Office of the Chancellor                                                                                                                                                             425 Administration Building
Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
(501) 575-4148
FAX (501) 575-7076

Fall, 1998

Dear University of Arkansas Parent:

I am writing to ask your help as the University seeks to curb excessive use of alcohol by our students. If you, as a parent, will reinforce the initiative we are about to announce, it will have a far better chance of success.

Fayetteville Mayor Fred Hanna and I have joined forces to establish a campus-community coalition to deal with serious issues related to student use of alcohol and other drugs. One national study predicts that among the 12 million U.S. college students who now drink, 5 to 8 percent will at some point die from alcohol-related causes. We don’t want a single University of Arkansas student to become one of these statistics.

Our goal with the new coalition is to establish an environment for UA students that greatly reduces their risks associated with the use of alcohol. We are joining universities across the nation in an attempt to deal with this widespread problem: "Be Vocal, Be Visible, Be Visionary." In fact, the University of Arkansas has already initiated a plan to reduce excessive drinking and related health concerns. Our plan promotes individual student responsibility and personal decision-making. Our students will participate actively in this effort. We will announce this initiative during the first week of classes in the fall.

Although you have not read of an alcohol-related death at this University, we have had close calls, physical assaults, serious accidents, cases of alcohol poisoning, and numerous academic failures. All this needs to stop, and no University can change this culture without help, including your help as a parent. I hope your family will discuss this national problem before the student in your home departs for campus.

Sincerely,

John A. White
Chancellor

Last Update: September 30, 1999