<p>My child has been suspended for a semester from a very popular school in the midwest. It is a long story but the short of it is he was caught drunk walking near the campus. He is a freshman and when it happend he had been at school for about two weeks. It turns out the school has very strict rules about drinking. He had no idea and neither did we. According to a lawyer we talked to there are over ten cases being litigated just his year about suspensions or possible suspensions. My niece who is at an Ivy was stopped by campus police for "party behavior" and they just told her to go home and be careful. What is going on? </p>
<p>Kids drink in college. His father and I are devestated.</p>
<p>When kids parents don't expect them to follow the rules, they don't. Your kid obviously knew you expected him to drink in college and he did. You're right, you should have sent him to a school that thinks breaking rules is fine!!! Would your daughter have gone ivy like her cousin if she wasn't partying? God help me if I get caught drinking in college, my parents warned me long ago !!</p>
<p>In all fairness, I don't think it's just parents who send mixed messages on this issue. The colleges do, too.</p>
<p>Consider this. Underage drinking is against the law and is prohibited by behavioral codes on most campuses. Most freshmen and sophomores living in dorms are underage. Yet many campuses have one or two "substance-free" dorms for freshmen and sophomores, thereby tacitly acknowledging that all the other dorms where the freshmen and sophomores live are not substance free. It's hard to imagine a more mixed message than that.</p>
<p>Again, I wonder if you know the whole story. Colleges don't always disclose (nor do they have to) disciplinary actions. Maybe it wasn't his first offense? How do you really know?</p>
<p>" It turns out the school has very strict rules about drinking. He had no idea and neither did we. "</p>
<p>Aren't those rules in materials that all students get? That's usually the case. I even would imagine the rules are on the college's web site.</p>
<p>Regardless,however, your S was doing something illegal, and it shouldn't be a huge surprise that the college wasn't supportive of that even though what your S did is something that many students do.</p>
<p>Why did you talk to a lawyer? If my kids were suspended for doing something illegal, I wouldn't be seeking legal advice, I'd be angry at my kids for their actions that caused them to be kicked out of school.</p>
<p>my Ds are in a HS with strict dress code etc., what they have learned is that the school is often stricter in the beginning of the year, so as to make examples, etc...</p>
<p>and they read the student rules CAREFULLY....and we have to sign something saying we all read the handbook etc... that way if the schoool does take action you can't go back and say, we didn't know and sue, or whatever</p>
<p>don't these kids talk to each other about how strict a college is, during orientation or anything?</p>
<p>Serious Bobby? Just read the OP. Do you think this kid is devastated or just *<strong><em>ed the college has unfair rules like his parents? And will be *</em></strong>ed in the future that suck ups pass him over for promotions because his antics are just the norm......</p>
<p>The punishment as described, for the violation, as described, sounds very harsh. I would expect that type of punishment at, say, Liberty University, but not at most other colleges. If there is a very strict university policy on student alcohol violations I would expect that to be made very clear during freshman orientation. I would not necessarily expect students (or parents) to carefully read the entire student handbook prior to attending, or any time for that matter. Typically students (and parents) resort to the student handbook after a problem arises, and before the lawyers are called in. </p>
<p>Summary: Wasn't all this spelled out during freshman orientation? Was your son the only drunk freshman on campus?</p>
<p>IMO this - at least in part - is a knee jerk reaction by some schools to cover all of their bases in light of recent binge drinking by underclassmen (which, in extreme cases, has led to some unfortunate deaths - those cases made national headlines).</p>
<p>This may also be a likely administrative backlash to alcohol related accidents (including drunk driving) and violence (including sexual assault - e.g. Duke lacrosse scandal). All of which may ultimately come back to a university in question in terms of legal liability (whether alcohol was served on campus or not). </p>
<p>Now is this "no tolerance" policy "fair" or "right"? Who is to say. Will it eradicate college drinking? Certainly not. </p>
<p>I'm very sorry that your child has been caught up in this changing environment, but its pretty clear that some colleges are trying to be very pro-active indeed (or simply a case of "CYA" if you are a cynic) - either way, it's just like anything else - probably an overreaction which will likely correct itself over the coming years - not that this is any comfort to the parent of a suspended child. It's a learning experience (albeit a painful one) and that's what college is really all about.</p>
<p>hmm...suspended for being "caught drunk"? Sounds to me like there's more to the story. You sure all he was doing when he was caught was walking?</p>
<p>Was this "very popular school in the midwest" Northwestern, by any chance? And, since he was caught walking near campus, not on campus, does that mean he was arrested by the city of Evanston police, not the campus security staff?</p>
<p>If so, he should have gotten a history lesson before he went to school. Evanston was the home of the Women's Christian Temperence Union (WCTU) which was one of the leading forces in the enactment of Prohibition. Evanston was dry until the 1980's and still has some of the most restrictive drinking laws around.</p>