Liberty s Ultimate Test

Th e latest fashions show who's in and who's not.The latest clichesshow who's cooland who's not However, the latest thing to hit Liberty University willshow who's here and who's not

Mandatory drug testing hit around 2000 students this year — up to 200 perweek. Before the school year started,students were required tosign a waiver form consenting tothetests.No student was allowed to register before submitting the signed waiver

Imagine — you are a new student,and youreceive a call slip inyour mailbox You've beenselected asthenextsubjectofdrug testing! You have exactly 48 hours to respond toyour notice.If you failtomake an appointment with the Health Services,you may receive four reprimands, which is equivalent to a $15 fine.

You go toyour appointment a littlenervous, but acting as"cool"asyou possibly can.First, youfill out a form explaining thetype ofdrugs,prescription and otherwise,you've used inthepast couple of months. You are given a private room and a container You sign and seal the sample toinsure that itisnot tampered with. Liberty chose notto have a monitored room — for the privacy ofthe individual student

Health Services checks the urine sample and sendsit outforfurthertesting Ifit shows apositive sign of drugs,a second test will be taken on the other part ofthesample.

Ifthe second test shows positive,a third test is run bygastroanalysis, themost expensivedrugtesting done.Itis a fool-prooftestand may beused as evidence incourt situations This test isneeded to confirm a positive test and toavoid accusing anyone falselyoftaking illegaldrugs Thegastroanalysis test can name the specific drug and the exact quantity ofitthat has been taken.

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Dr. Greg Albers,who is in charge of the program, said the university hired the best testing company available

"Hopefully your testswillturnout negative, " he said,"and you'll be able to finish your year with success."

However, ifa student's drug test ispositive,he may be dismissed from school,depending on the severityofthesituation. Studentswillbe allowed to re-enroll in a following semester with the review board's permission Students who refuse to submit to the test will be dismissed.

Health Serviceshopes toeitherconnect students who test"positive"with a drug rehabilitation program or tohelp directly, inthecase ofprescription drug abuse

Liberty University led the nation among schools

Enforcing Random Drug Testing

"We are the first college in America to have such aprogram I hope thatotherswillfollow suit," stated Chancellor Jerry Falwell.He made theannouncement ofdrug testingduring chapelon April 22, 1988

PresidentA. PierreGuillermin added thatit was a wait-and-see situation for other schools toadopt the program

"Colleges want to see what legal ramifications the Liberty program has,"he said "If LU is successful, its program can be a model forother Christian and secular universities."

The drug-testing program got offto a late start thisyear.The firststudents tobe tested linedup in early October instead of early September, as planned The measlesepidemic caused thedelayby taking all of Health Service's time.