Alcohol and Other Drug Policy
Student safety comes first! In any emergency involving alcohol or other drugs, call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance.
Alcohol Policy
The misuse and illegal use, possession, transportation, distribution, manufacture, or sale of alcohol is not permitted on property owned or controlled by the University, or while representing the University on business or in other University sponsored activity. The use of alcohol on university owned or controlled property or at events associated with Linfield programs is restricted to those of legal drinking age in that locale.
Violations of this policy include the following:
- Those under 21 years of age may not consume alcohol or be under the influence of alcohol (except in foreign locations with permission from the on-site director and within the laws of that location).
- Providing alcohol to minors or providing a location where minors can consume alcohol is prohibited and is a violation of the alcohol policy.
- Those 21 and over may consume alcohol on campus only in the private rooms or apartments of those 21 and over with the door closed. All other areas of the university, indoor and out are considered public areas.
- Alcohol is not permitted in public unless such use is specifically authorized in writing by the President or the President’s designee.
- Public consumption of alcohol or public possession of an open container of alcohol anywhere on campus is a violation of Linfield policy and City Ordinances of McMinnville and Portland regardless of a student’s age. University apartment balconies and patios are considered public areas
- Kegs, beer bongs and other large containers of alcohol are not permitted in university-owned or affiliated properties and will be confiscated and will not be returned.
Expectations for University Residents under 21 years of age
- Residents under the age of 21 may not have any alcohol containers, whether full or empty, in their campus housing. Residents who are found in possession of empty and/or full containers of alcohol in their room may be referred to the Student Conduct Resolution Process and subject to disciplinary action. All containers of alcohol (full or empty) will be removed and dumped down the most convenient drain and all alcohol bottles will be recycled when possible.
- If minors are present where alcohol is/was being consumed, all persons there may be held in violation of the university alcohol policy unless the minors can demonstrate that they consumed no alcohol. This can only be done on the McMinnville Campus by requesting a breathalyzer, administered by a Linfield Public Safety Officer. Breathalyzers requested after the conclusion of the incident or after a student has left the scene of the incident will not be administered or serve as a demonstration that an individual has not consumed alcohol. Failure to request and/or failure to take a breathalyzer is considered admittance to violating the alcohol policy. It is the responsibility of the student to request a breathalyzer by contacting LPS.
The University will treat any verifiable violation of any state or local alcohol laws on or off campus by students as a violation of the University alcohol policy.
Drug Policy
All students are prohibited from using, possessing, providing, or selling other (non-alcoholic) drugs as required by federal, state, and local law, including both illegal drugs and prescription drugs that are used illegally (e.g., possessing or using prescription drugs prescribed to another person or using prescription drugs in an altered form).
Paraphernalia used for illegal purposes is prohibited. The presence of scales or other tools of trafficking or supplying illegal drugs may be used as evidence of trafficking or supplying.
While Oregon has legalized the possession and use of marijuana for individuals over 21 at the state level, possession and use of marijuana remains a violation of federal law. Therefore, using, possessing, providing, or selling marijuana on campus at any age remains a violation of University policy due to federal regulations.
Students prescribed medical marijuana are not permitted to possess or use marijuana or other medical cannabis products on campus due to federal regulations.
Because the USDA states that hemp must contain less than .3% THC and University and local law enforcement are unable to test these products for their percentage of THC, any cannabis product or products that contain trace amounts of THC, including edibles, alternative cannabis products (i.e. tinctures, lotions/balms/transdermal patches, concentrates, etc.), vapes for use with cannabis oils, etc. are not permitted on campus.
If University officials respond to the smell of marijuana being burned and the individual(s) appear intoxicated due to red eyes and other behaviors, the University may proceed with a violation of our drug policy and assume the substance was marijuana using a preponderance of the evidence. By law, the University is required to notify local police whenever evidence of illegal drug use, trafficking, or supplying is discovered on campus. This includes felony-level marijuana violations.