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.