Signs have emerged everywhere that risky alcohol use among college students is a national tragedy.
Some sobering stats: 44 percent of students still binge drink, said a recent Harvard report. And, nationally, 1,400 undergrads die yearly from alcohol-related injuries, according to another study released Tuesday.
Recognizing these and other risks, our proximity to bars, and marketing efforts targeting underage students, Georgetown undertook a new approach.
Last summer, about 15 students, faculty and administrators came together to talk about excessive alcohol use. We never sought official status. Instead, we informally met to explore the issues and listen to one another.
In our initial meetings, students discussed their perceptions of drinking. From a campus survey, we knew alcohol use at Georgetown mirrored national trends. Our students said most peers who drink do so sensibly most of the time, but not always.
They identified powerful causes: peer pressure, a perceived rite of passage, a feeling that alcohol increases sociability, relaxing after days of academic stress, few alternatives, and the impulse to flaunt the rules. Next, we discussed existing campus resources, including counseling services, public safety, chaplains, orientation programs and a caring faculty. However, students believed we need new structures, particularly since our campus-based resources are less relevant when students socialize off-campus where underage students have more access to alcohol.
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Framing our work became critical. If we defined the solution as campaigning against student drinking, few undergraduates would join. And if we regarded success as asking officials to sanction underage drinking, faculty and administrators would not take part.
Eventually, we unified around three values: reducing the harm of dangerous, excessive alcohol use, bolstering in students the empowering sense that they own and have responsibility for their community, and treating students like competent young adults.
From there, we identified specific actions to reflect these values and soon invited more students, faculty, and staff aboard. About 40 people joined and split into teams. Some worked on helping freshman to connect to Georgetown. Some focused on community-building measures and strengthening on-campus sociability. Some reviewed our and other alcohol policies. And some identified ways to prevent harmful alcohol use through education and other efforts, recognizing that students in residential colleges often misperceive that the only risk from drinking is drunk driving.
Our early initiatives speak to these values. We sponsored activities for students and faculty to enjoy together. We developed ways to introduce our university's traditions to students. We surveyed undergraduates to determine which campus-based social options they'd use. We came up with a strategy to educate students that studying, extracurricular activities and volunteering are social norms. And we brought national leaders to campus to discuss promising strategies.
While still in our nascent stage, we've learned some early lessons that will inform our work:
First, it's essential to develop an equal partnership among students, faculty, and administrators, and to reach out to parents, alumni, the local community, bar owners and law enforcement officials. No one group can tackle the problem alone.
Second, no universal solution exists. Each school must look to its unique composition, location and traditions. A city university like Georgetown - located near numerous bars - must develop a different approach than a rural school where students rely, for example, on Greek life. Moreover, the community should engage this issue continually. Short-term strategies aren't realistic.
Finally, there's no way to make a dent without student ownership. A university exists for students, and, without their insight and leadership, well-meaning initiatives won't fly.
We must view undergraduates as assets, not problems. Strategies that condemn student culture won't work. It's more productive to identify positive aspects of student life - like friendship, mutual respect, a desire to learn, and school spirit. In a recent survey, for example, 98 percent of Georgetown undergraduates who use alcohol said that, when drinking, they look out for friends. We can work with that.
Many people believe that nothing we do can help students protect themselves from the harm of excessive drinking. We don't accept that. From spending time with students and from observing social trends, we know that more must be done.
by Bette R. Keltner and Daniel R. Porterfield
Knight Ridder-Tribune Columnists
Bette R. Keltner is dean of Georgetown University's School of Nursing and Health Studies. Daniel R. Porterfield is vice president of communications and public affairs and an assistant professor of English.
