The Hawk

Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Features

The Virtual Bar provides students with an interactive simulation of the effects of alcohol.

Like many schools in the country, St. Joe's struggles to educate students about drinking and deter them from high-risk drinking.

The University takes a three-prong approach to student drinking, said Cary Anderson, Ph.D., Vice President of Student Life, from educating students about the risks of drinking to taking punitive action against those who violate the alcohol policy to offering alternative programming that provides students with options other than drinking. All of these prongs are aimed at providing an environment that is conducive to student success, he said.

"In the end, we want our students to be successful, and in order to achieve that success, we need to eliminate distractions," he said. "High-risk drinking is a big distraction."

Anderson also said that the University's alcohol policy is reviewed frequently in order to make sure that it best serves the University's aims. He said that policy is reviewed every three to five years and is currently under revision as a result of a measure initiated by his predecessor, Linda Lelii, Ph.D.

"It's an evolving process," he said. "We're asking ourselves, 'Are the efforts we're doing the most effective methods?'"

The educational aspect of the University's approach is aimed at providing students with the tools and information that they need in order to make educated decisions about drinking. The two organizations most prominently involved in this educational aspect are the Resident Assistants (RAs) and the Counseling Center.

RAs and the Counseling Center frequently work together to educate students about drinking, said John Jeffery, Director of Residence Life. He explained that RAs are expected to be proactive with their residents and raise awareness about student drinking through conversations and one-on-one interaction. Such conversations help to dispel stereotypes about college and instill expectations that are consistent with the University's mission, he said.

"They show that it is not acceptable, not the norm to drink Thursday, Friday, and Saturday," he said.

Jeffery said that a vital part of creating this awareness about drinking lies in the close connection between Residence Life and the Counseling Center.

"We work closely with the Counseling Center," he said. "We provide the forum for them to come in and present."

Continued...

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