Q & A: Messiah College Alcohol Policy Discussion

In the spring of 2003, the Messiah College Student Government Association (SGA) submitted a proposal to the College's senior administration recommending clarification of and changes to Messiah's current student alcohol policy. In response, the administration is currently coordinating a campus conversation and decision-making process, facilitated by Kris Hansen-Kieffer, Vice Provost and Dean of Students, regarding SGA's proposed changes. The Q&A below outlines anticipated questions and interest that the broader campus community may have in the current dialogue and process related to this issue:

What is Messiah's current alcohol policy?
Messiah's current policy prohibits the manufacture, possession, use, or distribution of alcohol by all students (including students of legal drinking age) both on and off campus when enrolled in course work, when living in College housing, when engaged in a College activity, when representing the College, or when intersecting with anyone affiliated with the College. Messiah's Community Covenant also discusses prohibitions about the use of alcoholic beverages, related most clearly to concerns about personal well being and the spiritual mandate to care for our bodies. The Community Covenant is also clear that drunkenness is a sinful practice to be avoided.

Sanctions for violating the policy may range from a letter of reprimand to expulsion, depending on individual circumstances. For students who have an alcohol-related problem that may be alleviated through counseling, the College deals with those students through the counseling process, rather than through the disciplinary process, if the student requests help voluntarily.

What would stay the same under SGA's proposed alcohol policy?
Under SGA's proposed policy, the following key commitments remain unchanged:

• That Messiah College remain an alcohol-free campus;
  
• That illegal drinking not be tolerated under any circumstances;
  
• That drunkenness not be tolerated;
  
• That all students would abide by the law of the land;
  
• That sanctions for violation of alcohol policy will continue to be consistently enforced;
  
• That Messiah will continue to actively educate students about alcohol-related issues and decisions.

What could change under SGA's proposed alcohol policy?
The key change could be that Messiah College students who are of legal drinking age, i.e. 21 or older, may choose to drink responsibly at off-campus venues - with the exception of off-campus college-owned property, residential or satellite housing, or off-campus college-sponsored events . (Click here to read SGA's proposal in its entirety.)

What motivated the Student Government Association to propose changes to Messiah's current alcohol policy?
The Student Government Association (SGA) has made it clear that their proposal is not to be interpreted as a means of encouraging students to consume or possess alcohol. Rather, it recognizes that there is no biblical mandate for abstinence when it comes to this particular matter. SGA has expressed that it is seeking to clarify the College's alcohol policy and reduce the current levels of confusion surrounding its meaning. The students in SGA have also expressed that the zero-tolerance nature of the current policy makes it difficult for the college community to openly discuss issues related to alcohol and its consumption. The students' stated goal is that the new policy will better enable members of the college community to openly educate one another and to think critically as Christians about what it means to drink responsibly and the dangers of drunkenness.

Is there broader student support for this proposal?
SGA conducted a preliminary telephone survey in November 2002 to determine students' opinions on changing the alcohol policy (734 students, or about 25 percent of the student body participated). The phone survey warranted further research due to the wide variety of responses. In the spring of 2003, SGA sponsored an open forum and alternative chapel to gauge student opinion. At that forum, students expressed support for changing the alcohol policy, encouraging SGA to pursue an additional survey. SGA then implemented a week-long student referendum which ran from March 31-April 4, 2003. This resulted in a vote in which 1,238 students participated (about 43 percent of the student body). Of these students, 816 (66% of respondents) were in favor of SGA's proposed policy and 422 students (34% of respondents) were opposed to the change.

What type of research did SGA undertake when developing their proposal?
In addition to the telephone survey, alternate chapel, and written referendum described above, SGA also conducted a comprehensive review of alcohol policies at other Christian colleges and universities.

Are there other Christian colleges and universities that have policies similar to the one proposed by SGA?
Yes, there are several, including: Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, Va.); Gordon College (Wenham, Mass.); Geneva College (Beaver Falls, Pa.); and Westmont College (Santa Barbara, Calif.).

Would the new alcohol policy allow students to drink alcohol when they are traveling outside of the U.S. to participate in study abroad or cross-cultural programs?
The SGA proposal recommends that students who are of legal drinking age, according to the laws of the nation they are visiting, be permitted to drink responsibly. This student recommendation, however, will be carefully reviewed by the External Programs Office, which oversees the College's study abroad and cross-cultural curriculum, so that it may be evaluated in context of the broader educational objectives and special considerations of those programs.

What decision-making process will the College use to evaluate SGA's proposed alcohol policy?
The College's administration is committed to carefully considering SGA's proposed alcohol policy and has established a process for doing so which has been affirmed by the Board of Trustees. In accordance with the College's governance structure, the proposal has been submitted to the Community Standards Committee that is chaired by Kris Hansen-Kieffer, Vice Provost/Dean of Students, and is made up of several Student Affairs directors, two faculty members, two co-curricular educators and two SGA representatives. The role of the Community Standards Committee is to gather facts about the alcohol policy and make a recommendation to the Community of Educators (COE) Senate, comprised of faculty and co-curricular educators, which will ultimately vote on the proposal and make a recommendation to the College's president and provost for a final decision.

How will College decision-makers evaluate the merits of the proposal?
In order for the Community Standards Committee to write an informed recommendation to the Community of Educators (COE) Senate, information and perspectives will be gathered from constituents of the COE (made of up faculty and co-curricular educators), and administrative department directors. In addition to engaging the campus community, the Community Standards committee will be corresponding with other Christian colleges that have alcohol policies similar to those suggested by the SGA.

At the end of September 2003, a subcommittee of the Community Standards Committee began their fact finding mission at Gordon College. Gordon College in Wenham, MA is one of several CCCU schools that have the alcohol policy that SGA is proposing. The subcommittee consisted of Hansen-Kieffer, Doug Wood, Director of Community Development, Rhonda Good, Interim Associate Dean for Residence Education and Lauren D'Aquino, SGA Representative. The subcommittee spent a day at Gordon talking to their administration, faculty and students about their campus environment, especially in relation to alcohol use. In October, the subcommittee submitted a report about their findings to the Community Standards Committee.

In November 2003, Hansen-Kieffer and the members of the Community Standards Committee will compose a survey to be sent to the Community of Educators (COE) and administrative department chairs and will process the data throughout the remainder of the fall semester.

In spring of 2004, several town hall meetings will be held for Messiah employees to voice their opinions and hear the opinions of others. After reviewing this cumulative feedback, sometime later in the spring semester, the Community Standards Committee will make one of three recommendations to the COE Senate: (1) the SGA proposal will be endorsed as it was submitted (2) the SGA proposal will be modified (3) the SGA proposal will not be endorsed. After COE Senate speaks to and votes on the recommendation, President Sawatsky and Provost Phipps will be asked to give final approval.

Who will make the final decision on the proposed alcohol policy?
In accordance with the process described above, the Community of Educators (COE) Senate will vote on the proposal and make a recommendation to President Rodney Sawatsky and Provost Kim Phipps for their final approval.

When is the College planning to make a decision? When would any changes to the current policy take effect?
The College's goal is to process and make a final recommendation by the end of the 2003-2004 academic year. In the event of a policy change, the new policy would be implemented in the 2004-2005 academic year. SGA recommends that the new policy, if passed, be implemented on a one-year trial basis, with a comprehensive evaluation at the end of that time.

What type of alcohol-related education does Messiah offer to students?
Current alcohol education is offered from several different campus offices, including the Office of Community Development, Engle Center for Counseling and Health, the Department of Safety, and Residence Education. This education is delivered in the form of co-curricular programs, health fairs, and screenings. These alcohol programs address issues such as the chemical effects of alcohol on the body, genetic risk factors and negative aspects of abuse, and a biblical perspective on alcohol. Students are not mandated to attend these proactive programs. (In some cases, students may receive chapel credit). But there are mandated alcohol education sessions for students who have violated current College alcohol standards. Additionally, a Drug and Alcohol Addiction class is offered for students through the Criminal Justice concentration of the Sociology major.

How would this be impacted if the new policy goes into effect?
If the policy were changed, enhanced educational programs including the personnel to coordinate these programs would likely be part of the recommendation.

Would changes to the student alcohol policy impact the employee alcohol policy?
SGA's proposal encouraged the College's administration to consider reviewing and clarifying the employee alcohol policy as well. The Community Standards Committee, the College governing body which is currently reviewing SGA's proposal, is seeking to develop, as a result of this process, a comprehensive alcohol policy that would serve as a community-wide standard for both students and employees.

Who may I contact if I have further questions?
If you have questions related to the process and campus conversation on this issue, you may contact Kris Hansen-Kieffer, Vice Provost/Dean of Students.