Brown Student Drinking

Alcohol Policy & Consumption in American Universities

Alcohol consumption in today’s universities is enveloping and by many accounts a problematic practice amongst students in higher education. Alcohol consumption, and the policies that govern it, have become a prominent part of the fabric of campus culture. In this paper we will investigate Brown University’s alcohol policy, alcohol policy of a varity of American universities in general, and the perspective of current alcohol policy and consumption amongst college students and administrators at Brown University. Additionally, during our analysis of the Brown policy, we will introduce new primary data from students and faculty surveys.

Drinking has taken on a culture of its own in U.S. universities, complete with beliefs and customs that entrench the student at every level of there environment. Drinking beliefs and the expectations they engender put forth a powerful influence over students’ behavior toward alcohol. Customs that promote college drinking also are embedded in many levels of students’ surroundings. The walls of many institutions’ sports centers carry advertisements from alcohol industry sponsors. Communities permit establishments near campus to serve or sell alcohol, and these establishments depend on the college clientele for their financial success. Additionally, many student parties serve alcoholic beverages and are constructed around drinking games. Students derive their expectations of alcohol from their environment and from each other, as they face the insecurity of establishing themselves, and are encompassed by a tyranny of overwhelming choices and independence found under a new social milieu. Environmental and peer influence come together to create a culture of drinking. This culture actively promotes drinking, or passively promotes it, through tolerance, or even tacit approval, of college drinking as a rite of passage (Task Force of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Report, 2002).

Studies from around the world have shown that university students have a higher prevalence of alcohol drinking and alcohol related disorders, than non-college youth (Karam et al. 2007). Alcohol abuse is a prevalent and pervasive issue on America’s college campuses today. An alcohol consumption survey conducted by The Harvard School of Public Health found that the mean number of drinks consumed by a random sample of students from 140 four-year academic institutions from across the United States was approximately 1.5 drinks per week, with a average of 5 drinks per week (Wechsler et al., 1999 as sited in Ham et al., 2003). The Harvard study further concluded that a median of 14.5 drinks per week was consumed by “binge drinkers” within this sample, which represented 44% of the college population. It should be noted that binge drinkers in this study accounted for 91% of the alcohol consumed by college students (Wechsler et al., 1999 as sited in Ham et al., 2003). Alcohol abuse is a well documented problem amongst American college students today. However, there is a need for more comprehensive literature on what is the best way for university and national policies curb this drinking epidemic.

Drinking Policy in General

We have chosen the University of Colorado at Bolder, Dartmouth College, and Haverford College as three examples within a range of different alcohol consumption policies that exist in American academic institutions. The University of Colorado at Bolder (UCB) is a large university occupying 786 acres of downtown Bolder Colorado. The university has a population of over 24,000 undergraduates and feels more like a small city rather then an academic institution (University of Colorado Webpage). UCB handbook on alcohol policy outlines an eleven point policy which includes guidelines for implementation of university requirements, and notifies students of the potential consequences for violation. The consequences for violation of UCB alcohol policies include for first offenders: five hours of community service, mandatory attendance at alcohol awareness class ($100 fee), and probation for one full semester. For second time offenders: parental notification, ten hours of community service, referral to City of Boulder 2nd Offender Program, suspension for one semester if on probation for a first offense. In the case of a third offence: parental notification, and suspension for one semester.

Dartmouth College is very similar to the UCB, except Dartmouth has a unique “good Samaritan rule,” which states: “Student health and safety are primary concerns of the Dartmouth community. Students are expected to contact Safety and Security when they believe that assistance for an intoxicated/impaired student is needed. In addition, while most schools predominately use a university EMS and health services system as well, and prefer to have students who violate policy punished by a school disciplinary committee, Dartmouth does not hesitate to contact town authorities first (Dartmouth College Handbook: Rules and regulations, 2007; Asch, 2007)

Haverford on the other hand, takes a drastically different approach than the University of Colorado at Bolder and Dartmouth College. Haverford forbids drinking altogether: “Since the majority of the students are under twenty-one, the legal drinking age in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, alcoholic beverages are not to be served or consumed at student parties open to and/or advertised in the college, bi-college, or tri-college communities” (Harvard College Alcohol Policy, 2005). In addition the College emphasizes a “moral obligation” of students and states ‘Students have the responsibility to confront others whose behavior under the influence of alcohol is inconsistent with their welfare and concern for others in the community” (Haverford College Alcohol Policy, 2005).

Every university is required by law to have an effective student and faculty alcohol policy. Federal Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (the "Drug-Free Workplace Act") and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 (the "Drug-Free Schools Act") (Harvard Handbook 2006-2007) require that, as a condition of receiving funds or any other form of financial assistance under any Federal program, a university must certify that it has adopted and implemented a plan to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees. The reason of these final regulations is to implement statutory requirements. The regulations specify the content of the drug prevention program to be adopted and implemented; the nature of the certification requirements; the responses and sanctions to be applied for failure for universities to comply with the requirements of this part; and the appeal process. (Higher Education Center: Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 (Amendments), Public Law 101-226)

Are These Policies’s effective?

What is Brown University’s Policy and is it effective?

What Students Have to Say

What Professors Have to Say