Pubdate: Fri, 07 Dec 2007
Source: Student Life (MO Edu)
Copyright: 2007 Washington University Student Media, Inc
Contact:  http://www.studlife.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1636
Author: Meghan Luecke

UNIVERSITY POLICIES ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

How Does Washington University Compare?

We all got the talk freshman year: Be responsible with alcohol, steer 
clear of drugs and don't disturb the community. We got a crash course 
in Wash. U. alcohol and drug policy, memorized the number for the 
Emergency Support Team and -in most cases-found a way to make our own 
lifestyle preferences work in the Wash. U. environment.

But how do other schools manage alcohol and drug use, and where does 
Wash. U. stand in comparison? Alcohol and drug issues are a top 
priority at American universities, and each school deals with them 
differently. Some schools publish (and enforce) thesis-length 
policies with detailed rules and sanction procedures; others prefer a 
low-interference approach and let students govern themselves.

Interviews with students at various universities and a review of 
schools' stated policies suggest that Wash. U. falls on the lenient 
end of the spectrum.

The conservative extreme, as you might expect, is mostly made up of 
religious schools. Biola University in Southern

California, for example, does not allow students of any age to 
possess or consume alcohol either on or off campus, according to 
their published student handbook. Violation of this and other rules 
can result in expulsion.

Villanova University's 2007-2008 student handbook details specific 
sanctions for different types of policy violations. For example, 
students using beer kegs or similar "common containers" of alcohol in 
a dorm room will automatically be put on probation, lose campus 
residency and be fined $500-that is, $500 per roommate living in the 
room where the keg was found. Drug use gets an even stronger 
sentence. At Villanova, marijuana use results in an automatic fine of 
$750 and, at minimum, probation. Second-time offenders are expelled.

The habit of punishing drug use more severely than alcohol use 
reflects a trend in federal law, and is common at universities on 
either end of the policy spectrum. But it doesn't hold true at every 
university.

For example, University of California at Santa Cruz Residential 
Advisor Christopher Spencer noted that his school's practices seem to 
push for stricter enforcement of alcohol abuse. This year's U.C.S.C. 
undergraduate handbook sums up the school's policy by saying that the 
goal is to make sure alcohol and drugs don't interfere with learning.

A similar philosophy guides policies at many schools, emphasizing a 
low-interference approach that is similar to Wash. U.'s written 
guidelines. Alison Cohen, a junior at Brown University who served on 
the school's recently created Subcommittee on Alcohol and Other 
Drugs, said Brown chooses to let students make their own choices 
whenever possible as long as no one is harmed.

"In general, we emphasize personal responsibility and harm reduction 
at Brown as opposed to penal approaches," said Cohen.

Margaret Klawunn, Brown's associate vice president of campus life and 
dean for student life, also emphasized student responsibility.

"We put a lot of stock in the resources available to students on 
campus," said Klawunn. "We also have an amnesty policy for accessing 
medical services."

Similar policies are in effect at Wash. U., as well as many other 
national universities. University of Pennsylvania alum Molly 
Gallagher cited the amnesty policy as one of the things she liked 
most about Penn's approach to alcohol issues.

"I think that a really great thing that Penn did is to have a 
no-punishment policy where if you drink too much or your friend is 
drunk, you won't get in trouble if you go to someone about it," said 
Gallagher. "You should never fear repercussions if you take action."

Many schools struggle to find a balance between imposing appropriate 
rules and granting students freedom of choice. According to Notre 
Dame Magazine, the University of Notre Dame took heavy criticism from 
students for making its alcohol policy stricter in 2002. The 
university banned popular residence hall dances due to their history 
of promoting alcohol consumption, and students rallied in protest. 
Editorials in the magazine predicted that the new policy would simply 
cause an increase in off-campus drinking.

Gallagher echoed this sentiment, saying that students will find 
creative ways to get around any rule. At Penn's "Spring Fling," an 
annual concert much like our spring W.I.L.D., Gallagher said campus 
officials tend to crack down on alcohol much more than usual and pat 
students down to check for containers.

"But all of us girls would put vodka in Ziploc bags and stuff them in 
our bras, because no one is patting down there!" said Gallagher.

She added that, on a separate occasion, several of her underage 
friends were caught on a security video bringing cartfuls of alcohol 
into their dorm. The students were punished by being forced to attend 
a house event-in this case, a pumpkin-carving activity.

Saint Louis University junior Adam Hayes, who transferred from the 
University of Missouri-Columbia two years ago and whose current 
roommate is a Wash. U. student, was able to compare the policies of 
all three institutions.

"I'd say [SLU's drug/alcohol policy] is a moderate policy," said 
Hayes. "Having been at Mizzou, where RAs could randomly knock on dorm 
doors and bust people for possession, I can see that SLU's policy 
isn't nearly as restrictive as other places. But having spent time at 
Wash. U., where the policy is more lax and more reliant on student 
responsibility and accountability, I realize that SLU isn't nearly as 
progressive as it could be."

It may be impossible to achieve the perfect balance of guidance and 
letting students have their independence. Some schools avoid the 
issue by not specifying automatic sanctions for policy violations and 
adopting a case-by-case philosophy. A disciplinary action chart on 
the Harvard College Web site lists wide ranges of possible 
punishments for any offense; sanctions for underage alcohol 
consumption can range from mere warnings to "requirement to withdraw."

So where does Wash. U. fit in? Given the fact that a campus police 
officer recently tasered an intoxicated and belligerent student 
during a Gargoyle concert, Wash. U. might come across as a tough 
anti-alcohol environment. In general, however, policy here is fairly 
lenient, emphasizing moderation and responsible drinking.

The Alcohol Awareness Handbook (available online) sums up our 
school's basic philosophy in a sentence: "Students should be treated 
as responsible adults until proven otherwise."

Director of Judicial Programs at Residential Life Tamara King cited 
the University's hallmark ReDD Flag program as the school's guiding 
principle for alcohol and drugs.

"The University's perspective is that unless your behavior is 
repeated, dangerous, disruptive or flagrant, we won't interfere," 
said King. "We try to promote students' engagement in responsible behaviors."

Wash. U. does outline specific rules on the types of alcohol allowed 
on campus; for example, kegs and other common containers are not permitted.

"To some, our policies may appear arbitrary, but these kinds of 
policies fall directly in line with our approach," said King. "Know 
what you're drinking."

This attitude places Wash. U. far into the tolerant end of the policy 
spectrum, especially considering policies at the strictest 
universities. Alcohol plays a role in many students' social lives 
here, and the University is inclined to "let it be" as long as 
everyone is safe and healthy.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom