic trainer.
 
Additional substances that the Rochester Institute of Technology may screen for include alcohol, beta-blockers, opiates, MDMA (Ecstasy), amphetamine/methamphetamine, and flunitrazepam (Rohypnol).  The Rochester Institute of Technology explicitly reserves the right to test for substances not listed on the NCAA Banned Drug Classes List and to test at detection levels that vary from those of the NCAA.  The Rochester Institute of Technology’s Student-Athlete Drug Education and Drug Testing Program are separate and distinct from the NCAA’s drug testing programs, including but not limited to banned substances, sanctions imposed and levels of detection.

All student-athletes who have signed the institutional drug-testing consent form and are listed on the institutional squad list are subject to unannounced random testing at any time.  The Director of Athletics or his/her designee will select student-athletes from the official institutional squad lists by using a computerized random number program. 

All student-athletes are subject to pre-season drug testing and may be notified of such by the Director of Athletics or his/her designee at any time prior to their first competition. 

All student-athletes who have signed the institutional drug-testing consent form and are listed on the institutional squad list are subject to unannounced random team testing at any time.  The Director of Athletics or his/her designee will select an entire team from the list of teams sponsored by the institution using a computerized random number program. 

A student-athlete may be subject to testing at any time when the Director of Athletics or his/her designee determines there is individualized reasonable suspicion to believe the student-athlete may using a prohibited substance (See Appendix B – Reasonable Suspicion Form).  Such reasonable suspicion may be based on objective information as determined by the Director of Athletics or by an Associate/Assistant Athletic Director, Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Head Athletic Trainer, Assistant Athletic Trainer, or Team Physician, Academic Counselor and deemed reliable by the Director of Athletics or his/her designee. Reasonable suspicion may be found, but not limited to 1) observed possession or use of substances appearing to be prohibited drugs, 2) arrest or conviction for a criminal offense related to the possession or transfer of prohibited drugs or substances, or 3) observed abnormal appearance, conduct or behavior reasonably interpretable as being caused by the use of prohibited drugs or substances.
 
Among the indicators which may be used in evaluating a student-athlete’s abnormal appearance, conduct or performance are: class attendance, significant GPA changes, athletic practice attendance, increased injury rate or illness, physical appearance changes, academic/athletic motivational level, emotional condition, mood changes, and legal involvement.  If reasonable suspicion is verified (see Reasonable Suspicion Reporting Form – Appendix B), the Director of Athletics or his/her designee will notify the student-athlete and the student-athlete must stay with a member of their coaching staff, the athletics administration staff, or the sports medicine staff, until an adequate specimen is produced.  Note: The possession and/or use of illegal substances may be determined by means other than urinalysis (e.g., using on-site saliva testing products to determine alcohol consumption).  When an individual is found to be in possession and/or using such substances, he/she may be subject to the same procedures that would be followed in the case of a positive urinalysis.

Any participant or team likely to advance to post-season championship competition may be subject to additional testing by the Rochester Institute of Technology prior to the post-season championship event.  Testing may be required of all team members or individual student-athletes at any time within thirty (30) days prior to the post-season competition.  If a student-athlete tests positive, he or she will not be allowed to compete at the post-season event unless he or she subsequently tests negative prior to departure for the event and receives permission from the Director of Athletics or his or her designee to compete in the post-season event (Associate Director for Athletics, Assistant Director for Sports Medicine).

A student-athlete who has had his or her eligibility to participate in intercollegiate sports suspended as a result of a drug and/or alcohol violation, may be required to undergo re-entry drug and/or alcohol testing prior to regaining eligibility.  The Director of Athletics or his/her designee shall arrange for re-entry testing after the counselor or specialist involved in the student-athlete’s case indicates that re-entry into the intercollegiate sports program is appropriate.

A student-athlete who has returned to participation in intercollegiate athletics following a positive drug test under this policy may be subject to follow-up testing throughout the remainder of their athletic eligibility.  Testing will be unannounced and will be required at a frequency determined by the Athletic Director or his/her designee in consultation with the counselor or specialist involved in the student-athlete’s case.

The student-athlete will be notified of and scheduled for testing by the institution. The Director of Athletics or his/her designee will notify the student-athlete, in person or by direct telephone communication (e.g. no voice mail messages, no emails), of the date and time to report to the collection station and will have the student-athlete read and sign the Student-Athlete Notification Form (See Appendix C).  No specific time period is required for notification of student-athletes prior to the administration of any drug tests.
 
A student-athlete who refuses to provide an adequate urine sample during the testing process, attempts to alter or substitute his or her urine sample, or fails to show up at the designated time, shall be deemed to be in violation of this policy and will be cause for the same action(s) as a positive drug test result.  (See Appendix D for Specimen Collection Procedures).

(a) A student-athlete who has engaged in prohibited drug or alcohol use is encouraged to seek assistance from the Athletic Department (e.g. Assistant Director for Sports Medicine, Medical Director, Team Physician, Athletic Trainer or Coach) by voluntarily disclosing his or her use. 
 
(b) The student-athlete who seeks assistance prior to receiving a positive drug test result and/or prior to being notified that he or she has been selected for drug testing, the impermissible use will not be deemed a violation of this policy for purposes of determining sanctions; however, for health and safety reasons the student-athlete will be ineligible to participate in intercollegiate sports pending an evaluation. A student-athlete will not be permitted to enter the Safe Harbor Program thirty (30) days prior to NCAA or conference postseason competition.
 
(c) Upon entering the Safe Harbor Program, the student-athlete will be required to undergo an initial drug test as well as an evaluation by a drug education or substance abuse professional.  As stated above, if the initial drug test result is positive, the impermissible use will not be deemed a violation of this policy for purposes of determining sanctions. The drug education or substance abuse professional shall determine the appropriate form(s) of intervention and rehabilitation needed by the student-athlete, based on the circumstances of the case. The counselor will provide a summary of his or her findings and recommendations to the Director of Athletics.
 
(d) A student-athlete will be permitted to remain in the Safe Harbor Program for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed thirty (30) days, as determined by the treatment plan and will be removed from the random selection pool of student-athletes. However, the student-athlete will not be permitted to return to participation in intercollegiate sports until the counselor has interviewed the student-athlete following the conclusion of the recommended treatment (or stage of treatment, as applicable) and has determined that reentry into intercollegiate sports is appropriate.  If the counselor deems it necessary, the student-athlete will be required to undergo drug and/or alcohol testing as part of the reentry evaluation. 
 
(e) Failing to complete the treatment recommended by the counselor, having a second positive drug test result for any banned substance after entering the Safe Harbor Program that is determined to be a result of new drug use, or having a positive result on a reentry drug or alcohol test will be deemed a second offense under this policy (e.g. the initial positive drug test result plus the second/new positive drug test result).
 
(f) If the student-athlete regains his or her eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics, he or she may be required to undergo unannounced follow-up tests at the discretion of the Director for Athletics or his or her designee in consultation with the counselor.
 
(g) A positive drug test result at any time after satisfactorily completing the Safe Harbor Program will count as the first positive drug test result.

All student-athlete information and records associated with the Rochester Institute of Technology drug education and drug-testing program will be confidential and results will be released only to those individuals with a legitimate need to know.(Buckley Amendment)
 
Urine samples will be collected and sent to an independent certified laboratory for analysis.  Each sample will be tested to determine if banned drugs or substances are present.  Results will be made available to the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will review the results and if there is a positive drug test result, the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will inform the Medical Director.  It is the responsibility of the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine to see that the following individuals are informed of the positive test result:
 

The Rochester Institute of Technology recognizes that some banned substances are used for legitimate medical purposes.  Accordingly, the Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation allows exceptions to be made for those student-athletes with a documented medical history demonstrating a need for regular use of such a substance.  Exceptions may be granted for substances included in the following classes of banned drugs: stimulants, beta-blockers, diuretics and peptide hormones.
 
Student-athletes are required to inform their athletic trainer of all medications (prescribed and over-the-counter) he or she is taking. The Rochester Institute of Technology should maintain in the student-athlete’s medical record a letter from the prescribing physician that documents the student-athlete’s medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of such a drug.  The letter should contain information as to the diagnosis (including appropriate verification), medical history and dosage information.
 
In the event a student-athlete tests positive, the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine in consultation with the Medical Director will review the student-athlete’s medical record to determine whether a medical exception should be granted. 

The laboratory (or Third Party Administrator) will report the positive drug test finding(s) to the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will contact the Medical Director to review the positive result.  It is the responsibility of the Director of Athletic Medicine to see that the following individuals are informed of the positive test result:
 

 
The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will schedule a confidential meeting with the student-athlete and the individuals mentioned above to inform them of the finding. The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine or his/her designee, the Head Coach and the student-athlete will notify the student-athlete’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) by telephone and in writing.
 
The student-athlete will be immediately suspended from participation in any intercollegiate competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  The suspension will be for a period of time equivalent to 100% of his or her regular season of competition.    The suspension shall be served starting with the next scheduled contest or date of competition and will be in effect for both regular season and post-season competition (e.g. exhibition contests, scrimmages, and/or non-traditional season contests cannot be used to serve the suspension).  The suspension will rollover to the next traditional season of competition if necessary.  If the positive drug test result occurs during the off-season, the suspension will be served during the next season of competition.  If the positive drug test result occurs at the end of the regular season but prior to post-season competition, it shall be served during the post-season competition.  The student-athlete must be medically authorized by a Rochester Institute of Technology team physician, in conjunction with any counselor and/or therapist, prior to resuming any athletic practice or competition.
 
The student-athlete will be required to attend or continue attending counseling sessions for the purposes of evaluation, education, and if necessary, treatment or counseling.  Again, the student-athlete will be required to sign a release of information to allow basic communication (e.g. whether the student-athlete arrived for an appointment or not) between the university counselor, a Rochester Institute of Technology team physician and the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  Failure to sign such a release will render the student-athlete ineligible for practice and competition.
 
Failing to meaningfully participate in the evaluation/counseling process as defined by the counselors will be classified as a third offense.
 
If the counselor believes that additional rehabilitation is necessary either on or off-campus, all costs associated with this additional rehabilitation will be the responsibility of the student-athlete. 
 
The student-athlete will be subject to follow-up testing.  Testing will be unannounced and will be required at a frequency determined by the Director of Athletics or his/her designee.

 
The laboratory (or Third Party Administrator) will report the positive drug test finding(s) to the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will contact the Medical Director to review the positive result.  It is the responsibility of the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine to see that the following individuals are informed of the positive test result:
 

The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will schedule a confidential meeting with the student-athlete and any of the individuals mentioned above to inform them of the finding. The Director of Athletics will notify the student-athlete’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) by telephone and in writing
The student-athlete will be immediately removed from participation in any intercollegiate practice, training and competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  In addition, athletic-related financial aid shall be revoked. 
 

 
The laboratory (or Third Party Administrator) will report the positive drug test finding(s) to the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will contact the Medical Director to review the positive result.  It is the responsibility of the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine to see that the following individuals are informed of the positive test result:
 

 
The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will schedule a confidential meeting with the student-athlete and the individuals mentioned above to inform them of the finding. The Director of Athletics or his/her designee, the Head Coach and the student-athlete will notify the student-athlete’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) by telephone and in writing. The student-athlete will be immediately suspended from participation in any intercollegiate competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  The suspension will be for a period of time equivalent to 10% of his or her regular season of competition.  The determination of the 10% always will be rounded up (e.g. if 10% equals 2.3 games, the student-athlete will be suspended for 3 games).  The suspension shall be served starting with the next scheduled contest or date of competition and will be in effect for both regular season and post-season competition (e.g. exhibition contests, scrimmages, and/or non-traditional season contests cannot be used to serve the suspension).  The suspension will rollover to the next season of competition if necessary.  If the alcohol or drug related offense occurs during the off-season, the suspension will be served during the next season of competition.  If the alcohol related offense occurs at the end of the regular season but prior to post-season competition, it shall be served during the post-season competition.  The student-athlete must be medically authorized by a Rochester Institute of Technology team physician, in conjunction with any counselor and/or therapist, prior to resuming any athletic practice or competition.
 
The student-athlete will be required to attend a counseling session for the purposes of evaluation, education, and if necessary, treatment or counseling.  The student-athlete will be required to sign a release of information to allow basic communication (e.g. whether the student-athlete arrived for an appointment or not) between the university counselor, a Rochester Institute of Technology team physician and the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  Failure to sign such a release will render the student-athlete immediately ineligible for practice and competition.
 
The counselor will ask the student-athlete to discuss the nature and extent of his/her involvement with prohibited alcohol.  The counselor shall determine the appropriate form(s) of intervention and rehabilitation needed by the student-athlete, based on the circumstances of the case.  Failing to meaningfully participate in the evaluation/counseling process as defined by the counselors will be classified as a second offense.
 
If the counselor believes that additional rehabilitation is necessary either on or off-campus, all costs associated with this additional rehabilitation will be the responsibility of the student-athlete.  The student-athlete will be subject to follow-up testing.  Testing will be unannounced and will be required at a frequency determined by the Director of Athletics or his/her designee. 
 
Second Alcohol Positive
 
The laboratory (or Third Party Administrator) will report the positive drug test finding(s) to the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will contact the Medical Director to review the positive result.  It is the responsibility of the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine to see that the following individuals are informed of the positive test result:
 

 
The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will schedule a confidential meeting with the student-athlete and the individuals mentioned above to inform them of the finding. The Director of Athletics or his/her designee, the Head Coach and the student-athlete will notify the student-athlete’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) by telephone and in writing.
 
The student-athlete will be immediately suspended from participation in any intercollegiate competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  The suspension will be for a period of time equivalent to 100% of his or her regular season of competition.    The suspension shall be served starting with the next scheduled contest or date of competition and will be in effect for both regular season and post-season competition (e.g. exhibition contests, scrimmages, and/or non-traditional season contests cannot be used to serve the suspension).  The suspension will rollover to the next season of competition if necessary.  If the positive alcohol test result occurs during the off-season, the suspension will be served during the next season of competition.  If the positive drug test result occurs at the end of the regular season but prior to post-season competition, it shall be served during the post-season competition.  The student-athlete must be medically authorized by a Rochester Institute of Technology team physician, in conjunction with any counselor and/or therapist, prior to resuming any athletic practice or competition.
 
The student-athlete will be required to attend or continue attending counseling sessions for the purposes of evaluation, education, and if necessary, treatment or counseling.  Again, the student-athlete will be required to sign a release of information to allow basic communication (e.g. whether the student-athlete arrived for an appointment or not) between the university counselor, a Rochester Institute of Technology team physician and the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  Failure to sign such a release will render the student-athlete ineligible for practice and competition.
 
Failing to meaningfully participate in the evaluation/counseling process as defined by the counselors will be classified as a third offense.
 
If the counselor believes that additional rehabilitation is necessary either on or off-campus, all costs associated with this additional rehabilitation will be the responsibility of the student-athlete.  The student-athlete will be subject to follow-up testing.  Testing will be unannounced and will be required at a frequency determined by the Director of Athletics or his/her designee.

 
The laboratory (or Third Party Administrator) will report the positive drug test finding(s) to the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine.  The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will contact the Medical Director to review the positive result.  It is the responsibility of the Assistant Director for Sports Medicine to see that the following individuals are informed of the positive test result:
 

 
The Assistant Director for Sports Medicine will schedule a confidential meeting with the student-athlete and the individuals mentioned above to inform them of the finding. The Director of Athletics will notify the student-athlete’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) by telephone and in writing.
 
The student-athlete will be immediately expelled from participation in any intercollegiate practice, training and competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition, athletic-related financial aid shall be revoked.
 
Student-athletes are also subject to the sanctions as outlined in the RIT Conduct Process.
 
Note: A positive drug test result under the NCAA’s drug testing program, will be counted as a positive drug test result under the terms and conditions of the Rochester Institute of Technology Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Drug Education and Drug Testing Program.  Furthermore, a student-athlete under a drug-testing suspension from a national or international sports governing body that has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code (e.g. USOC, USADA) shall not participate in NCAA intercollegiate competition for the duration of the suspension.  See NCAA Bylaw 18.4.1.5.3.

Student-athletes who test positive for a banned substance may contest the finding within 48 hours following receipt of notice of the positive finding.  Upon the student-athlete’s request for confirmation of the positive finding, the Director of Athletics or his/her designee will request the laboratory to perform confirmation testing on the student-athlete’s specimen B, if applicable.  The student-athlete may choose to be present at the opening of specimen B at the laboratory.  If the student-athlete does not wish to be present at the opening of specimen B, but desires to be represented, arrangements will be made for a surrogate to attend the opening of specimen B.  The surrogate will not be involved with any other aspect of the analysis of the specimen.  The student-athlete or his/her surrogate will attest to the sample number and the integrity of the security seal prior to the laboratory opening of specimen B.  Specimen B findings will be final.  If specimen B results are negative, the drug test will be considered negative. 
 
Student-athletes who test positive under the terms of the Rochester Institute of Technology Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Student-Athlete Drug Education and Drug Testing Program will be entitled to a hearing.  Requests for such a hearing must be made within forty-eight (48) hours of notification of a positive B sample test result.  If the forty-eight hours would end on a weekend, the request must be made by noon on the next business day.  Requests must be in writing and received by the Director of Athletics.  The Director of Athletics will forward the request for a hearing to the Appeals and Reinstatement Committee.  The Appeals and Reinstatement Committee is comprised of the Director of Athletics or his/her designee, the Medical Director, a Faculty Athletic Representative, a substance abuse counselor and a sport administrator appointed by the Director of Athletics. 
 
The student-athlete may have an advocate or other representatives present if the student so desires.  However, the student-athlete must present his or her own case.  The hearing should take place no more than 48 hours after the written request is received.  Either the student-athlete or the other parties involved may request an extension of time to the Director of Athletics, who will consider whether to grant the extension upon a showing of good cause.  These proceedings shall include an opportunity for the student-athlete to present evidence, to question adverse testimony, as well as to review the results of the drug test.  The proceedings shall be confidential.  The decision by the Appeals and Reinstatement Committee regarding the sanction to be imposed shall be final.  The Director of Athletics shall inform the student-athlete of the committee’s decision in writing.  A formal record, a tape recording, or a verbatim transcript of the hearing shall be kept.

At the end of the one-year period of suspension (after a first positive drug test result or after a second alcohol or drug related offense) and after satisfactory completion of an appropriate treatment and aftercare program, the student-athlete may apply for reinstatement to the intercollegiate athletic department.  Reinstatement shall not be considered automatic and will addressed on a case-by-case basis. 
 
The request for reinstatement shall be filed with the Director of Athletics.  The request shall be made in writing and should state the grounds on which the student-athlete believes he/she should be reinstated.  The Director of Athletics will forward the request for reinstatement to the Appeals and Reinstatement Committee.  The Appeals and Reinstatement Committee is comprised of the Director of Athletics or his/her designee, the Medical Director, a Faculty Athletic Representative, a substance abuse counselor and a sport administrator appointed by the Director of Athletics.  The committee shall review the request for reinstatement and make a determination within ten (10) days of receiving the request.  The decision of the Appeals and Reinstatement Committee shall be final.