Safety

The CSB Security Department is here to serve the campus and monastery communities. Every member of the community can help us make these campuses safer by understanding and using best practices for safety and security.

• Don’t let people “tailgate” behind you into the residence areas. Every person who is authorized to be in the buildings should have a swipe card that will allow access into the building. (Phones are located in the entrances of all residences on campus. So if that person is truly visiting a friend, they can call.)
• Lock your door anytime you leave your room, even if it is only for a short while. Also, be sure to lock your door when you will be showering or sleeping.
• Don’t leave your purse, credit cards, phone or other valuables out in the open.
• Never prop open the exterior doors. If you see a door propped open, close it.
• Never lend your ID card or room keys to anyone. If you misplace your card or key, report the loss immediately to Residential Life or Campus Security.
• Never leave your book bag, purse, phone or other valuables out of sight in common study areas.
• Record the serial numbers of valuable objects in your room. Give that information to your family and ask them to store it in a safe place.
• If you see a suspicious person around campus or the residence areas, call CSB Security immediately at 320-363-5000.

If you receive harassing phone calls:

• Hang up. As soon as you hear an obscenity, improper questions or no response to your “hello,” hang up!
• Be careful when the caller says he/she is taking a survey. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of the survey, ask the person for their name, the firm they represent and telephone number. Tell them you will call them back after you verify the authenticity of the survey.
• Don’t extend the call trying to figure out who is calling.
• Don’t let the caller know that you are upset or angry.
• Don’t panic. When the phone rings and there is no response on the line, it may just be a wrong number.
• Don’t try to be clever. A witty response may be interpreted as a sign of encouragement.
• Don’t tell everyone about your calls. Many calls of this type are actually made by close friends or family.
• Report obscene or annoying calls to the police department or security. Record the time the call was made, what was said and what you did. By reporting the call to the above authorities, you will have begun the process to stop these calls.
• If you receive an annoying or malicious voicemail message, don’t delete it. It may be useful in any criminal investigation of the incident.

If you live, study or work on campus, take precautions to protect yourself, others and campus property from smoke and fire. Fires on campus can start in many different ways. Hazards include:

• Smoking materials: Carelessness with cigarettes, matches and candles accounts for many residence hall fires. The College of Saint Benedict is a smoke-free environment in all college buildings, residential and academic. Also, it is a housing policy violation to have candles, incense or potpourri burning in your living area.
• Decorations: Holiday decorations, posters and flammables tacked to the ceiling can ignite easily and allow a fire to spread rapidly.
• Trash: Accumulations of trash and newspaper, especially in hallways and stairwells, are a fire hazard.
• Flammable liquids: Commons materials like paint, paint removers, hair spray and duplicator fluid can be fire hazards if they are not handled or stored properly.
• Furniture: A cigarette, incense or potpourri that falls on an overstuffed chair or mattress can smolder for hours, then suddenly burst into flame.
• Appliances: Potential hazards include electric blankets left on when you’re not in bed; clothing irons and/or curling irons left on, lying down and unattended, or used on a bed; toaster ovens with accumulated grease or left on or unattended; hair dryers laid down while they are on or used to dry clothes; and food left unattended in a microwave.
• Space heaters are dangerous and prohibited unless approved by Facilities Management and the Residential Life Office.
• Avoid causing false alarms – they are a hazard! They create a mood of apathy so an individual may not react quickly enough to save her or his own life in a real fire. Also, if fire trucks are out on a false alarm, they won’t be available to fight a real fire if one occurs.

WARNING: Fire equipment in residence halls is a necessity. It protects life and property. Tampering with fire alarms, extinguishers, smoke/heat detectors, standpipes, pull stations, hoses, exit signs, or fire doors seriously endangers that protection. Damaging or manipulating such equipment would subject you to college disciplinary sanctions. It is also a misdemeanor punishable by fines of up to $700. Individuals found guilty of first-degree arson are subject to a fine of $20,000 and/or 20 years in prison.

Treat all alarms as though they are real. Even if you don’t see anything, you never know if there is trouble elsewhere in the building.

• Evacuate through the NEAREST exit.
• Do not use the elevator.
• Move at least 100 feet clear of the building and stay out of the way of rescuers and firefighters.
• Do not re-enter the building until there is an all-clear signal from the fire department and/or security.

• Test the door with the back of your hand. If it is hot, stay inside.
• Stay close to the floor.
• Hold your breath and close your eyes when possible.

• Use wet clothing or towels to seal the crack under the door.
• Open your window or break it open and hang a shirt or a bed sheet out the window to attract the attention of rescuers.
• Call CSB Security at 320-363-5000 or call 911 and let them know where you are.

• DO NOT JUMP OUT THE WINDOW IF YOU ARE ON AN UPPER LEVEL.
• Wait for rescuers to come to you.
• Cover your face with a wet towel or piece of clothing and breathe through your nose.
• Wet a blanket, sheet or other large item and drape it over your shoulders.
• Crawl or crouch low to the floor.
• If your clothing catches fire, remember to stop, drop and roll to put the flames out. Use a coat or blanket to smother flames.
• Cool (not cold) water may be applied to minor burns.

• Don’t drink beverages you did not open yourself.
• Don’t share or exchange drinks with someone.
• Don’t take a drink from a punch bowl.
• Don’t drink from a container that is passed around.
• If possible, bring your own drinks to parties.
• Never leave your drink unattended! Whether talking, dancing, using the restroom, making a phone call, etc., keep your drink in your hand or close by.
• If you realize your drink has been left unattended, discard it.
• Don’t drink anything that has an unusual taste or appearance (e.g., salty taste, excessive foam, unexplained residue).
• Don’t let your guard down.
• Stay in the company of good friends.
• Use good judgment and know your limitations.

• Appoint a designated sober person when you go to parties, clubs or bars. Have a plan to periodically check up on each other.
• If one of your friends appears to be very intoxicated, gets sick after drinking a beverage, passes out and is difficult to awaken, seems to have difficulty breathing, or is behaving in an uncharacteristic way, take steps to ensure your friend’s safety. If necessary, call 911 for emergency medical assistance.
• If you see or hear that someone is “dosing” a drink or a punch bowl, intervene. Confront the person, warn potential victims, discard the drink and get help.
• Warn friends about high-risk situations such as clubs where “dosing” is known to have occurred.

• A straight shot of liquor will reach the brain and alter behavior faster than one beer or glass of wine.
• “Expectancy effects” may influence the drinking experience and influence the behavior and attitudes even with little alcohol consumption.
• An 80-proof bottle of alcohol means 40% pure alcohol.
• The body absorbs liquid at body temperature. Warm beer is closer to this temperature than cold beer, so it is absorbed faster into the blood stream.
• Blood alcohol levels of 0.3 to 0.4% can cause death by respiratory arrest.
• Exercise, coffee and showers will not speed the sobering process.
• The average person needs about one hour to completely metabolize the alcohol in one standard drink.
• Sleeping is altered after drinking all evening.
• The illegal intoxication limit in Minnesota is 0.08%.
• A blackout is a memory loss or alcohol-induced amnesia.
• A number of factors can affect the level of intoxication caused by alcohol:
• Speed of drinking: The more rapidly the beverage is ingested, the higher the peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The liver metabolizes about 1/2 ounce of alcohol per hour.
• Presence of food in the stomach: Eating while drinking slows down the absorption rate. When alcoholic beverages are taken with a substantial meal, peak BAC may be reduced by as much as 50%.
• Other chemicals in the beverage: The greater the amount of nonalcoholic chemicals in the beverage, the more slowly the alcohol is absorbed (e.g., vodka is absorbed more rapidly than beer or wine).
• Body weight: The larger person has more blood and requires greater amounts of alcohol to reach a given BAC.
• Drinking history/tolerance: If there is a history of drinking, increasing amounts of alcohol are needed to result in the physical and behavioral reactions formerly produced at lesser concentrations.
• The drinker’s expectations: Many people become intoxicated on less alcohol merely because they have that expectation before they begin drinking.
• General state of emotional and physical health: Many people seem more susceptible to the effects of alcohol when they are extremely fatigued, have recently been ill, or are under emotional stress and strain. The usual amount of alcohol may result in uncomfortable effects.
• Other drugs: Prescription, over-the-counter, illicit and unrecognized drugs all have potential reactions with alcohol. One should be aware of the possible additive and synergistic effects when these drugs are mixed with alcohol.

If you have questions regarding your health as related to alcohol use, please contact the CSB Health Advocates at 320-363-5753 or the Health Educator at 320-363-5653, or contact Counseling Services at CSB at 320-363-5605 (ext. 3791 at SJU).

Typically, students are responsible about alcohol use and problems do not develop. But if an “alcohol-related emergency” does occur, it’s important to know how to respond.

• Stay calm and don’t communicate any feelings of anxiety.
• Contact your RA, RD or Campus Security for assistance and a medical assessment.
• Before approaching or touching the person, explain what you intend to do in a direct and reassuring manner.
• Keep the person still and comfortable. Don’t let her or him walk unattended.
• Do not administer any food, drink or medication – including aspirin or vitamins. Consumption of such materials may cause stomach distress.
• Do not ridicule or threaten the person.
• Do not let the person sleep on his or her back. Death from choking on inhaled vomit may result. Place the person on her or his side, with one arm extended above the head.
• Keep a sober person nearby to watch for signs of trouble.

• The person is unconscious and cannot be wakened.
• Breathing is irregular and/or shallow.
• You suspect that alcohol has been mixed with other drugs.
• Her or his skin is clammy, pale or grey in color
• The person vomits while passed out and does not wake up during or after, or the person cannot care for themselves if they vomit.

If you are uncertain if a medical emergency exists, contact CSB Security right away for a medical assessment at 320-363-5000.

• If you feel a lot more intoxicated than your usual response to the amount of alcohol you consumed.
• If you wake up very hung over, feeling “fuzzy,” experiencing memory lapse and cannot account for a period of time.
• If you remember taking a drink but cannot recall what happened for a period of time after you consumed the drink.
• If you feel as though someone had sex with you but you cannot remember any or all of the incident.

Contact CSB Security right away for a assistance at 320-363-5000.

• Get to a safe place.
• Get help immediately.
• Call 911.
• Call CSB Campus Security at 320-363-5000 or SJU Life Safety at 320-363-2144.
• Get medical care: Go to a hospital emergency department as soon as possible for an examination and evidence collection. Call the St. Cloud hospital at 320-251-4357.
• Request that the hospital take a urine sample for blood toxicology testing to be done by your law enforcement agency’s crime lab.
• Preserve as much physical evidence as possible. Do not urinate, shower, bathe, douche or throw away the clothing you were wearing during the incident. If possible, save any materials that might provide evidence, such as the glass that held your drink.
• Contact any one of the following numbers for more help:
  • Central MN Sexual Assault Center (Crisis Line): 320-251-4357
  • CSB Security: 320-363-5000
  • SJU Life Safety: 320-363-2144
  • CSB/SJU Human Rights Office: 320-363-5485
  • Your Resident Assistant or Resident Director/Faculty Resident

The use, sale, possession or facilitation of the use or sale of any illegal drug(s) could result in arrest by the St. Joseph Police Department or other law enforcement agency and/or referral to the College Judicial Board for discipline or dismissal.

The College of Saint Benedict has a special obligation to take action in cases in which a student’s illegal activities impinge on the rights of others. All students have the right to pursue an education in an environment conducive to the educational process.

At the same time, we do not want to punish people for the sake of punishment; we would prefer to work with students to create an atmosphere on campus that is mature, responsible and safe. If you feel you have a problem involving drugs and need help with it, please do not hesitate to consult any of us about it: your resident assistant, your residence director, the dean of students, counseling services, health educators, health advocates, campus ministry or Campus Security.

If you feel another student is at risk medically or academically because of substance abuse, please consider the possibility that you could be doing her or him a favor by discussing it with them or one of us before a small problem becomes a big one.

For additional information about health risks of various recreational drugs, contact the health advocates at 320-363-5753 or a health educator at 320-363-5653.

In August 2023, recreational marijuana became legal in Minnesota. However, the federal law has not changed. Marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I drug. As a result, regardless of state and local law changes, institutions of higher education are expected to continue to abide by the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act (Edgar Part 86) by maintaining policies that prohibit marijuana possession, use or distribution by students, staff and faculty while on the Campuses. Therefore, marijuana in all its forms, and paraphernalia that contains marijuana residue, remains illegal on the CSB and SJU campuses.

Students who are documented for using, possessing, growing, selling or distributing marijuana, or possessing paraphernalia containing marijuana residue on CSB or SJU property may be found responsible for a violation of the CSB and SJU Drug Policy and sanctioned accordingly. The CSB and SJU Drug Policy can be found in the Bennie Book and the J-Book under Student Life Policies. Similarly, employees will be held accountable for alleged violations in accordance with the procedures in their employee handbook. If you choose to use marijuana products off campus, please familiarize yourself with the law to avoid legal consequences: https://cannabis.mn.gov/consumers.html

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