I think these are real concerns and I am glad that people are writing and thinking about ways to do something about them.
I do think, however, that many of the attempts to curb binge drinking and extreme alcohol use are misguided. You can't control people's behavior by arresting them or making something illegal, or even by forcing them to take a class. Any messages forced on people are just going to go in one ear and out the other--and in my opinion the "crackdowns" many campuses do on alcohol just make the problem worse, by pushing parties and alcohol use off-campus.
I think that a better way for colleges to address alcohol use would be to focus on creating a vibrant, stable, mature, diverse on-campus community. For example, if every college mixed up their residence halls so that incoming freshmen were all placed on halls that had at most 50% freshman, and the freshmen were intermixed room-by-room with sophomores, juniors, and seniors, I think this would immediately change the culture--by providing older students as role models. These students would already be involved in more wholesome activities, such as student organizations, activities, and more moderate drinking / alcohol use. They would lead by example without the school having to intervene with rules.
Schools could also help by making student organizations easier, and by ensuring that students were treated with more respect by professors and administrators.
Colleges could also solve the problem by focusing on the negative behaviors that impact others, rather than enforcing alcohol policies with an iron fist. If a freshman is drinking a couple beers in their room quietly, without disturbing others and without imperiling their health or the safety of others, the school absolutely should not crack down on this behavior, even if it is illegal. By doing so, it sends the message that such moderate use is bad--and it encourages off-campus parties that grow out of control. On the other hand, when students become loud and rowdy and start imposing on others, or when they damage property or endanger themselves or others, then the college should intervene. This will provide the right system of incentives, it will protect the responsible students and it will crack down on the problems, not cracking down on responsible alcohol use.
Why do colleges not take this approach? I don't know. I just wish I could be appointed as the head of some college's alcohol task force, as I'm confident that I would be able to quickly (4 years or so) transition away from the party culture to a more wholesome social environment. The key though is to acknowledge that in order to do this, you really do need to loosen the reins a bit.
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I think these are real concerns and I am glad that people are writing and thinking about ways to do something about them.
I do think, however, that many of the attempts to curb binge drinking and extreme alcohol use are misguided. You can't control people's behavior by arresting them or making something illegal, or even by forcing them to take a class. Any messages forced on people are just going to go in one ear and out the other--and in my opinion the "crackdowns" many campuses do on alcohol just make the problem worse, by pushing parties and alcohol use off-campus.
I think that a better way for colleges to address alcohol use would be to focus on creating a vibrant, stable, mature, diverse on-campus community. For example, if every college mixed up their residence halls so that incoming freshmen were all placed on halls that had at most 50% freshman, and the freshmen were intermixed room-by-room with sophomores, juniors, and seniors, I think this would immediately change the culture--by providing older students as role models. These students would already be involved in more wholesome activities, such as student organizations, activities, and more moderate drinking / alcohol use. They would lead by example without the school having to intervene with rules.
Schools could also help by making student organizations easier, and by ensuring that students were treated with more respect by professors and administrators.
Colleges could also solve the problem by focusing on the negative behaviors that impact others, rather than enforcing alcohol policies with an iron fist. If a freshman is drinking a couple beers in their room quietly, without disturbing others and without imperiling their health or the safety of others, the school absolutely should not crack down on this behavior, even if it is illegal. By doing so, it sends the message that such moderate use is bad--and it encourages off-campus parties that grow out of control. On the other hand, when students become loud and rowdy and start imposing on others, or when they damage property or endanger themselves or others, then the college should intervene. This will provide the right system of incentives, it will protect the responsible students and it will crack down on the problems, not cracking down on responsible alcohol use.
Why do colleges not take this approach? I don't know. I just wish I could be appointed as the head of some college's alcohol task force, as I'm confident that I would be able to quickly (4 years or so) transition away from the party culture to a more wholesome social environment. The key though is to acknowledge that in order to do this, you really do need to loosen the reins a bit.
August 17, 2010 - 12:30pmThis Comment
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