Messiah College: Alchol Policy

Update on the Messiah College Alcohol Policy Discussion

Campus Scene

Messiah College Affirms Current Student Alcohol Policy: Community Covenant standards on alcohol consumption remain the same for all students both on and off campus.

Background
At the end of the 2002-2003 academic year, the Student Government Association (SGA) presented the Messiah College administration with an alcohol policy proposal. The administration committed to reviewing the policy and responding to the proposal by the end of the 2003-2004 academic year.

The Community Standards Committee - chaired by Kris Hansen-Kieffer, dean of students, and comprised of representatives from student affairs, faculty, cocurricular educators and the Student Government Association - was delegated the task of gathering information and developing a formal response to the SGA proposal. The committee invested a significant amount of effort in the process of researching current literature about alcohol use on college and university campuses, researching and spending time at other Christian college and university campuses, surveying our own community and sifting through the various responses and opinions that have been offered by our on-campus community, as well as off-campus stakeholders such as parents and alumni. (Visit our online communication archive for a Q&A on the alcohol policy discussion that took place on campus during the 2003-04 academic year.)

The committee considered the breadth of opinions and variables related to the issues raised by the proposal, and was able to reach a clear consensus and make a set of recommendations summarized below. The committee's recommendations were considered and affirmed in May of 2004 by both the Community of Educators Senate and the College's Board of Trustees.

Summary of Decision

The current student alcohol policy, as outlined in the Student Handbook, will remain the same. The Community Standards Committee did not support the key change recommended by SGA that would allow students who are of legal drinking age to responsibly consume alcohol at off-campus venues. The Committee based their response primarily on the belief that the College's existing alcohol policy enhances the quality of Messiah's shared community life, and preserves the priority of community over the desires of individuals. As part of their process, the Committee also invited Dr. Dennis Hollinger, Vice Provost and Dean of College Ministries, to write a biblical and theological perspective on the use of alcohol, for their consideration in this decision.
Current student alcohol policy will continue to be effect during Messiah's short-term and semester-long international programs, as well as during international service and mission trips. The Community Standards Committee did recommend that the language in the Student Handbook be edited to clarify the limited situations in which the general policy does not apply, i.e. those cases where students of legal drinking age, according to the law of the land, participate in occasions consistent with the ceremonial events or rituals associated with family or host family hospitality or religious traditions. This clarification will appear in the 2004-2005 Student Handbook.

Thank you to the Messiah College community for your input and conversation related to this complex and important issue.