Notification of Parent, Guardian, or Emergency Contact for Alcohol and Controlled Substance Violations (Beau’s law)
Onondaga Community College (OCC) is committed to protecting student health and safety while respecting student privacy. In accordance with FERPA and New York State Education Law §6438-d (Beau’s law), OCC maintains a policy regarding the notification of a student’s parent(s), guardian(s), or emergency contact(s) when a student under the age of 21 is involved in certain alcohol- or controlled substance-related violations or incidents.
Incidents Subject to Notification
A parent, guardian, or emergency contact may be notified when a student under the age of 21 is involved in an alcohol or controlled substance-related medical emergencies, including:
- Hospitalization;
- Overdose; or
- Other situations presenting a serious risk to the student’s health or safety.
Notification Authority and Process
Notification determinations are made only by designated institutional offices, which may include Student Affairs, the Dean of Students, Campus Safety and Security, Counseling Services, the office of Students’ Rights, Responsibilities, and Residence life, or other authorized officials.
- Individual faculty or staff members do not contact parents, guardians, or emergency contacts unless specifically authorized.
- Notifications are made on a case-by-case basis, considering the totality of the circumstances.
Student Notification
When feasible and appropriate, students will be informed that a parent, guardian, or emergency contact has been or may be notified, unless such notification would compromise health or safety or interfere with an ongoing investigation.
Questions about this policy can be directed to the Dean of Students office at 315-498-2119 or DOS@sunyocc.edu.