Developing Campus Policies and Enforcing Laws

Developing and enforcing alcohol and other drug (AOD) policies send a strong message to students that alcohol and other drug abuse will not be tolerated. Policies to deter alcohol and other drug abuse are most effective when they are consistently enforced. Special dispensations, given to groups such as athletes or fraternity or sorority members when they violate AOD policies, undermine the policies and laws of the campus and community.

Institutional Policy

Clear, comprehensive policies are effective for preventing AOD abuse on campus. Moreover, the federal Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations (Education Department General Administrative Regulations [EDGAR]) Part 86 requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) receiving federal funds or financial assistance to develop and implement a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees. Visit the Higher Education Center’s Web pages devoted to compliance with these federal regulations for more detailed information.

Every campus should, therefore, have institutionwide programs and policies that address AOD use. The first step in developing such policies is to review what policies already exist on campus. It is helpful to involve many different stakeholders, including senior administrators, campus police, students, faculty, and staff, in this process. If policies are vague or gaps exist, it is essential to strengthen or rewrite them so that students, faculty, and staff know exactly what is expected of them.

Some policies that are effective in reducing alcohol and other drug abuse on campus include banning kegs, prohibiting drinking games, enforcing sanctions for AOD policy violators, and requiring that nonalcoholic beverages and food be made available at all campus events.

Once policies have been developed, it is critical to publicize and disseminate the policies to every member of the campus community. Students cannot comply with policies they don’t know exist.

Finally, campuses must enforce the policies that they have developed. Inconsistent enforcement, preferential treatment, and turning a blind eye to violations send conflicting messages to everyone on campus and undermine the purpose of having strong policies.

Local and Statewide Policy

The opportunity to create a safe environment for students isn’t confined to campus alone. Administrators can work with local police and government personnel to be sure community policies are clear, reasonable, consistently enforced, and reflect the values of the community and campus. For instance, local police can work with bar owners to crack down on fake IDs, stop having happy hours, and enforce laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors. Working together, campus and community representatives can increase patrols in the neighborhoods surrounding campus to break up loud parties and discourage vandalism.

At the state level, reaching just a few policymakers can have a widespread effect on all college students in the state. Reaching policymakers is often most effective when campus representatives work with community leaders as part of a campus and community coalition. For instance, coalitions can bring a wide range of stakeholders together, influencing state legislators to strengthen and enforce drunk driving laws, control the cost and sale of alcohol, and allocate state funds for alcohol prevention.

Examples of Specific Activities:

On campus:

• Revise and strengthen campus AOD policies.
• Publicize and disseminate campus AOD policies.
• Require registration of on-campus functions.
• Ban kegs on campus.
• Prohibit drinking games at campus parties.
• Increase ID checks at on-campus functions.
• Increase and consistently enforce disciplinary sanctions for violations of campus AOD policies.

Off campus:

• Increase penalties for serving alcohol to minors.
• Require responsible beverage service training and certification for those who serve alcohol.
• Prohibit happy hours and low-price drink specials.
• Require keg registration.
• Increase patrols of off-campus parties.
• Develop and enforce noise ordinances.
• Strengthen and enforce DUI laws.

See Also: Parental Notification