Following a month-long investigation into administrative and student perspectives on the University’s alcohol policy and its implementation, Campus Council unanimously passed its Resolution Concerning West Campus Alcohol Policy Enforcement.
The resolution urged the Division of Student Affairs to adopt a code of standards regarding alcohol policy enforcement. In an effort to create enforcement consistency across West Campus, it encouraged Residence Life and Housing Services staff to comment on situations involving alcohol and reserve disciplinary procedures for “potentially dangerous situations.” Additionally, the resolution seeks to foster student knowledge of the alcohol policy and, consequently, encourage “self-policing” among the student body.
Campus Council’s inquiry into the alcohol policy enforcement was a reaction to a perceived systemic lack of knowledge about the alcohol policy among students and widespread student concern about inequality of enforcement across quadrangles.
“This resolution seeks to clarify de facto policy, clear up communication problems, motivate student self-policing and standardize staff enforcement,” said senior Anthony Vitarelli, Campus Council president.
The resolution is directed to the Division of Student Affairs because RLHS staff who regularly carry out the alcohol policy—residence coordinators, graduate assistants and residential advisers—have received conflicting messages from superiors about enforcing the alcohol policy.
“We hope this can be a middle ground between the bigger picture of the alcohol policy and how RCs implement that policy,” Vitarelli said.
He clarified that the resolution does not intend to excuse any type of alcohol consumption. “Casual drinking is not precluded by this resolution,” he said. “Intended of the resolution is that there are other things that are inherently dangerous that should be prioritized.”
Discussion among council members and RCs at the meeting centered on what Vitarelli dubbed “the most important part” of the resolution: the segment that pressed administrators to clarify the existing enforcement process of “observe, comment and document” by underscoring the educational importance of the comment stage and urging documentation primarily in unsafe situations.
Members expressed interest in making the resolution more specific as to when an RLHS staff member should document students consuming alcohol, and others raised concerns that the resolution did not really address cross-quad consistency in alcohol enforcement. “I think that it really just exists in the title” of the resolution, said sophomore Jared Layne, Craven Quad representative.
RCs chimed in to the discussion, saying that there are inherent difficulties with creating such stark guidelines in the resolution.
“People want everything to be black and white, but student behavior is inherently a gray area,” said Chris Smith, Kilgo Quad RC.
The resolution also suggested that RLHS staff should not distribute cups at events at which the A-team—a group of administrators who serve as preliminary security at large-scale events—is present, as it sends a mixed message to students.
In order to create an environment that averts the need for RLHS staff intervention, Campus Council said the resolution aims to increase student knowledge about the University’s “remarkably liberal” alcohol policy and promote self-regulation among the students themselves.
“This is not a green light for people to start thinking they can get drunk out of their minds tonight,” said sophomore Damian Denoble, Campus Council vice president. “Students need to realize that this is a two-way street.”
The council intends to reach students through the creation of a website, “Duke Alcohol Policy for Dummies,” that will provide candid information about the alcohol policy and the enforcement process and through a campus-wide e-mail that encourages responsible behavior.
Campus Council has submitted the resolution to Student Affairs staff and is awaiting a response for further action.
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