If you’re drunk on campus, and you or a friend seek medical help from the university, you will not receive a citation or any disciplinary action.

Part of a campaign to increase student safety and trust, the University of Oregon officially enacted a policy this week guaranteeing that students will not be disciplined if they seek help for themselves or a friend while under the influence of illegal intoxicants. The policy is designed to increase reporting of sexual assault and dangerous substance use.

“The main purpose is to show that we value safety, the safety of our students, over everything else,” Sandy Weintraub, Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards, said. “You can’t be a student without feeling safe.”

UO is calling the practice the Responsible Action Procedure. While it was only given that name and officially added to the Student Conduct Code on Monday, Jan. 3, the practice has been informally in effect for many years.

In 2014, the Oregon House unanimously passed a bill for Medical Amnesty.

UO already had an informal reporting policy similar to the Medical Amnesty

“We hope the policy will encourage students to feel more confident in reporting sexual misconduct,” Weintraub said.

University of Oregon Police Department has also adopted the policy. Kelly McIver, Public Information Officer for UOPD, says that officers already value student safety over issuing Minor In Possession citations.

“We don’t issue MIPs if someone is seeking medical help for themselves or a friend, whether that help is related to their intoxication, or another issue like an accident or a violent crime like sexual assault,” McIver said. “This is not a new practice, it has been around since long before medical amnesty.”

According to UOPD’s 2015 Clery Crime Report, forcible sex offenses, and liquor and drug related arrests steadily decreased from 2012 to 2014. 2015 data is not yet available.

While the practice promises immunity for victims and reporters, there are a few exceptions. If the intoxication of any involved individual is deemed to have endangered others, the intoxicated individual will be cited.

The official policy also specifies that “alcohol and drug amnesty do not apply to conduct that involves plagiarism, cheating, or academic dishonesty.”

Decisions to confirm new ASUO officers and University Senate reps. delayed.

The first ASUO senate meeting of the 2015-2016 school year took place at 7 p.m. at Lillis.

Senator Kevin Dobyns, summer senate president, was nominated as senate president with Senator Quinn Haaga as vice-president. The final decision to confirm a new ASUO Senate president and vice-president was tabled for the next senate meeting.

The senate is looking to fill five University Senate seats for this year. Senator Zachary Rentschler, senator Zach Lusby, senator Max Burns and senator Kelsey George, among others were nominated. The list comes down to five male-identified nominees, despite senator Haaga’s call for more female-identified candidates. The decision moved to next week’s agenda. The nominated ASUO representatives will serve alongside 41 faculty, and will have the ability to vote on legislation regarding student conduct, grading, curriculum and granting degrees.

Senator Dobyns nominated himself and is the only ASUO Diversity Plan Committee Nominee as of tonight’s meeting. The ASUO Diversity Plan Committee helps improve the diversity on campus.

The senate will be working with a surplus budget of $428,190 this year. But, the senate is dealing with a $85,192 underrealized budget.

Two groups of the public spoke forum tonight. The University of Oregon chapter of the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) announced its “Protect Crater Lake” campaign. This will serve as its key campaign of the year, involving a push to rally students behind protecting the wilderness surrounding Crater Lake National Park.

Frances Fu, Outreach Coordinator of the University of Oregon, introduced the UO Students for Sensible Drug Policy organization, and announced its role on campus to advocate influencing government initiatives, including but not limited to, treating drug addiction as a health issue rather than a criminal justice problem.

The senate did not receive any special request in tonight’s meeting

A body discovered by Eugene Public Works at a pump station on May 27 was confirmed as Noah DeWitt, a University of Oregon alumnus who was last seen Feb. 14.

DeWitt, 24, was found in an underground “wet well” at the Fillmore Pump Station off Briarcliff Lane while EPW was performing routine maintenance.

DeWitt graduated in 2012 with degrees in journalism and international studies. During his tenure at the UO, he was the editor-in-chief of the Oregon Voice and was also employed at the New Frontier Market.

This is what we know regarding the disappearance and subsequent discovery of DeWitt:

Feb. 14:

At 2 a.m., DeWitt was last seen leaving the Heart and Spoon Community House without shoes and was emotionally distressed, according to friends.

“He was expressing a lot of anxiety and fear about bad things happening to him and his friends and family,” Jessica Feather, a friend of Dewitt told the Emerald. “He wasn’t in his normal, coherent mind.”

Feb. 20:

KVAL reports that DeWitt had been sighted hitchhiking south of Roseburg. This sighting is one of many reported at the time.

“We don’t know if that was Noah, but we’ve canvassed that area pretty well at this point,” Tyler Pell, a friend of DeWitt who was heavily involved in the search, told the Emerald then.

March 10:

There is still no sign of DeWitt.

“He’s normally an extremely positive, happy person, and then some days he sounded down and a little depressed,” Joan Zivi said to the Emerald at the time.

March 21:

Friends of DeWitt create a video using footage of DeWitt and a song written and performed by him, hoping it will reach the missing UO alum.

May 27:

A body is found in a sewage drain by EPW. KATU reports that there are only three ways for something to enter the waste water treatment facility. Either through personal plumbing, like a sink or drain, entering a man hole or entering the facility itself.

May 30:

Someone on DeWitt’s personal Facebook page publishes a post announcing his body has been found. The Heart and Spoon Facebook page also posts the news and condolences.

May 31:

Melinda McLaughlin, public information officer for EPD confirms the body found is Noah DeWitt.

The post on DeWitt’s personal Facebook page reads:

“To the many people who have known and loved our son, brother, and friend Noah DeWitt, it is with deep sadness that we share the news that his body was found in Eugene late last week.”

The post also says details for the memorial service are being finalized and will be posted soon.

Many people took to Facebook to share their condolences, thoughts and memories of DeWitt. Many shared memories of him being a kind, warm and talented person.

The body of Noah DeWitt, a University of Oregon graduate was found Wednesday afternoon in Eugene’s Fillmore wastewater sewage pump. Melinda McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Eugene Police Department, confirmed Sunday morning.

DeWitt was reported missing in February. He was last seen at the Heart and Spoon Community House in Eugene on Feb. 14 at 2 a.m. Friends said he left the house barefoot and emotionally distressed.

On Feb. 20, KVAL reported a possible sighting of DeWitt hiking south of Roseburg.

Last night, someone posted as DeWitt on his Facebook profile and broke the news his body had been found.

The post reads:

“To the many people who have known and loved our son, brother, and friend Noah DeWitt, it is with deep sadness that we share the news that his body was found in Eugene late last week.”

According to the post, memorial service plans are being finalized and will be posted soon.

The EPD reported in a news release, that DeWitt’s body was discovered in an underground “wet well” by a Eugene Public Works crew while they were performing routine maintenance. The sewage pump is located at the Fillmore Pump Station off Briarcliff Lane.

DeWitt was a journalism and international studies student who graduated in 2012.

Oregon Public Health officials confirmed today that a seventh person contracted meningococcal disease in connection with the University of Oregon outbreak.

The 52-year-old man contracted the meningococcal disease when visiting his child on campus on May 2 and 3, the Register Guard reports. This is the same disease that led to the death of UO student Lauren Jones.

The UO hopes to vaccinate all undergraduate students enrolled at the university. So far, 10,000 students have received the vaccine.

An Amber Alert was called off Thursday evening after the three-year-old girl from North Bend was found safely.

Tillamook police originally issued the alert.

The girl was taken by Kaitlyne Wirth, who is the girl’s non-custodial 19 year old mother, according to Koin 6.

Wirth, who has not yet been located, is five feet and five inches tall, weighs about 150 and is caucasian with blonde hair. Authorities say she is addicted to heroin.

Room 175 in Lillis was standing room only Tuesday evening as University of Oregon students and community members came to listen to a panel about human trafficking.

The event was hosted by the Carnegie Global Oregon Ethics Program and a panel of three speakers.

Nancy O’Malley, Alameda county’s district attorney, Diana Janz, president of Hope Ranch Ministries in Springfield and local survivor advocate Rebecca Purkey comprised the panel.

O’Malley spoke about her work toward human trafficking prevention and awareness in California, including her progress in law making and the creation of the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Watch.

The purpose of HEAT Watch is to educate communities and partner with others to help prevent human trafficking and provide support for survivors.

“These are our children,” O’Malley said. “We all have a role to play.”

Janz spoke about her creation of the nonprofit Hope Ranch Ministries, which she started in 2011 in Springfield, Oregon. Her program’s purpose is to reach out to and lend support and recovery for survivors of human trafficking.

“I could just stand here and weep,” Janz said, speaking about the stories she has heard from survivors. “It’s so complicated…we all have to lookout for each other.”

Purkey told her personal life story, riddled with abuse both sexual and physical. Purkey is now 24, happily married and living locally.

“I personally do not feel sorry,” Purkey said. “Don’t feel sorry for me.”

O’Malley and Purkey both addressed their displeasure for the use of the term “pimp”.

“Pimp is not that bad of a word anymore,” O’Malley said. “I call them slave owners because that’s what they are.”

Tuesday, May 12, the Carnegie Global Oregon Ethics Program will host a speaker panel on human trafficking.

The event will take place in room 175 in Lillis on the University of Oregon campus at 7 p.m.

Speakers include Eugene community members who have experienced human trafficking as well as Alameda County district attorney, Nancy O’Malley, and the director of Hope Ranch Ministries, based out of Springfield, Diana Janz.

The event is open to everyone and is free. Tickets are not required to attend.

Carnegie Global Oregon hopes that the event will inspire UO students to contribute to human trafficking prevention, especially locally.

The University of Oregon announced that they are looking for nominations for members to serve on a the Sexual Assault Advisory Council on Wednesday.

The council is a new addition that came at the advice of the President’s Review Panel, an eight member panel formed to assess the university’s response and prevention of sexual assault and misconduct.

The purpose of the council is to “foster a campus community of safety, respect, and responsibility at University of Oregon,” according to UO’s presidental website.

The new council’s members will consist of students, faculty, staff and community members. The deadline for nomination submissions is May 8. Nominations are being collected by email at pres.uoregon.edu.

The council will aim to educate the campus about sexual assault and enhance support for sexual assault survivors.

The assistant vice president – campus sexual assault and Title IX  coordinator, a new position created by the university, – will meet regularly with the committee to compile an annual report about their activities.

The council will have a member from the UO Senate Committee on Sexual Violence, two faculty members, an officer of administration from student life, an addition officer of administration, a classified staff member, two undergraduate students, one graduate student, a UO graduate and a community partner.

The University of Oregon announced that they are looking for nominations for members to serve on a the Sexual Assault Advisory Council on Wednesday.

The council is a new addition that came at the advice of the President’s Review Panel, an eight member panel formed to assess the university’s response and prevention of sexual assault and misconduct.

The purpose of the council is to “foster a campus community of safety, respect, and responsibility at University of Oregon,” according to UO’s presidental website.

The new council’s members will consist of students, faculty, staff and community members. The deadline for nomination submissions is May 8. Nominations are being collected by email at pres.uoregon.edu.

The council will aim to educate the campus about sexual assault and enhance support for sexual assault survivors.

The assistant vice president – campus sexual assault and Title IX  coordinator, a new position created by the university, – will meet regularly with the committee to compile an annual report about their activities.

The council will have a member from the UO Senate Committee on Sexual Violence, two faculty members, an officer of administration from student life, an addition officer of administration, a classified staff member, two undergraduate students, one graduate student, a UO graduate and a community partner.