Backing Bulldogs

Learn about our health and safety amnesty initiative geared toward supporting the UNC Asheville community.

 

What is Backing Bulldogs?

One of UNC Asheville’s top priorities is the health, safety, and wellness of our students and the larger campus community. Bulldogs support and take care of each other! Backing Bulldogs exists because it is critical that we provide support and care when you or someone you know is experiencing hazing and/or signs of intoxication, overdose, and/or alcohol poisoning. 

When you ‘Back a Bulldog’, the Dean of Students Office (DOSO) will ensure that your reporting/assisting does not result in formal disciplinary action for hazing, underage possession, and/or consumption of alcohol or other controlled substances. Refer to section(s) VIII.C and VIII.D of the Code of Student Responsibility to view the full policy. 

 

Who is Eligible for Backing Bulldogs?

Backing Bulldogs is an available option under the following circumstances: 

  • A student who receives assistance from emergency personnel, or a University official, as a result of another person(s) seeking assistance on their behalf;
  • A student who seeks medical assistance from emergency personnel or University officials on their own behalf;
  • A student who seeks medical assistance from emergency personnel, or University official(s), on behalf of another student/person and remains on scene to provide support to emergency personnel or University officials;
  • A student who is reporting an incident or crime to emergency personnel, or University officials, or is the alleged victim of an incident/crime (including but not limited to hazing, theft, vandalism, physical and/or sexual assault);
  • A student organization/student group hosting an event or program in which one or more members of the organization/group seek medical assistance on behalf of another student from emergency personnel, or University officials, and remain on scene to provide support to emergency personnel or University officials.

 

How do I know if what I am seeing/experiencing is hazing?

Hazing is any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them, regardless of a person’s willingness to participate. (Drop Down)

UNC Asheville policy states that, in connection with an affiliation to any organization, group, team, or sports club, no student shall engage in the following activities:

  1. Any action or situation, with or without consent, which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for purposes including, but not limited to, initiation or admission into or affiliation with any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary institution.
  2. Pressuring or coercing a student into violating University policy or state or federal law.
  3. Brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, paddling, physical shocks, exposure to the elements, food deprivation, and forced or coerced consumption of food, liquor, drug, or any other substance.
  4. Any other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the physical health or safety of the student.
  5. Any activity that could subject the student to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, line-ups or berating, road trips where individuals must find their way back to campus, forced or coerced exclusion from social contact,  forced or coerced wearing of apparel which is conspicuous and/or inappropriate, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity that could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the student.
  6. Any activity that causes unreasonable interference with a student’s academic performance.
  7. Personal servitude.
  8. Kidnapping or abandonment.
  9. Any activity that would be viewed by a reasonable person as subjecting someone to embarrassment, degradation, or humiliation.
  10. Any violation of N.C.G.S. § 14-35, which deems it a Class 2 misdemeanor offense for any student in attendance at any university, college, or school in North Carolina to subject another student to physical injury as part of an initiation, or as a prerequisite to membership, into any organized school group, including any society, athletic team, fraternity or sorority, or other similar group, or to aid or abet any other student in the commission of this offense.

Reports of hazing can be made anonymously here. Please note that reports made anonymously are not eligible for Backing Bulldogs as the University has no way of contacting the reporting party. 

  • Read UNC Asheville’s full Hazing policy here. 

 

Know the signs of an alcohol or drug overdose

Providing care and assistance to community members in need is a part of what makes us Bulldogs! Spotting the signs of a potential alcohol or drug overdose is a critical component of knowing and understanding when to Back a Bulldog and call for help. (Drop Down)

Critical Signs and Symptoms of an Alcohol Overdose (adapted from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

  • Mental confusion, stupor
  • Difficulty remaining conscious, or inability to wake up
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Slowed breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
  • Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
  • Slowed heart rate
  • Clammy/Damp skin
  • Dulled responses, such as no gag reflex (which prevents choking)
  • Extremely low body temperature, bluish skin color, or paleness

Critical Signs and Symptoms of a Drug Overdose (adapted from the Gateway Foundation) 

  • Lack of consciousness
  • Shallow or irregular breathing
  • Snoring or gurgling sounds due to a blocked airway
  • A bluish tint on lips or hands (which indicates a lack of oxygen)
  • Disorientation or paranoia
  • Erratic/Unpredictable behavior
  • Severe chest pains
  • Severe headache
  • Irregular body temperature
  • Seizures, convulsions, or tremors

Note that signs of an overdose can vary depending on the type of drug used and whether it was combined with an additional substance(s). Narcan is available, at no cost, at University Police and the UNC Asheville Health & Counseling Center.

 

Seeking Assistance

In an emergency situation, all members of the UNC Asheville community should seek immediate assistance for themselves or others, regardless of age, by contacting University Police at 828.232.5000. You may also contact the RA on Call, if applicable. RA on Call phone numbers can be found in the 2024-25 Housing & Residence Life Guide on Page 33.

 

Providing Care

If you, or a friend, make an emergency call for another student, please remain on scene until assistance arrives. When emergency personnel or University officials arrive on the scene, please work closely with those responding to provide details about the incident. 

Need more resources? Check out UNC Asheville Health & Counseling

 

What happens next? 

  • The Dean of Students Office (DOSO) will receive an incident report from Housing & Residence Life and/or University Police and will initiate a review of the provided information and other important details. Involved parties may receive an Official Notice of Charges/Appointment Letter. Please note that a preliminary review of the incident report may not indicate that a student/student organization/student group is eligible for Backing Bulldogs. All charges/issues are alleged, and the Director of Student Conduct will make the final determination on the eligibility for Backing Bulldogs.
  • If Backing Bulldogs is implemented, the qualifying charge(s)/violation(s) will be dismissed, and the student/student organization/student group may be assigned an educational assignment/intervention. Students/student organizations/student groups who fail to complete required assignments or activities may be subject to a formal disciplinary proceeding through the Student Conduct Process.

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

  • Do I have to apply for Backing Bulldogs?

No. Students do not have to submit an application in order to be considered for Backing Bulldogs. All relevant incidents will be reviewed for eligibility by the Dean of Students Office (DOSO) and will be communicated to the student/student organization/student group by the Director of Student Conduct. 

  • What is a qualifying charge/violation?

A qualifying charge/violation is any alleged charge/violation that may result in the implementation of Backing Bulldogs. Applicable charges/violations are as follows: hazing, underage possession and/or consumption of alcohol, possession and/or use of controlled substances.

  • Will all charges be dismissed if Backing Bulldogs is initiated?

Not necessarily. If at the time of the incident, the student/student organization/student group was also engaged in other prohibited conduct, including, but not limited to – acts of harm, interpersonal violence or sexual misconduct, vandalism, distribution of controlled substances, or aiding and abetting the possession and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages, Backing Bulldogs will not be an available option. 

  • How many times can I use Backing Bulldogs?

While each situation is unique and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, Backing Bulldogs is only available one time per student/student organization/student group in order to ensure that members of the UNC Asheville community reach out for assistance when necessary, but also to effectively address any ongoing behaviors which violate the Code of Student Responsibility. 

  • Do I have to be transported to a hospital/medical facility to be eligible for Backing Bulldogs?

No. Students do not have to be transported in order to be eligible for Backing Bulldogs, as each situation is unique and may not require medical treatment. Students should always still contact emergency personnel or University officials for assistance so that a proper assessment can be made by trained and qualified professionals.  

  • What assignments/interventions might I have to complete?

Students/Student Organizations/Student Groups participating in the Backing Bulldogs program may be asked to complete assignments including, but not limited to – reflection exercises, preventative interventions, service-based learning opportunities, and/or one-on-one appointments with a UNC Asheville Health & Counseling professional.

What is a controlled substance?

Terms to Know

  1. Amnesty Policy: Backing Bulldogs is an enhancement of UNC Asheville’s Amnesty Policy. Under UNC Asheville’s Medical Amnesty Policy, the student for whom assistance is sought and a bystander acting in good faith who discloses to University officials an incident of alcohol or drug use, may not be subject to University outcomes for violations of alcohol or drug policies. Additionally, if a student makes a good faith report of activity that may fall within the definition of hazing and cooperates fully as a witness in the student conduct process, that student may be exempt from student conduct outcomes related to their own participation in hazing behavior, as determined by the University in its sole discretion.
  2. Controlled Substance: Medications or illicit drugs, primarily active in the central nervous system, that may potentially cause a relative physical and mental dependency leading to addiction. 
  3. Code of Student Responsibility: UNC Asheville’s Code of Student Responsibility is applicable to all University of North Carolina Asheville students, and provides the policies and procedures governing student behavior at UNC Asheville. These policies uphold our community values and preserve the rights of individuals. The purpose of the Code of Student Responsibility is to clearly explain UNC Asheville’s expectations for appropriate conduct and compliance with local ordinances or state and federal laws. 
  4. Qualifying Charge/Violation: A qualifying charge/violation is any alleged charge/violation that may result in the implementation of Backing Bulldogs/Amnesty. Applicable charges/violations are as follows: hazing, underage possession and/or consumption of alcohol, possession and/or use of controlled substances.
  5. University Official: Unless otherwise specified, this term shall include faculty or staff members exercising their assigned duties and may include student employees; other students acting in an assigned official capacity on behalf of the University; and other authorized agents of the University, which may include staff or campus-related organizations or University contractors or subcontractors when acting in their official capacity. 
  6. Housing & Residence Life Guide: UNC Asheville’s Housing & Residence Life Guide outlines many of the policies and procedures for residential students on campus.

Additional Questions?

Contact the Dean of Students Office at dos@unca.edu or 828-258-7671