In a move sure to draw the ire of students at two of the state's largest universities, administrators at both Virginia Tech and James Madison University recently enacted policies to notify parents about their child's first alcohol offense - even for students older than 18 years of age.
In an open letter to JMU students, President Linwood Rose cited his concern for "the abuse and underage use of alcohol by some of our students" and indicated that new drinking policies are aimed at changing perceptions of a "negative drinking culture" at JMU. Last April, throngs of students and visitors attending JMU's annual "Springfest" party had to be dispersed by tear gas from riot police after the crowd quickly became unruly and began damaging the surrounding property with beer bottles.
Virginia Tech instituted a similar parent notification policy last January. No high-profile incidences of disorderly conduct drove school officials to enact the policy. Edward Spencer, Virginia Tech's vice president for student affairs, commented in an interview with The Washington Post that "students are more concerned about their parents being notified than they are of the legal consequences." That may not be the case, but adding consequences like parental notification probably does have at least some deterrence effect. The issue becomes whether this effect is worth compromising the notion that 18-,19- and 20-year-old students are adults who should face the outcomes of their decisions without involving parents.
Dean of Students Allen Groves stated that the University does not automatically inform parents of students' indiscretions on the first incident; the matter is typically dealt with internally by deans or in the Office of Resident Life, and parents are only notified if a pattern of severe conduct ensues. The University's reluctance to notify parents seems to be in deference to the idea that although combating underage and excessive drinking is a top concern, so is ensuring that students are accountable and responsible for their own actions. Clearly there are consequences for being caught breaking the law or violating University policy, as should be the case, but the University is correct to treat students as adults. Parents who finance their child's education could argue that they have a right to such information, but that claim seems tenuous unless the student's violation is severe enough to threaten his enrollment or performance as a student.
The University may not be in as much hot water as some other college are in terms of public perception of its drinking culture, but the situation used to be more somber. Sandy Gilliam, University History and Protocol Officer and former secretary to the Board of Visitors, said Easters weekend - a large-scale annual spring party held by University students - continued until the late 1970s but "was abolished by administrators after the police couldn't control it any longer." Gilliam acknowledged that several factors have contributed to a shift in the University's image over time, including the drinking age rising from 18 to 21, tougher academic standards - "you could no longer get by with a gentleman's 'C'" - and a greater enforcement by police of open-container laws. University administrators and law enforcement also made additional efforts to limit underage and excessive alcohol consumption during the past few decades.
Part of being treated like adults is making sure that situations do not get out of control and warrant a more heavy-handed approach by the University to regulate student behavior. To be clich
Read More
CARTER: U.Va. Health owes clarity to transplant patients
By Nathaniel Carter | 12 hours agoUnfortunately, this negative press is fully the fault of U.Va. Health — it failed to address significant stakeholder concerns when crafting its justification.
EDITORIAL: Upholding medical amnesty is a collective effort
By Editorial Board | YesterdayUniversity leadership, Greek life organizations and students themselves must recommit to the safety provided by an effective and knowledgeable use of medical amnesty.
KURTZWEIL: Dockworkers’ unions cannot avoid the threat of automation
By Paul Kurtzweil | 2 days agoInstead of continuing to demand decreased automation, the union should work with the legislature in the hopes of driving investment into the reorganization of the current workforce.
