Student Judicial Services ordered less than 30 students to undergo addiction assessments during this past fall semester, and found none to be dependent on alcohol.

Twenty-nine students have undergone certified alcohol addiction assessments, a new policy implemented after the University re-evaluated alcohol sanctions over the summer.

The University implemented the new policy to assess repeat alcohol transports in an effort to decrease the number of students who temporarily leave GW for alcohol-related offenses. GW’s old policy led to 19 student suspensions and withdrawals from the University for second alcohol-related hospital transports in 2009.

Medical professionals determined that offering alcohol education in place of suspensions would be a more appropriate solution, Assistant Dean of Students and head of SJS Tara Pereira previously said.

Fifteen of the 29 students assessed for alcohol dependency were required to receive assessments because they were transported to the hospital for overconsumption of?alcohol more than once. Assessments are given to repeat transports prior to hearings with SJS.

The other 14 students were sanctioned with addiction assessments as a result of judicial processes after the alcohol-related incidents, Pereira said.

“Students who are sanctioned with a [certified addictions counselor] assessment typically have been documented in multiple incidents associated with alcohol and/or other drugs or have had a particularly egregious violation of the drug and alcohol policy,” Pereira said in an e-mail.

Pereira added that students assessed for alcohol dependency are assigned certified addictions counselors who then diagnose and make recommendations for further treatments, if needed.

The addictions assessments facilitate the University’s ability to tailor alcohol education to specific students.

She added that students are only assessed for addiction if their substance abuse warrants that level of intervention and education.