2008 Woodie Awards
MCSG reviews drinking policy
By: Amy Ledig, News Editor
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News
Michael Waul '09, a Wallace RA, said that having to both enforce policy and program activities creates tensions.
"The thing is," he said, "when we confront people, that's the end of our involvement."
From that point on, the conduct board or Residential Life staff handles the incident, "[but] when people get the consequences, we look bad… It's harder for us to do programming."
"If one of the messages is that it's become too primary of a role," Dean of Students Jim Hoppe said, "that's a problem we should address because it's one [role] of many."
Keith Edwards, director of campus life, said that he and Residential Life had not been drawn into the discussion yet and was skeptical of the proposal.
"I'm not sure how that would actually work," Edwards said. "And I think that if they were serious about [changing the policy] they would have come and talked to us," adding that he is open to discussion with students and to participating with the task force the resolution creates.
"If they want RAs not enforcing policy, then who is?" Edwards said. "If they want it to be hall directors, we're going to have to hire a lot more hall directors."
Hoppe said that students choose to live off campus for reasons beyond alcohol policy. "Are there people who move off-campus because of issues they have with policy enforcement? Yes," Hoppe said. However, he added, "physical configuration" and financial issues play a significant role in the decision to move off campus, and alcohol policy is far from being the sole reason.
Kathy McEathron, Residential Life operation manager, agreed.
"I think cost is a factor more than anything," she said.
Hoppe also stressed that he wanted to "redirect the misperception that there's a flood" of students fleeing the dorms to live off-campus. He reiterated the point he made at the LB meeting on Tuesday night that the number of juniors and seniors requesting room draw numbers had increased from last year to this year.
"The thing is," he said, "when we confront people, that's the end of our involvement."
From that point on, the conduct board or Residential Life staff handles the incident, "[but] when people get the consequences, we look bad… It's harder for us to do programming."
"If one of the messages is that it's become too primary of a role," Dean of Students Jim Hoppe said, "that's a problem we should address because it's one [role] of many."
Keith Edwards, director of campus life, said that he and Residential Life had not been drawn into the discussion yet and was skeptical of the proposal.
"I'm not sure how that would actually work," Edwards said. "And I think that if they were serious about [changing the policy] they would have come and talked to us," adding that he is open to discussion with students and to participating with the task force the resolution creates.
"If they want RAs not enforcing policy, then who is?" Edwards said. "If they want it to be hall directors, we're going to have to hire a lot more hall directors."
Hoppe said that students choose to live off campus for reasons beyond alcohol policy. "Are there people who move off-campus because of issues they have with policy enforcement? Yes," Hoppe said. However, he added, "physical configuration" and financial issues play a significant role in the decision to move off campus, and alcohol policy is far from being the sole reason.
Kathy McEathron, Residential Life operation manager, agreed.
"I think cost is a factor more than anything," she said.
Hoppe also stressed that he wanted to "redirect the misperception that there's a flood" of students fleeing the dorms to live off-campus. He reiterated the point he made at the LB meeting on Tuesday night that the number of juniors and seniors requesting room draw numbers had increased from last year to this year.
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posted 4/14/08 @ 1:33 AM CST
While I applaud Jake L.P. etc. for bringing up this issue, I do not see this going anywhere. Res Life ultimately decides its own policy. To think that these people (the hall directors) would choose to make their own jobs harder for the common good is not in line with their past decisions. (Continued…)
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