Health Service's hours of operations may be dramatically extended thanks to a plan initiated by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate.
While the office's hours currently vary by day, the latest that it is open is 7 p.m. and it is closed on Sundays. With the expansion, ideally it would be open every day around the clock.
"Some students just can't get help on campus when services are needed," TCU President Neil DiBiase said.
But the plan is still in its infant stages, and Senior Health and Wellness Director Michelle Bowdler said she is somewhat skeptical.
"It's extremely expensive to run a 24-hour facility. You don't know when people will show up and it costs a lot to ... maintain and staff," she said.
This is something that Health Service Medical Director Margaret Higham said that many schools have been realizing.
"Locally and nationally, overnight services have steadily closed down," she said.
Currently, students can call Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) at any time of the day and be transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford. Senators, however, feel that there should also be an on-campus option.
This stems partly from concerns that students are afraid to call TEMS for fear of consequences.
"The problem right now is that people can be TEMSed at risk, which makes people reluctant to call TEMS," freshman Senator Sam Wallis said.
By extending Health Service's hours, the Senate hopes to make more of these matters internal, forgoing the need to hospitalize students except in extreme cases.
While there wouldn't be a police report, the body is currently considering what sort of repercussions there would be for students who go to Health Service while highly intoxicated.
"I can't say that there wouldn't be a consequence," DiBiase said. "That's something we're looking at right now."
In either case, he said that the plan is not meant to support underage or excessive drinking.
"The real point is to encourage people to get help when they need it," he said.
Another goal of the project is to increase mental health resources. While there is always a mental health professional on-call, no matter what the time of day, DiBiase said that it would be nice to have a standing facility where students can go to seek treatment at all hours.
Even if the plan gains traction, the Health Service office would not be fully staffed during late-night hours.
DiBiase said that those present would be "capable of evaluating a student and making the decision whether they should stay on campus ... or be transported off campus for further medical treatment."
As such, Bowdler said that her office would still not be a replacement for the hospital.
"Chances are if a student really is intoxicated to the point where they might die, the nurse would have to send them to the hospital ER anyway," she said.
While she has only had one conversation with the Senate about the proposed expansion, Bowdler is pleased with the group's dedication.
"I'm very impressed with the student Senate this year. They have great willingness to talk about alcohol and drugs in a way that does not split students and administrators," she said.
Sarah Butrymowicz and Rob Silverblatt contributed reporting to this article.
