Last spring the UW-Oshkosh Department of Athletics created a substance abuse policy that received approval before the school year's end.
The policy initiates the school's right to conduct mandatory, random drug testing of any NCAA student athletes.
When Jordan Clark-Mand, a senior on the 2009 cross-country team, was asked whether she felt a mandatory drug test was necessary, she had mixed reviews.
"I think it would be cumbersome and unnecessary to make testing mandatory for everyone - athletes and staff alike, especially since championship teams are already tested by the NCAA," Clark-Mand said. "As an athlete, I think random testing is a good thing. It seems like a more manageable way to monitor athletes compared to complete testing."
No matter the season or sport, drug tests are implemented to any athlete at any time.
This means an athlete like Clark-Mand could be tested during the off-season for cross-country.
After passing through a draft phase, the policy went through the shared governance organizations on campus and the legal system before the approval.
"There was a lack of opposition and the policy was received quite well," Al Ackerman, Oshkosh athletic director, said.
During the draft phase, various organizations, including the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and Oshkosh Student Association, had the opportunity to create revisions.
The campus governing bodies reviewed the draft and held a meeting.
This gathering revealed that many of the organizations had concerns about the document such as, "If a participant fails to attend a drug test … UW-Oshkosh Department of Athletics will treat this failure to report as a positive drug test," as stated from the policy draft.
According to one of the policy authors and Oshkosh medial director John Swanson, this remains true, but he said, "So far, all athletes that have been selected for testing have come in."
In addition, there were budget concerns dealing with the price of testing and parent notifications.
"The cost is manageable," Ackerman said. "If a student asks for a retest, it is then paid by the athlete."
The cost of the first test is paid for by the athletic department.
As for the parental notification, the policy draft originally stated that any positive drug test would result in a notification.
Approximately 30 OSA representatives felt that that clause was unnecessary since once an athlete is 18 they are legally responsible.
In accordance, the approved policy states that parents will not be contacted unless the athlete is under 18 years old or dealing with other significant circumstances.
"I would like to think most who test positive are accidently doing so," Clark-Mand said. "I don't necessarily think people are above performance-enhancing drugs, I just think most people don't realize that the NCAA bans stuff in their recovery bars, vitamins and drinks."
If a student does test positive on any substance, the policy has specific steps that will be taken.
Whether the offense is alcohol or substance based, the athlete is required to meet with Ackerman.
"This may result in suspension for a portion of the season or the whole season and/or referral for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) counseling at the Counseling Center," Swanson said.
In addition, athletes who test positive on certain tests can face penalties, including expulsion from the Oshkosh athletic program.
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