Study Shows UC Santa Cruz Students Tops In Discipline For Drug-Related Offenses
(CBS SF) -- The University of California, Santa Cruz is tops on a nationwide list of campus disciplinary action for drug offenses, according to a new report.
An analysis by drug addiction research group ProjectKnow found that UC Santa Cruz had a rate of 70.6 per 1,000 students facing disciplinary referrals related to drugs on campus in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available.
It's the second year in a row that UCSC leads the country in disciplinary actions for drugs, according to ProjectKnow.
Researchers point out the data does not mean UCSC had the most drug- or alcohol-related arrests. The report cites as an example students who are found at a party with alcohol or drugs but may not necessarily be arrested, depending on the evidence. However, the school may still refer them to a student conduct panel which could issue a disciplinary action such as community service or probation.
As far as drug-related arrests, UC Santa Cruz was not among the top 50 schools, while UC Berkeley ranked 40th among colleges nationwide for arrests.
ProjectKnow said the state of Vermont top all states for most drug disciplinary actions among college students, while Wyoming led all states for student drug arrests.
Yearly changes in the rankings of arrests and disciplinary actions were be attributed not only to changing behaviors among students but also to shifts in school policies to address alcohol and drug violations on campus.
Researchers also noted that marijuana is the most common drug found on most college campuses.