Revised student alcohol and other drugs policy to take effect this fall

Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole and Dean of Students Mona Hicks provide an overview for undergraduates.

Dear undergraduate students,

We are writing today to share our revised Student Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy, following up on last week’s message. We strongly recommend everyone planning to live on campus next year review the policy, which takes effect on Sept. 1, 2021.

A culture of care

A great many of you have come forward informally and formally, individually and in groups, to talk to us about your experiences and views on alcohol and drug use at Stanford. A common theme is how much you all value being in community with your friends and providing social experiences. It is also clear you value the health and well-being of your peers and want to create safe communities and parties. We want you to know we hear you and we want the same. As we come to you today with a policy document, it comes from a place of care, concern and support for the social and residential environment so many of you asked us to help you foster here at Stanford.

Policy highlights

Through the work of the Alcohol Solutions Group, students emphasized that we needed a clear, consistent and transparent policy framework, which we have now created, in addition to progress on the more than two dozen projects underway to support health and wellness with respect to alcohol and other drug use. The policy provides clarity by unifying policies and practices that had been housed in a number of different campus offices and websites. It also contains some new provisions, and you may want to pay close attention to the following aspects of the policy:

• We have included a Good Samaritan clause: we want you to seek medical attention for yourself and your friends without worry about disciplinary action.
• Information on drugs and other controlled substances is provided in a manner that is consistent with the Administrative Guide for all campus community members, and customized for student life.
• The actions we will take after first and subsequent violations, such as underage alcohol possession/consumption, over-intoxication, and violations involving other drugs, are detailed.

The policy also reaffirms existing campus expectations regarding hard alcohol, parties, cannabis, and other high-risk behaviors such as drinking games.

Next steps

We recognize many of you will want to know how the policy will be enforced in the undergraduate residences. The Dean of Students Office is working with current resident assistants and resident fellows to think through applying these policies to our undergraduate residential communities so that we will have a framework for accountability and support in place for the start of the 2021-22 academic year. The Dean of Students Office is also partnering with the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) and the Office of Alcohol Policy and Education (OAPE) to provide student leaders, advisors and organizations the support and resources they need with respect to these policies.

We will continue seeking opportunities to hear from all campus community members on this work, in addition to the more than 1,000 students who have participated thus far through Alcohol Solutions Group surveys, focus groups and town hall meetings. Recently, we reviewed the policy with student members of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy Implementation Team; ASSU Exec; several resident assistant focus groups; professional staff who work closely with students in our residences and community centers; and with our Greek-letter organizations and their advisors.

We look forward to continuing to connect with students, student staff, student leaders and student organizations. With your partnership, we can create a healthier and more supportive environment for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Susie Brubaker-Cole
Vice Provost for Student Affairs

Mona Hicks
Senior Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students