April, 2005 - The American public often associates excessive use of alcohol with college, but they rarely give us credit for tackling the situation responsibly. Most believe we look the other way when alcohol violations occur on our campuses, concerned more with our image than doing the right thing.


Walter M. Bortz III
President of Hampden-Sydney College
(434) 223-6110
wbortz@hsc.edu
Immoderate behavior is a trademark of college-age students no matter the generation, and there has always existed an attraction for young people to distinguish themselves from their home environments by acts that they believe to be excessive.  However, current popular culture – typified by extreme sports and such “reality” television programs as Fear Factor – has pushed the excessive to the extreme, so that the excessive is often seen as normal.

At least one reason for the excessive use of alcohol on college campuses is the combination of the developmental stages of traditional college-age students and the cultural allure of the outrageous or aberrant. 

Alcohol remains an easily accessible substance to fuel excessive behavior. Colleges need to deal with both excessive behavior and the substance abuse that propels it. The restriction or even elimination of alcohol from a college campus, however desirable for the health of an academic institution, will not by itself eliminate excessive behavior. The campus environment must promote moderation and civility in all aspects of campus life, not only social life. Civil discourse in the classroom, sportsmanship on the playing field, respect and tolerance for each other must characterize the college campus. 

Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J.
President of College of the Holy Cross
(508) 793-2419
eryder@holycross.edu
The reasons for high-risk drinking on campus are as multidimensional as the cultural problem of alcohol abuse.  We can point to the media, the alcohol industry, family influences, a campus social life with limited alcohol-free activities, other documented increases in “risk-taking” behavior by adolescents – any number of “causes.” But it is the complexity that demands a comprehensive response from everyone on campus.  Drinking isn’t a “student affairs problem” or an “athletic team problem” or an “off-campus housing problem.”  Likewise, standards and policy can’t be the responsibility of one or two groups.  Our day-to-day efforts include consistent policy enforcement, no alcohol advertising on campus, substance-free housing options, online alcohol education for incoming students, peer educators, professional counseling and intervention. Yet we also see an equally essential need for a cultural shift to take place.  We’re working to send the unwavering message that disrespect, incivility, and dangerous behavior – fueled by alcohol or otherwise – is unacceptable.  We hope our Statement of Community Standards – which all incoming students are now asked to sign to indicate their commitment to joining the learning community at the College of the Holy Cross – can be a step toward that cultural shift.

 
J. Timothy Cloyd
President of Hendrix College
(501) 450-1462
cloyd@hendrix.edu
Binge drinking on college campuses is a very real problem, one that responsible administrators have an obligation to address. We can’t just preach abstinence and turn away from the issue. We can’t assume that our students will wait patiently for their 21^st birthdays to take their first drinks. Neither can we assume that all young people understand the dangers of binge drinking. As institutions of higher learning, we should follow the example of those who pushed the dangers of drunk driving into the public consciousness and launch a concentrated effort to communicate the dangers of binge drinking and alcohol poisoning.

Individual institutions must offer alternatives to alcohol-centered recreation for today’s students and offer a safe environment for social activities. We must make certain that policies that govern alcohol consumption by those of legal age are clear and communicated to all students. At Hendrix, while at least 90 percent of our students do not binge drink, a group of students is involved in drafting the college’s alcohol policy, which is currently under revision.  Students also play a key role in enforcing our policies. This experience helps students define their personal roles in the creation of a civil society that respects individual freedom, while establishing rules of behavior that support the common good.

Norman Fainstein
President of Connecticut College
(860) 439-2211
norman.fainstein@conncoll.edu
Students often arrive at college believing that social activities and alcohol are intertwined. They think college will be a time to party, experiment, and abandon the restrictive rules they may have lived with at home.  When you mix these notions with the normal desires of students to reduce inhibitions and test their independence, it should come as no surprise that virtually all colleges face challenges involving alcohol. At Connecticut College, we recognize that many students will drink alcohol during their years here. We work hard to provide a safe environment in which they learn about alcohol abuse, take responsibility for their actions and have healthful options for social activities. We continually talk with student, staff and faculty leaders about these issues. That has led to the creation of many policies and programs, including alcohol awareness seminars during freshman orientation, a "social host" training program for students of drinking age, dry parties and dry residence halls, a peer educator program and a student-run judicial board that deals with alcohol-related violations. With education, programs and intervention, colleges can be places where students learn how to socialize in a healthful, enjoyable and responsible fashion

John A. Roush
President of Centre College
(859) 238-5719
jroush@centre.edu
Students at Centre College, and other colleges where high-quality academic work is prized, work hard. Perhaps due in part to these challenges some students also party hard. Some of these students show up at college with their alcohol habits firmly established.

We tell students about our expectations regarding alcohol and drugs on their very first night in a mandatory orientation session. Students cited for alcohol-related problems must attend a seven-hour educational program.

Centre regularly participates in the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey.  One of the survey's major benefits is that it dispels the notion some students have that "everyone else" is drinking heavily.

We have a team of 22 SMART (Students Monitoring Alcohol Responsibly Together) peer educators who run programs with the residence halls, fraternities and sororities.

We¹re closely following new research from Dr. Cheryl Presley of the Core Institute, who has identified a new group to target, the "heavy and frequent" drinkers who consume on average 20 drinks a week.

One of our major goals in the near-term is to get problem drinkers we've identified into mandated alcohol assessment by a licensed alcohol and drug counselor.


Jill Beck
President of Lawrence University
(920) 832-6525
jill.beck@lawrence.edu
High-risk drinking among college students is as much a cultural problem as it is an issue of individual responsibility. Like other liberal arts colleges, Lawrence has in place an alcohol awareness program that encourages students to act responsibly and has a local chapter of the national student group Bacchus (Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students) that organizes alcohol-free social activities.

What distinguishes our approach is the emphasis placed on community, on developing a campus culture where students are directly concerned with the welfare and health of their peers and residence hall staff are informed about the steps to take in seeking help in situations of risky drinking. Fostering such a caring community, one that stresses positive intervention as opposed to punitive response, has led to an atmosphere where students are more comfortable admitting the need for and seeking out the assistance of professional support services.