After Jacob dies from an accidental overdose, you, Edward, and the rest of the Hightower community are left devastated by the tragedy. As their Community Director, you are left wondering what you and others at the school could have done differently to ensure Jacob’s safety, and to prevent further tragedies like this from taking place.

 Keywords: Overdose, Conduct, Student Life, Housing, Campus Safety

Characters

Jacob (He/Him) is an 18 year-old first-year student, majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Hightower University. Both of his parents as well as his grandfather attended Hightower and are proud alumni donors to the schools’ athletics department. Jacob is a high achieving student who came to Hightower on an academic scholarship. He is very involved outside of the classroom and by most standards would be considered popular. Jacob is a member of various clubs and serves on the schools’ undergraduate student senate.

Edward (He/Him) is an 18 year-old first-year student, majoring in forestry at Hightower University. Edward has no family ties to the institution but fell in love with the school after meeting Jacob during an alternative break trip in high school. After hearing Jacob talk all about how amazing Hightower is and how he intends to go there like many of the rest of his family, Edward became interested in Hightower, as well. Edward is also a high achieving student who came to Hightower on an academic scholarship and is very involved outside of the classroom. He and Jacob stayed in touch after meeting each other and even decided to room together after discovering they both wanted to serve in student government and participate in a lot of the same clubs. Edward plans on rushing a service fraternity this next year and hopes to convince Jacob to do the same.

You are a 27 year-old Community Director at Hightower University and have been in this role for the past three years. Prior to this role, you worked as a Graduate Community Director at Mayberry University. You grew up in South Carolina and have always heard great things about Hightower. You were ecstatic when you received the role and you have found that working at Hightower has rekindled your love for working in higher education and has made you more excited than ever to serve your residents. Edward and Jacob are both residents of yours and you have talked with both of them a great deal during your community events. They always come by your office to say hi and have even asked you questions regarding what it takes to be a Residential Community Mentor. You have never received any conduct cases regarding either of them. In fact, you consider them to be great role models for not only their housing community but the rest of Hightower as well. 

Context

Hightower University is located in the upstate of South Carolina, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, residing in a small rural town by the same name as the institution.

Hightower University has an undergraduate student population of 2,750 students. These students make up the majority of the town’s population. Most students are relatives of past alumni and many of the faculty and staff attended Hightower, as well. Students at Hightower are held to high academic standards but it is still a strong part of the culture to party on the weekends. Drinking is very prevalent at Hightower University and with the town of Hightower being so small and there not being much to do, students often get creative when it comes to having fun. House parties are the main attraction on weekends, and most students go out regardless of class standing, or Greek affiliation. Recently, Hightower University has received reports of increasing drug usage among its student body, but up to this point the University has not taken any formal action based on these reports.

Case

After a busy exam week, Edward and Jacob planned to go to a party with some friends at an off-campus house. While getting ready for the night, Edward offered Jacob MDMA a popular party drug also known as “ecstasy” or “molly”. Jacob accepted the drug from Edward. Edward and Jacob took MDMA only once previously and each had an enjoyable experience. Edward and Jacob arrived at the party at 9:45 pm and soon after took the drug. Afterward, each roommate went their separate ways. Jacob went inside of the house and Edward walked around to the back yard.

Less than five minutes after separating, someone from inside the house ran out to get Edward’s attention. The student said that Jacob was too drunk and that Edward needed to take Jacob home. Edward dismissed the claim, knowing that Jacob did not have anything to drink prior to arriving at the party and that the drug they consumed would not go into effect this quickly. The student then shared that Jacob was passed out inside the house. Alarmed by this information, Edward went inside to check on Jacob.

Once inside, Edward noticed that Jacob was not moving, would not respond to Edward’s voice, and Jacob’s breaths were very shallow. Edward knew this was not the normal reaction to the drug but did not know of anything else Jacob may have consumed. After multiple failed attempts to wake Jacob up to go home, Edward called EMS.

EMS arrived at the party at 10:15pm along with Hightower Police Officers. While EMS prepared to transport Edward as a precautionary measure, Hightower Police took Edward’s statement. Edward was in distress over the situation and did not understand how this could have happened, stating that Jacob was perfectly fine five minutes prior to finding him in the house.

EMS transported Jacob to the local hospital; however, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The families of each student, Dean of Students, and other relevant officials were notified of the death and of Edward’s precautionary hospitalization.

Monday morning as you arrive to the office, you are called by the Director of Housing who informs you of Jacob’s passing and the need for an emergency meeting. The Director discloses the following during this meeting:

• Jacob’s parents are upset that the university did not do more to ensure the safety of their child.

• Hightower has a medical amnesty policy, which states that “students receiving medical assistance in compliance with this policy shall not be referred for prosecution for any state, local or federal crime solely related to the possession, consumption or supplying of alcohol and/or drugs.” While Edward does not face any legal consequences, he is struggling with feeling responsible for what happened to Jacob. The Director has asked that you equip him with resources that will be helpful and provide additional support within your scope.
• Students across campus are in distress from hearing the news of Jacob’s passing, many of whom reside in your residence hall. The Director has received calls from the parent of a student on your hall. The parent is concerned for the safety of their student and wants their student to be relocated. However, there are limited vacancies on campus and the student would like to stay with their friends on the floor.

Discussion Questions

1. How will you prioritize your response to the crisis and the related issues?
2. How might you plan programming to address student wellness and education in your residence halls?
3. How will you approach your meeting with Edward?
4. What will you do to support the student whose family does not feel comfortable with their student living on the floor?
5. What campus partners would you plan to involve in the follow-up and bring into the residence community during this time?
6. What, if anything, could have been done by you and other professionals on Hightower’s campus to prevent a tragedy like this from occurring?
7. What changes will you plan to implement in future years as a result of this incident to be proactive and ensure the safety of residents?
8. How would your response be impacted if Hightower University was a public school versus a private school?

Author Bios

Ashlyn Ballew (she/her) is a current second-year graduate student in the M.Ed. Counselor Education – Student Affairs program at Clemson University and serves as a Graduate Community Director. She has interests in housing, outreach, access, and retention. She earned a B.S. in Management and Accounting from Clemson University.

Ethan Dent (he/him) is a current second-year graduate student in the M.Ed. Counselor Education – Student Affairs program at Clemson University and serves as a Graduate Assistant for Clemson’s Summer Start program. He earned his B.S. in Financial Management from Clemson University in 2024. He is a proud South Carolinian and a lifelong fan of the Tigers.