Dean's Alcohol Policy Comes Under Scrutiny

She can only remember having one drink. Her next memory came several hours later when the first-year recalls waking up crying in the University Health Services (UHS) emergency room just before blacking out again for the second time that night.

The first-year student was brought to UHS by worried friends. They wanted to make sure she was okay. And the first-year says she appreciated their concern.

But in her friends' act of seemingly-innocuous assistance lay a more insidious result: After her hospitalization the first-year and her friends drew questions from College administrators about their conduct and were threatened with disciplinary procedures.

"I was under the impression that if you were sick enough to be taken to the hospital nothing would [happen]," says the first-year, who like many students interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"After the way things ended up happening...people discover that's really not the case and that makes people more hesitant to call [UHS]," she says.

In a semester that began with a letter from Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 reminding students of the current alcohol policy, the new administration's attitude towards underage drinking on campus has attracted the attention of students and university officials.

They say Lewis, who stepped into the position this fall, has been keeping a closer watch on undergraduate drinking than in the past.

"The letter that I sent was an important letter because it makes clear what I expect," Lewis says. "I hope people are re-thinking their behavior.... [These are] not new policies, [but] I certainly intend to remind students of what these policies are."

Elizabeth S. Nathans, dean of first-years, says Lewis has worked to improve the College's enforcement of alcohol policy this year.

"Our first concern remains the health and safety of everyone in the community, including those who inappropriately use alcohol," Nathans writes. "We remain committed then to making the most appropriate response in a given circumstance; often, that response is through medical attention or substance use counseling."

But some students say they are concerned with the College's approach to dealing with alcohol on campus.

They say that the current policy provides a disincentive for students who want to seek medical attention when drunk.

Drunk at UHS

Students interviewed about their experiences bringing intoxicated friends to UHS say they found out what proctors and tutors have told them about the alcohol policy has not always been true.

"I've been told....not to worry about having disciplinary action taken against you [for taking someone to UHS], said a junior who, along with her friends, was ad boarded after bringing one friend to the emergency room. "Because of this situation...a lot of us are skeptical about bringing people into UHS from now on."

But Lewis says that such experiences are consistent with the advice provided by College officials like proctors and tutors.

"The practice has been that a person who was brought to health services for medical care because of the fact that they were drunk will not be sanctioned for drinking," the dean says. "That does not say anything about anybody else who may have given them alcohol and what may have happened along the way."

"We don't sanction students for bringing persons to the hospital," Lewis says. "We sanction students who serve alcohol to underage drinkers."

Lewis adds that there is no written policy or set procedure for dealing with students who have been found to be drinking only after being hospitalized at UHS.

But Matt B. Hillis '96, a co-director of Alcohol and Drug Dialogue (ADD), says the College policy on serving alcohol does not mean students who bring their friends to UHS should be punished.

"We know that disciplinary action will result if you serve an underage drinker, but bringing a student to UHS shouldn't cause that," says Hillis. ADD is a student-run UHS committee that aims to inform students about alcohol-related issues.

Director of UHS David S. Rosenthal '59 says his hospital's policy precludes it from divulging medical information to the College administration.

"We don't relinquish anything to the Ad Board," says Rosenthal. "We are not administrators, we are health care providers...[and] we are not involved with the police, the dean's office or the tutors."

Still, somehow the College seems to know when a student has been to UHS. In some cases proctors are informed by the students themselves, but there also have been circumstances where students say they didn't tell any University officials.

One junior says he brought a drunk friend to UHS and later found out that the Ad Board was considering their case.

"I heard of [the incident] a few days later," the junior says of the female friend he dropped off at UHS. "She told us that...the administration was aware of what happened and was considering disciplinary action, which was a surprise to us because we assumed that when you bring someone to UHS it remains confidential."

Rosenthal says he is concerned some students may be reluctant to bring their dangerously drunk peers to UHS.

"I really fear that...if students don't bring their fellow students in [to UHS] we are going to have real problems on the campus," Rosenthal says.

"Ordinarily taking a student to UHS should not result in disciplinary action," says Hillis. "We recognize the reality of the problem of binge drinking at college and want to help people, not turn them away."

Some students, weary of worrying about administrative action, have begun to take their drunk friends to local hospitals instead of UHS.

But Rosenthal and Hillis say that the Mt. Auburn Hospital and the Cambridge Hospitals do not provide a better alternative.

"If you go to the Mt. Auburn Hospital or the Cambridge Hospital, not only will you get a bill, but your parents could get notified," Rosenthal says. "The type of care you are putting yourself into is going to be acute medicine care.... You are going to be next to all sorts of issues."

But while Rosenthal still advocates UHS as the safest haven for an underage drunk, Lewis says the College cannot ignore abuses of its rules and federal laws.

"We're watching to see what happens...any place where people are drinking," Lewis says. "We know our students are involved in abusive levels of drinking."

One junior says she understands the the College needs to enforce its alcohol policy, but her experience with UHS and administrative board has convinced her that the College may be harming its students with its current procedures.

"I don't have a problem with an alcohol policy, and I don't have a problem with the fact that because it's state law they can't condone drinking, and they are trying to make some sort of precedent," the junior says. "[But breaching medical confidentiality] is the most dangerous thing the school could do."

Currier House Allston Burr Senior Tutor John D. Stubbs Jr. '80 says it is important that students feel comfortable bringing friends to seek medical attention.

"The objective is to try to find a way where people can act responsibly and not fear repercussions for having done so," Stubbs says.

Alcohol Policy

When Henry Wechsler, a lecturer at the School of Public Health, released his 1990 national study findings that 44 percent of college students binge drink, college administrators were reminded that alcohol remained a danger on campuses nationwide.

"The Wechsler study made university administrators everywhere acutely aware of the dangers, particularly of binge drinking among students of college age, and of the behavioral problems that accompany binge drinking" Nathans writes in an e-mail letter.

Wechsler's study, which defines binge drinking as consuming five drinks (four for women) at least once every two weeks on a single occasion, emphasizes the behavioral aspects of heavy drinking.

"Wechsler's work also made people (not just at Harvard) more acutely aware of how much fallout there is from binge drinking: in inconvenience to students, in inconvenience to roommates and friends, in violence and sexual assault, etc.," Nathans writes. "The College of course continues to hold students responsible for their behavior."

But beyond increasing awareness of the effects of drinking among students, some College officials say they have seen intensified enforcement of the alcohol policy.

"The College as a whole is under greater scrutiny by the state and federal enforcement agencies, and I think the University has been forced to follow the rules more closely than it has in the past," says Karel F. Liem, the master of Dunster House.

Liem says much of the increased pressure to enforce college rules has come from the attention the federal government has paid to alcohol policies.

"The government wants better compliance from the colleges all over the United States that seem to have been islands where internal rules were observed rather than federal rules," Liem says. "Any gathering that serves alcohol will have to be supervised more closely."

But Lowell House Master William H. Bossert '59 says he has not detected any change in the alcohol policy.

"Dean Lewis is very concerned about this problem and perhaps he has stated his concerns publicly more than [former Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57]." Bossert says.

Bossert says some students' perception that the alcohol policy is suddenly harsher can be attributed to its more visible treatment by the College.

"You are seeing a more outward statement of the policy," Bossert says. "The law is the law and we are trying to live within the law.... I don't think we've ever tried not to."

Evaluating the Policy

Mather House Allston Burr Senior Tutor Mary K. Peckham says house masters and senior tutors have been working to formulate more consistent policies between the individual houses.

"We are making an effort to be somewhat more consistent, and I guess in the student's mind that probably translates into more harsh," Peckham says.

For example, Peckham says, the houses hope to formulate a more consistent policy regarding "stein clubs."

"Everyone is striving for consistency and humanity in this," Peckham says. "It's not a desire to ruin students' social life, but to be in compliance with the law and to encourage safe socializing on campus."

Alcohol policy for first years is administered only through the Freshman Dean's Office.

"In the Yard, the policy has always been the same since the change in the legal drinking age," Nathans writes.

Crime and Punishment

Some students say the College's enforcement of the alcohol policy, while in compliance with the state law, is not realistic.

"The problem with this administration is that they have no concept of what goes on at this school," says a junior. "It appears to me that their main concern is saving their name...doing everything in the name of Harvard."

Winthrop House Allston Burr Senior Tutor Gregory Mobley, however, says that the Ad Board is in touch with college life and is primarily concern with students' health.

"The Ad Board is not a bunch of teetotalers," says Mobley. "We do have a vital interest in keeping everyone safe until they grow up."

"In fact, much of what the Ad Board does is to find a way to work within the rules of the College to help students," he says.

A first-year says the College can best serve its students by being honest regarding its policy on medical confidentiality.

"They have to tell you one way or another, but it has to be the truth," he says.

"I hope people are re-thinking their behavior [these are] not new policies [but] I certainly intend to remind students of what these policies are."  --Dean of Harvard College Harry R. Lewis '68Crimson File Photo

"Our first concern remains the health and safety of everyone in the community, including those who inappropriately use alcohol," Nathans writes. "We remain committed then to making the most appropriate response in a given circumstance; often, that response is through medical attention or substance use counseling."

But some students say they are concerned with the College's approach to dealing with alcohol on campus.

They say that the current policy provides a disincentive for students who want to seek medical attention when drunk.

Drunk at UHS

Students interviewed about their experiences bringing intoxicated friends to UHS say they found out what proctors and tutors have told them about the alcohol policy has not always been true.

"I've been told....not to worry about having disciplinary action taken against you [for taking someone to UHS], said a junior who, along with her friends, was ad boarded after bringing one friend to the emergency room. "Because of this situation...a lot of us are skeptical about bringing people into UHS from now on."

But Lewis says that such experiences are consistent with the advice provided by College officials like proctors and tutors.

"The practice has been that a person who was brought to health services for medical care because of the fact that they were drunk will not be sanctioned for drinking," the dean says. "That does not say anything about anybody else who may have given them alcohol and what may have happened along the way."

"We don't sanction students for bringing persons to the hospital," Lewis says. "We sanction students who serve alcohol to underage drinkers."

Lewis adds that there is no written policy or set procedure for dealing with students who have been found to be drinking only after being hospitalized at UHS.

But Matt B. Hillis '96, a co-director of Alcohol and Drug Dialogue (ADD), says the College policy on serving alcohol does not mean students who bring their friends to UHS should be punished.

"We know that disciplinary action will result if you serve an underage drinker, but bringing a student to UHS shouldn't cause that," says Hillis. ADD is a student-run UHS committee that aims to inform students about alcohol-related issues.

Director of UHS David S. Rosenthal '59 says his hospital's policy precludes it from divulging medical information to the College administration.

"We don't relinquish anything to the Ad Board," says Rosenthal. "We are not administrators, we are health care providers...[and] we are not involved with the police, the dean's office or the tutors."

Still, somehow the College seems to know when a student has been to UHS. In some cases proctors are informed by the students themselves, but there also have been circumstances where students say they didn't tell any University officials.

One junior says he brought a drunk friend to UHS and later found out that the Ad Board was considering their case.

"I heard of [the incident] a few days later," the junior says of the female friend he dropped off at UHS. "She told us that...the administration was aware of what happened and was considering disciplinary action, which was a surprise to us because we assumed that when you bring someone to UHS it remains confidential."

Rosenthal says he is concerned some students may be reluctant to bring their dangerously drunk peers to UHS.

"I really fear that...if students don't bring their fellow students in [to UHS] we are going to have real problems on the campus," Rosenthal says.

"Ordinarily taking a student to UHS should not result in disciplinary action," says Hillis. "We recognize the reality of the problem of binge drinking at college and want to help people, not turn them away."

Some students, weary of worrying about administrative action, have begun to take their drunk friends to local hospitals instead of UHS.

But Rosenthal and Hillis say that the Mt. Auburn Hospital and the Cambridge Hospitals do not provide a better alternative.

"If you go to the Mt. Auburn Hospital or the Cambridge Hospital, not only will you get a bill, but your parents could get notified," Rosenthal says. "The type of care you are putting yourself into is going to be acute medicine care.... You are going to be next to all sorts of issues."

But while Rosenthal still advocates UHS as the safest haven for an underage drunk, Lewis says the College cannot ignore abuses of its rules and federal laws.

"We're watching to see what happens...any place where people are drinking," Lewis says. "We know our students are involved in abusive levels of drinking."

One junior says she understands the the College needs to enforce its alcohol policy, but her experience with UHS and administrative board has convinced her that the College may be harming its students with its current procedures.

"I don't have a problem with an alcohol policy, and I don't have a problem with the fact that because it's state law they can't condone drinking, and they are trying to make some sort of precedent," the junior says. "[But breaching medical confidentiality] is the most dangerous thing the school could do."

Currier House Allston Burr Senior Tutor John D. Stubbs Jr. '80 says it is important that students feel comfortable bringing friends to seek medical attention.

"The objective is to try to find a way where people can act responsibly and not fear repercussions for having done so," Stubbs says.

Alcohol Policy

When Henry Wechsler, a lecturer at the School of Public Health, released his 1990 national study findings that 44 percent of college students binge drink, college administrators were reminded that alcohol remained a danger on campuses nationwide.

"The Wechsler study made university administrators everywhere acutely aware of the dangers, particularly of binge drinking among students of college age, and of the behavioral problems that accompany binge drinking" Nathans writes in an e-mail letter.

Wechsler's study, which defines binge drinking as consuming five drinks (four for women) at least once every two weeks on a single occasion, emphasizes the behavioral aspects of heavy drinking.

"Wechsler's work also made people (not just at Harvard) more acutely aware of how much fallout there is from binge drinking: in inconvenience to students, in inconvenience to roommates and friends, in violence and sexual assault, etc.," Nathans writes. "The College of course continues to hold students responsible for their behavior."

But beyond increasing awareness of the effects of drinking among students, some College officials say they have seen intensified enforcement of the alcohol policy.

"The College as a whole is under greater scrutiny by the state and federal enforcement agencies, and I think the University has been forced to follow the rules more closely than it has in the past," says Karel F. Liem, the master of Dunster House.

Liem says much of the increased pressure to enforce college rules has come from the attention the federal government has paid to alcohol policies.

"The government wants better compliance from the colleges all over the United States that seem to have been islands where internal rules were observed rather than federal rules," Liem says. "Any gathering that serves alcohol will have to be supervised more closely."

But Lowell House Master William H. Bossert '59 says he has not detected any change in the alcohol policy.

"Dean Lewis is very concerned about this problem and perhaps he has stated his concerns publicly more than [former Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57]." Bossert says.

Bossert says some students' perception that the alcohol policy is suddenly harsher can be attributed to its more visible treatment by the College.

"You are seeing a more outward statement of the policy," Bossert says. "The law is the law and we are trying to live within the law.... I don't think we've ever tried not to."

Evaluating the Policy

Mather House Allston Burr Senior Tutor Mary K. Peckham says house masters and senior tutors have been working to formulate more consistent policies between the individual houses.

"We are making an effort to be somewhat more consistent, and I guess in the student's mind that probably translates into more harsh," Peckham says.

For example, Peckham says, the houses hope to formulate a more consistent policy regarding "stein clubs."

"Everyone is striving for consistency and humanity in this," Peckham says. "It's not a desire to ruin students' social life, but to be in compliance with the law and to encourage safe socializing on campus."

Alcohol policy for first years is administered only through the Freshman Dean's Office.

"In the Yard, the policy has always been the same since the change in the legal drinking age," Nathans writes.

Crime and Punishment

Some students say the College's enforcement of the alcohol policy, while in compliance with the state law, is not realistic.

"The problem with this administration is that they have no concept of what goes on at this school," says a junior. "It appears to me that their main concern is saving their name...doing everything in the name of Harvard."

Winthrop House Allston Burr Senior Tutor Gregory Mobley, however, says that the Ad Board is in touch with college life and is primarily concern with students' health.

"The Ad Board is not a bunch of teetotalers," says Mobley. "We do have a vital interest in keeping everyone safe until they grow up."

"In fact, much of what the Ad Board does is to find a way to work within the rules of the College to help students," he says.

A first-year says the College can best serve its students by being honest regarding its policy on medical confidentiality.

"They have to tell you one way or another, but it has to be the truth," he says.

"I hope people are re-thinking their behavior [these are] not new policies [but] I certainly intend to remind students of what these policies are."  --Dean of Harvard College Harry R. Lewis '68Crimson File Photo