Chancellor Richard L. Byyny of the University of Colorado at Boulder today announced several new initiatives designed to supplement on-going campus efforts aimed at reducing high-risk alcohol use by students.
The new initiatives will add more intensified research on alcohol issues on college campuses, expand CU-Boulder's education and intervention programs, and strengthen campus sanctions for violations of alcohol rules and laws, Byyny said. The new initiatives will be implemented by fall 2004, he said.
Over the past few years, the Boulder campus has implemented a number of actions intended to address alcohol issues. For example, the campus instituted a "three strikes" policy in sanctioning violators of alcohol policies. Under the current policy, a student is suspended if he or she accumulates three alcohol violations while enrolled at CU-Boulder.
The announcement follows several months of work by a committee created last fall to consider and recommend new actions that may help the campus address alcohol issues among students. Led by Ron Stump, vice chancellor for student affairs, the group included representatives from the campus health service, student housing, judicial affairs, campus police and the university's Standing Committee on Substance Abuse (SCOSA).
"High-risk alcohol use continues to be one of the most challenging issues of our schools, colleges and society at large," said Stump. "There is no single or easy answer to the issues we are facing. However, we must continue to work on building a safer and healthier environment for all members of our campus community."
Stump said that, despite the challenges, the CU-Boulder committee concluded that additional actions could have positive impacts on the problem. Also, the group felt that a number of current programs should be continued and enhanced.
Specific initiatives include:
* Clarifying high behavioral and academic expectations for prospective and entering students
* Requiring a Web-based alcohol education program for all entering freshmen
* Initiating a social norms campaign, led by students, to reinforce the positive values and behaviors that already exist among a majority of CU-Boulder students
* Establishing parental notification on the first and any subsequent alcohol offense by a student and placing the student on probation
* Instituting, within the "three strikes" policy, a "2nd strike" response that includes suspension for second-time violators already on probation for a first alcohol offense
* Strengthening collaboration between the university campus and other communities
* Referring second-time student offenders to the City of Boulder 2nd Offender Program, an educational workshop that focuses on smart decision-making regarding alcohol
* Creating a total of 17 on-site student conduct boards for the campus's residence halls, each serving a specific hall
* Developing an assessment and research program to evaluate effectiveness of alcohol programs, including the new initiatives
* Organizing and hosting conferences on alcohol awareness and intervention efforts
* Petitioning national agencies, foundations and other organizations, such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), for support of campus alcohol initiatives
The committee also strongly supported continuation and enhancement of several existing programs and efforts. For example, the group suggested the campus continue its ongoing research on alcohol issues, including work with the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center and CU-Boulder's nationally recognized research centers in behavioral genetics, behavioral science and psychology.
Also, the group endorsed continuing support for late-night social and recreational programs, peer educator programs, student health education and intervention programs, and substance-free living areas in residence halls.
Members of the group recommended that CU-Boulder continue to include educational programming about alcohol issues, utilizing such tools as interactive theater presentations during orientation programs for entering students. The campus should continue its multi-media and other campaigns to communicate behavioral expectations for all students, the group said.
The committee also recommended continued participation in campus-community coalitions and community-building programs and continuing such alcohol sanctions as suspension for any major alcohol violation that endangers the health and safety of another person.