Campus Safety

Florida College’s top priority is keeping our campus safe and secure. The Dean of Students office works tirelessly to ensure we have policies and procedures in place to provide a safe school year for our students, faculty, and staff.

Ways We Support Your Wellbeing

Mental Health Specialist

Due to contributions from generous donors, Florida College is able to offer all students seven free appointments with a mental health professional. These sessions are conducted via video call and are completely confidential. After the seven free appointments, students can also opt to schedule additional sessions at their own expense.

Nurse

Our on-call Registered Nurse is available to any student who needs assistance. The nurse can be contacted through the students’ online Student Portal.

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures

The college discontinued the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic effective June 1, 2022. This means we are no longer managing symptoms, daily health checks, testing and quarantine for COVID -19. Going forward, each individual on our campus will be responsible for assessing symptoms of illness and managing their health.

QUARANTINE AND SELF-ISOLATION

Students, faculty and staff who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate/quarantine in accordance with CDC guidelines. The CDC offers a quarantine and isolation calculator to determine the exact date it is appropriate to return to the Florida College community.

As a member of our community, we ask that students consider others when illness does arise. If you have the following symptoms, it is best to stay in your room with as little contact with others as possible, until symptoms subside:

  • Fever over 100.4
  • Chills, coughing, extreme fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea

Florida College has a nurse on staff that can be contacted at any time. Tampa has a vast network of walk- in clinics and physicians who accept insurance and self-pay, that can assist you as well.

Policies We Uphold For Your Safety

Alcohol & Drug Policies

Florida College is a drug-free and alcohol-free work and educational environment. The unlawful manufacture, sale, delivery, unauthorized possession, or use of any illicit drug is prohibited by Florida College. The college not only complies with federal, state, and local laws regulating the possession, use, and sale of drugs or alcohol, but has a well-defined and established code of conduct—as written in the student handbook—that specifically states that: “The use of alcohol and drugs by our students is absolutely prohibited.” Violation of this standard at the college is clearly stated as grounds for a student’s automatic suspension for at least the balance of the semester in which the violation occurred.

 

ABUSE PREVENTION

As required by CFR 86.11, Florida College publishes and distributes to all current students and employees its Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program as part of the annual Campus Security & Fire Safety Report. This program is reviewed annually by the Dean of Students to determine its effectiveness and to implement changes if they are needed. The elements of the program are:

  1. To stress biblical principles covering physical, mental, and spiritual health.
  2. To develop a knowledge base & skills training program for alcohol & drug education.
  3. To provide on-campus counseling & referral.
  4. To apply appropriate disciplinary measures to offenders in accordance with policies of Florida College.

The Dean of Students office is the referral center for students and employees who voluntarily request assistance with substance abuse. These individuals will be counseled and referred to the appropriate professional assistance program. Penalties may be imposed upon an employee for drug abuse violations up to and including termination of employment or requiring satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such purposes by a federal, state, or local health, law enforcement, or other appropriate agency.

 

HEALTH RISKS OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause marked impairments in higher mental functions and the loss of memory. High doses of alcohol can cause respiratory depression and death.

Long-term consumption, particularly when combined with poor nutrition, can also lead to dependence and permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and the liver. Physical effects of drugs include increased heart rate, bloodshot eyes, dry mouth and throat, and increased appetite. The use of drugs may impair or reduce short-term memory and comprehension, alter sense of time, and reduce the ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination. Motivation and cognition may also be altered making the acquisition of new information difficult. As you can see from the above, there are major health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol.

Federal guidelines state that any Pell Grant recipient must certify that he or she will not engage in unlawful activities related to controlled substances during the period covered by the grant.

Federal guidelines focus strongly on illicit drug use and distribution. For a first offense of drug possession, a student loses eligibility for federal financial aid for one year from the date of conviction. For a second offense, a student loses eligibility for federal financial aid for two years from the date of conviction. For a third offense and subsequent offenses, a student has indefinite ineligibility for federal financial aid from the date of conviction.

For a first offense for the sale of illegal drugs, a student loses eligibility for federal financial aid for two years from the date of conviction. For a second offense and subsequent offenses, a student has indefinite ineligibility from the date of conviction.

Federal regulations require enrolled students convicted of a drug offense after receiving federal financial aid to notify Florida College immediately. The student will then become ineligible for further federal financial aid and must repay federal financial aid received after the conviction.

Fire Safety

In addition to its own internal audits and efforts, the college is inspected annually for fire safety by the local professional firefighters of Temple Terrace, who walk the campus and building interiors and make specific recommendations to the college regarding its fire safety.

The following detection, warning, and control systems are in place in our residence halls:

  • Boswell Hall: Evacuation plan posted; smoke detectors in each room, an audible alarm, and full sprinkler systems
  • Jennifer Hall: Evacuation plan posted; smoke detectors in each room, an audible alarm, and full sprinkler systems
  • Hinely Hall: Evacuation plan posted; smoke detectors in each room and an audible alarm system
  • College Hall: Evacuation plan posted; smoke detectors in each room, an audible alarm, and full sprinkler systems

At least one planned fire drill may be conducted each semester in each residence hall. Other unannounced drills may be held at any time. While evacuation procedures were discussed this year, no fire drills were conducted.

The college handbook states the following regarding fire safety in the residence halls:

  • To ensure the safety of all students and personnel, the burning of candles or incense or any activity requiring the possession and/or use of matches is strictly forbidden in the residence halls. Exits from rooms and buildings should be kept clear of obstruction at all times. Trash containers should be emptied on a regular basis.
  • Tampering with or other unauthorized use of fire safety equipment will make a student liable to suspension.
  • Electrical appliances should not be connected in such a way as to overload extension cords or electrical outlets. Permitted appliances include electric blankets, fans, irons, stereos, televisions and associated electronics, hairdryers, small refrigerators, computers, clocks, desk lamps, and shavers.
  • Appliances not allowed due to danger of fire include coffee pots unless equipped with an automatic shut-off, popcorn poppers, toasters, hot plates, heaters, etc.
  • Violation will result in a fine of $25 and possibly other disciplinary action.
  • In addition, under “general policies” for residence halls in the college handbook, the following is noted: “Using an open flame” makes a student liable to a $50 fine and to suspension from the college.
  • Also, as part of the college’s moral code as stated in the handbook, no student is permitted to use tobacco—thus, smoking is prohibited in the residence halls.

The following evacuation procedures for residence halls are stated in the student handbook.

  1. Alarm is sounded.
  2. Alert others.
  3. Proceed to the evacuation route immediately.
  4. If there is smoke, stay low.
  5. Close all doors (room and stairwell) after you.
  6. Walk, don’t run.
  7. Stay calm; assure others.
  8. Exit to the outside.
  9. Assemble at a location designated on the evacuation route.
  10. Do not leave the assembly point.
  11. Obey fire warden (resident assistant) at all times.
  12. Resident assistants act as fire wardens. Once students are assembled outside, wardens ensure that all are present and the fire department has been notified.
  13. Fire safety is discussed in each residence hall at the beginning of each fall semester, including procedures for evacuating the halls. During the academic year, the Temple Terrace fire department provides a fire prevention and awareness program on campus that all students attend; this program typically focuses on fire prevention and cautions concerning fire hazards specific to the residence halls.

Federal statutes mandate our keeping of a fire logbook book and reporting all fires that occur in our residence halls. The non-emergency contact for any fire already extinguished in the residence halls is the Dean of Students or the Dean of Students office. The fire log is kept in the dean’s office for public examination upon request.

Contact the Dean of Students Office

Future improvements in fire safety will include definitive scheduling of fire drills for each residence hall.