Instead of possible suspension after three violations of alcohol laws and policies, students at the University of Colorado at Boulder this fall can be suspended after their second violation.
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Ron Stump described it as a tougher "Three Strike" alcohol policy. "If a student is already on probation and again found to be in simple violation of alcohol laws or policies, he or she will be subject to suspension from the university for at least one full semester," he said.
Students who violate alcohol laws or policies for the third time during the entire period of their enrollment -- whether they're on probation or not -- can be suspended, according to Stump. The altered policy doesn't limit the university from additional disciplinary actions deemed appropriate for any specific case.
Since there are no refunds, suspension can cost nonresident students over $14,000 and resident students $6,000 in lost tuition, room and board.
The tougher policy, announced in April, is part of a set of alcohol-related initiatives on the CU-Boulder campus designed to reduce high-risk drinking. University officials are using a number of methods to spread awareness and understanding of changing policies and behavioral expectations.
"There has been some confusion in the student community about the number of 'strikes' one can accrue before facing serious consequences," Stump said. "One reason might be that students are lumping together alcohol violations with other incidents, like residence hall noise violations.
"We want to make it clear to everyone that the 'Three Strike' policy applies to alcohol-related violations of the student code of conduct. With the policy alteration, a student can now face suspension after only two alcohol violations," Stump said.
The change is the result of ongoing research on alcohol-related disciplinary action taken at CU-Boulder. "In reviewing our Judicial Affairs cases, we know that a small group of students are repeat offenders, do very poorly in terms of their academic performance, and cause a great deal of trouble for our community," Stump said.
"It should be of concern to everybody that a few students can harm the school's reputation," said Bob Maust, chair of CU-Boulder's Standing Committee on Substance Abuse. "We're building a foundation to address this issue by emphasizing the education of our students on these matters, but we need help from students to change the culture of alcohol in our community."
In July, CU-Boulder began requiring incoming freshmen to complete an online alcohol education course before classes begin. The two-and-a-half hour "AlcoholEdu" course, created and administered by a private company, is intended to address alcohol abuse and related problems by focusing on educating students to make informed decisions.
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