We were just having dinner with some family friends whose son goes to a large, private research university in CA (as does my D). He indicated that alcohol is not allowed in the dorms and if the RA finds out, you can (and do) get written up and given a warning (I’m not 100% certain what happens if there’s a second offense, but I’d imagine that there is some sort of sanction. I have heard the same comment about RAs’ reporting alcohol use at one of the Claremont colleges as well. At the research Uni that our friends’ son attends – which ironically has a reputation as being among the bigger party schools – people go to another area of campus (where there are frats and house parties) to drink and, of course, there’s a lot of tailgating going on at games, etc. (which I suppose is ubiquitous)/
At my D’s school, on the other hand, there is a policy of allowing beer and wine in the dorms, but that if there’s any drinking going on, the doors to the rooms must be open. Hard liquor is not allowed in the dorms (or at campus parties). RAs don’t police beer and wine use in the dorms, but presumably will report hard liquor. The only time the school really cracks down on beer/wine is during Admit Week when no alcohol is allowed.
Both of my kids colleges did not permit underage drinking on campus. If caught, one was subject to disciplinary action for,the first offense. If the student was handing out alcohol to underage students…and was caught…they were immediately suspended. Zero tolerance.
Dry (and drug free) campus at my daughter’s midwest flagship. If you get caught there is a whole spectrum of punishments depending on the severity of the incident and if it’s a repeat offense. Any student trying to get help for someone is exempt from the disciplinary policy, as is that intoxicated student. This happened in my daughter’s dorm early in the semester where someone had alcohol poisoning and other students woke up the RA and called 911. The student who was hospitalized just had to undergo an alcohol education weekend.
Same as @thumper1. My son has roommates who are 21 and they still can’t (legally) have alcohol in their on campus apartment because a few of the boys are underage.
At the time, alcohol allowed in the dorms only. Now, I just read a report that, as far back as when my kids were there, there was a hard alcohol ban. But I know there was hard liquor around. (There were dorm checks during breaks and IIRC, kids just put away the hard stuff before leaving.)
And the policy for infractions was a three-strike rule. But steps 1 and 2 were rather light consequences. Unless combined with other misconduct. (Or local rules, such as driving intoxicated.) A new presdident has tried to make all thi smore sensible.
At one college where I worked, even an RA thinking there was a smell of beer outside a room could trigger all sorts of actions.
My oldest went to a school (CWRU) where drinking was permitted in the dorms if students were over 21. It was policed by RAs and underage drinking in the dorms led to discipline (mostly a slap on the wrist). I don’t know what the drug policy was but my son says weed was everywhere, hard drugs were not prevalent.
My middle went to a school (Belmont U) where the entire campus was dry (and drug free). Students could be expelled for violations. I know of at least one student who was expelled.
My youngest goes to a small LAC (Haverford) where drinking and drug use is not monitored by the college. Drinking and weed smoking is common. Hard drug use is not common.
Both kids attended private colleges, where alcohol was technically not allowed in the dorms (as the vast majority of students are under 21). But that just meant don’t keep it out in public when the door is open and where an RA might have to write it up. In other words, a six pack (or two) in the mini-frig was fine – just in case a parent visits this weekend.
Private university. Alcohol was allowed but only if the roommate/all suite mates were 21. RA’s did write ups and the third write up means you go before the disciplinary board. I loved the way one school handled the ones who ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning (under 21). The dean would show up and give them a choice. Either they call their parents and tell them what happened or he would. If the student refused to call, he called and while FERPA wouldn’t allow him to disclose the cause of the hospital trip, he would then hand his phone to the student for them to disclose what happened. Hell hath no furry like a mad parent. It seemed like every year one freshman would be packed up and taken home by a parent for alcohol poisoning. While some might feel that the dean is overstepping, there is a state university in the town I live in. Every year at least one student gets drunk, passes out outside and is found the next day frozen to death.
When we went to parent orientation for my D’s state school, we were told that the school would notify parents of underage drinking incidents and that the students were also so advised. My D became an RA and one night, she received a call telling her to look out the window. She did and saw a young man lying in the snow. She called for help and ran downstairs in her PJ’s with her blanket. The kid was blackout drunk and would have died if someone hadn’t called her. It was doubly lucky because she was not on duty that night and had originally planned to be off campus but stayed home as she wasn’t feeling well.
Another midwest flagship - no drinking in the dorms at all. Parties happen a walk away from campus at frats or apartments. It was super nice for my D who didn’t drink as a freshman or sophomore. As a junior she got an apartment off-campus. When D was deciding on schools she turned down a private university in NY state partially because the dorms were one large drunken party on the Friday she slept over and she was told by her host if she didn’t drink there’d be nothing for her to do in the evenings there.
Checked the UW-Madison Res Halls policy. Forbidden in and around the dorms except in rooms- where all must be 21 or over. Since mostly freshmen this means basically illegal. Rules also about intoxication, including with UW police called et al. Of course enforcement has never been rigid to my knowledge- as in no one goes around looking.
The student unions serve beer to those of age. Off campus frat et al parties could be busted for breaking city rules.
I remember when there different rules for 18 and 21 and that they changed to all 18 back in the early 70’s. I hid a liquor bottle in my closet for someone whose teetotaling relatives were coming for her bridal shower and would visit her room- she didn’t worry about the dorm rules but if her grandmother… We had a “whapatouli” (spelling?) beverage the end of classes one spring- paid for with our house (floor of dorm, women) dues- and consisting of a clean/new metal trash can filled with everything- many kinds of alcohol, lemonade, tea… It actually tasted good despite my disliking tea. Illegal of course. I was a goodie two shoes, btw.
Unfortunately Wisconsin the state has a drinking culture which means a lot of rules are broken by many. School large enough that all types can find like minded people. Not all went with the drinking culture.
@collegemom9 there is a difference between a school that has an open drinking atmosphere and some kids drinking a beer in their dorm room, though. Generally, it’s pretty hard to hide out and out drunkenness.
I think it’s interesting because it’s changed so much since all colleges receiving federal aid had to be dry for awhile. Tolerance for drinking among young people is astounding to me.
Back in the Stone Age…when I was in college…the drinking age as 18 so MOST college students were of legal drinking age…even if it was only for that nasty 3.2 beer. Now the drinking age is 21…so the majority of college students are not of legal drinking age…and they don’t even make that 3.2 beer anymore…do they?
I recently visited my undergrad school for the first time since graduating. The main crossroads used to be FILLED with bars…or pizza places that also served beer. In other words, there was beer at least everywhere or so it seemed. On this recent visit…most of those old bars are totally gone and no…bars have not replaced them. There are now some pretty trendy foodie places. And there is one microbrewery/pub in the downtown. The downtown drinking culture has really changed.
Sure…plenty of students party mostly in off campus apartments. But the policy for drinking on campus if caught is severe.
I was told a story about a certain large PA party school where if you get caught for underage drinking they call the state police (no campus security) so it’s an automatic legal incident. Then, the school kicks you out for having gotten arrested. I was surprised by that story but it was the offender’s mom who told me.
I think the new freedoms of college life entice many to break drinking rules initially. After a while those who spend too much time partying find they won’t survive. Tolerance of drinking should be no different for younger adults than older ones. Being drunk is totally different than imbibing some alcohol. Unfortunately young adults are experimenting and don’t know limits. Plus I suspect there is rebellion against rules and partaking in something they couldn’t do as children. Age limits are somewhat arbitrary- when 18 year olds were drafted for Vietnam at 18 the logic became why not other adult actions (that also is reflected in the voting age changes). Then the drunk driving statistics led to law changes again. I like the older age because it keeps (most) alcohol away from younger HS students -there were plenty of HS 18 year olds to circumvent rules.
For any who use religion regarding drinking- I remember that wedding feast at Cana story.
When we were touring schools, I always asked if local police could come on campus and town/gown relationship. I didn’t want to have any issues if my kids were drinking on campus. I knew my kids drank in their dorm rooms, but not sure about the school’s policy. My kids went to a large private school and they had fraternity parties on campus, but the parties were “watched” by the school’s security.
When we visited Stanford years ago, we were told wine was offered at dinner time sometimes when (resident)professor was present.
There is official policy and then there’s reality.
Williams College official policy (I looked it up online):
“Hard alcohol and common source alcohol (kegs, punch, etc.) are prohibited
Providing alcohol to anyone under 21 is prohibited (and illegal)
Parties of more than 20 people must be registered
Party hosts must adhere to safe room capacity and safe drinking standards (no more than 120 servings of beer or wine permitted, or up to twice the room capacity, whichever is less).”
The reality is sometimes different.
Junior Advisers are highly unlikely to report students for having alcohol (they are unpaid volunteers, do not work for the college, and are on the side of their freshmen), although they are terrific about watching out for and taking care of their freshmen who may overdo it.
Students who have been attended to or escorted to the hospital by Security officers due to overconsumption have to attend an alcohol workshop.
I heard that an alcohol-related visit to the local hospital costs the student $900, so that’s a real-life consequence, too! But better in debt than dead.
D1- small LAC. They say that underage drinking violates college policy. However the policy really is that so long as a student isn’t harming themselves or taking actions that impact others, there is no enforcement.
