Student Affairs Committee discusses alcohol concerns, volunteerism
at meeting
by Lew Harris
An update on Vanderbilt University's efforts to curb alcohol abuse on campus
and the many positive examples of student volunteerism were the focal points
of the Board of Trust's Student Affairs Committee meeting April 25.
Johan Madson, associate provost and dean of students, provided an overview
of the efforts of the Alcohol Task Force established by Chancellor Joe B.
Wyatt last fall to address campus alcohol abuse. He noted that the group
had consulted with many individuals and groups-students, student leaders,
colleagues on other university campuses and experts such as Dr. Anderson
Spickard at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center- in an attempt to gather
as much information and expertise as possible.
Twelve recommendations from the task group were accepted for implementation
in the fall by Wyatt and Provost Thomas G. Burish (see Vanderbilt Register
April 7-12, 1997). Madson said the recommendations, which include stricter
penalties, new educational programs, alcohol-free freshman dorms and increased
monitoring, have caused much discussion among students.
"We need the students to be involved in the process," Madson
said. "We welcome their comments, concern and their now-renewed interest
in helping us come up with policies to do a better job of addressing abuse
of alcohol on this campus."
Jamie Hunt, new Student Government Association president, said that students
had four areas of concern with the new policy.
He said the first concern is that some of the punishments are too harsh
and the belief that the actions of one individual or a small group could
cause an entire group or organization to be punished. A second concern,
he said, is that enforcing the new policy prohibiting public intoxication
in dorms might be intrusive on student life. Hunt's third concern is that
the focus of the new policy should be on prevention and not punishment,
and finally, he noted, students should have representation on the Alcohol
Task Force and a continued voice in the process.
Scott Kopetz, the outgoing president of the Honor Council, agreed that
students admit there is a problem with alcohol abuse on campus. "I
think it's safe to say that all the students feel that changes in the policy
are needed," he said. Like Hunt, Kopetz believes the focus of the new
policy should be on prevention and education instead of punishment. He
said that a group of student leaders has recently recommended an ongoing
small-group discussion class to be required for freshmen to teach them about
the consequences of alcohol abuse.
University Chaplain Gay Welch introduced the presentation on student volunteerism.
Meaghan Mundy and Shannon Cunningham, activities coordinators of the Office
of Volunteer Activities, said that a recent Residential Life survey indicated
that 75 percent of the student body volunteers at least once a semester.
They provided a history of volunteer activities on campus.
Student leaders representing other campus volunteer efforts included Nicole
Alvino (Greeks), Andrea Bullock (women's athletics), Rosevelt Noble (men's
athletics), Sangeeta Gill (Vanderbilt Prison Project) and Jon Zeiders (Alternative
Spring Break), who showed a series of slides of the 24 Alternative Spring
Break sites from this past spring.
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This document created May 28, 1997
HTML Translation by Billy Kingsley