<p>It has come to my attention that the fraternities at LU have off campus houses where parties are held-not where the frat kids live. I am concerned that these houses are not monitored for safety purposes and I don't like that LU seems to think that if the kids drink off campus then they don't have to worry about it...seems like a problem, and a bad one waiting to happen. Knowing what I do now, this probably would have changed my mind about letting my son attend and join a fraternity. If LU really wants to do something about their "party reputation," they would take charge of this situation and put an end to all of this off campus drinking and partying within the surrounding neighborhoods.</p>
<p>tutu17, I’m sure Lehigh–and all other schools–would like to do just that. But how do you propose they go about accomplishing it? That is the problem. Schools often do a good job controlling the drinking on campus, with the result that it is driven off campus–and once it is off campus, the school doesn’t have any policing authority.</p>
<p>One additional thought–if this is of serious concern to you, talk seriously to your son before he lands on campus this fall. Educate him. let him know your fears and your expectations. And also, remember that you raised him and he should have internalized your values by now. </p>
<p>I think if Lehigh could reduce it’s party/frat culture it would be one of the best undergrad school’s in the united states.
they need to balance out the male/female ratio too. but I think that the stereotype of the school may be true. if the school forces a change in the culture it would benefit long term.</p>
<p>Until women decide they love engineering and comp sci as much as nursing, education and comm arts it wont change much. What students choose do off campus is really not much of the college’s business and outside their control… </p>
<p>I agree this is a conversation you should be having with your son. One solution is to have him live in campus housing for all 4 years (if available). But many kids want to get away from campus and live on their own - with all the ups and downs that entails. You know your son best and how his self monitoring decision skills regarding peers are by now. I can’t speak to how well Lehigh monitors it’s fraternities, but if they monitor them closely, this would be an option to dorming for all 4 years. It takes awhile for colleges to change culture, because culture is one of the determining factors when kids choose a college, but I’m not convinced that simply shutting down fraternities and sororities in these small colleges solves the drinking piece - it just drives it off campus. And if there aren’t fraternities and sororities, kids tend to still band together, for my oldest son it was the “rugby house.” </p>
<p>This happens at any other school as well. You should voice your concerns with your son. He does have the ultimate choice and control of what he does and does not do. </p>
<p>It has now come to your attention, tutu, that there are college parties off campus? “I’m shocked! Shocked to find that partying is going on here.” paraphrasing from 1942’s Casablanca.
And you want college officials to monitor what young adults are doing in private, off campus homes?
I think others are right; this is a personal responsibility issue you should discuss with your son and not an issue for the Dean.</p>
<p>Once the kids move off campus, they are free to do as they like in their own homes - providing the neighbors and the landlord don’t complain. And, yes, there will likely be drinking. On many campuses, especially ones that are officially dry, most of the partying goes on off campus. </p>
<p>Agreed, this is not unique to Lehigh. And agreed that you should talk with your son. But whatever school your child goes to, you have to cross your fingers that you have raised a responsible young man or woman.</p>
<p>Even if the OP has her son live in university housing all four years, that does nothing at all to keep him from off campus parties.</p>
<p>American university is a “dry” campus and a campus known for serious, ambitious students, but I know some of the parties my son went to were doozies.</p>
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<p>You’ve completed your work in raising your son. </p>
<p>He’s all grown up. </p>
<p>Now let him be and let him surprise you. I’ll bet that you’ll be impressed. </p>
<p>There is no conversation that needs to be had. None. Let him be.</p>
<p>Turn the helicopter off. </p>
<p>Speaking as a resident of the area, the partying at off campus houses is probably less of a concern then the crime that occurs off campus. The campus is located on the edge of a rough neighborhood and there have been numerous assaults on Lehigh students. I would definitely talked to your son about personal safety.</p>
<p>Perhaps more than just talk. If he is at all interested in consuming alcohol, perhaps get him drunk under parental supervision (perhaps even take videos of him while drunk). After he wakes up with a hangover and barely remembers the previous night and sees the videos of his drunken stupidity, he may at least have some idea of his limits, rather than finding out at a fraternity party in his first semester on campus.</p>
<p>Give the long threads about rape on campus, be sure he knows that sex while either party is drunk risks him being entangled in a questionable consent situation that will be a lot of trouble for all involved.</p>
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I have an acquaintence who is a professor at a small LAC. She said she and a lot of others in academe would like to see the drinking age lowered to 18, as it was when we were in collge. That way, it is not driven off campus and schools can have more control over what goes on and punish those who carry things too far.
@Barrons - what does women deciding they like engineering and comp sci have to do with drinking off campus?
ETA: Nursing is considered a STEM field, too. </p>
<p>It is still a virtually impossible task for colleges to separate the 18-19-20 year olds from the 21 year olds especially on the more age diverse campuses even if they have dorms for 18 and under, dorms for 20 and under…no one can police the kids as they move around campus and off campuses. The kids need to have some common sense and some self restraint and many get an opportunity to test that through high school peer pressure or otherwise, but many do not. </p>
<p>bestfriendsgirl- barrons was referring to balancing m/f ratio at Lehigh posed by zobroward.</p>
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I’m pretty sure Barron mentioned this is regards to the suggestion Lehigh even out the male/female ratio … given the distribution of students across majors at Lehigh it is not likely to happen.</p>
<p>A general observation I had when looking at schools, was that students tended to use either alcohol or marijuana. ( of my very small sample grouping)
The more extroverted campuses leaned towards alcohol. They often had larger (& more prominent) sports programs, Greeks & were larger in general, often rural.</p>
<p>Both my kids graduated from schools where marijuana was as accepted as drinking.
You will find both in potentially every school. Afterall, most students are adults, and if they can’t regulate their own behavior, perhaps they aren’t ready to go off to college, as I do not feel the purpose of a college is to parent in absentia. They can and should do more than turn a blind eye however, and most do.</p>
<p>I also am an advocate for gap years. At the very least, students don’t seem to feel the same pressure they do to over compensate to prove they are " grown up" ( ironic, doncha think?) as they do when they enter college right after high school. Its a lot of time, effort and money to blow, if you aren’t ready to make the most of it.</p>
<p>It does seem like there are a lot of schools, and some of the best known, in areas where crime is a rising concern.</p>
<p><a href=“Attempted rape, choking of Lehigh University student brings attention to off-campus safety - lehighvalleylive.com”>Attempted rape, choking of Lehigh University student brings attention to off-campus safety - lehighvalleylive.com;
<p>“Once the kids move off campus, they are free to do as they like in their own homes”</p>
<p>Well, that’s not really true. What we’re talking about is mostly against the law, since most kids don’t turn 21 until senior year. People really aren’t free to break the law, even in their own homes. Colleges have the power to discipline students, including by expelling them, for breaking the law. That’s likely true even for public colleges, but it’s definitely true of private colleges like Lehigh. The issue is whether and how they ought to use that power. </p>
<p>Personally, I would like to see more disciplinary action against repeat offenders whose drinking impacts others in the community (puking in dorms, noise, etc.). But schools are in a catch-22 when it comes to safety. Various harm reduction strategies, like providing free safety staff to an off-campus party, expose the school to liability if the harm occurs anyway. That would probably be true even if the drinking age went back to 18.</p>