Spring Break
ASG faces resignations; org receives alcohol abuse update
Senators receive updates on task force recommendation implementations
Kellyn Moran, Campus Editor
Issue date: 11/10/06 Section: Campus
The chair of the President's Task Force on Alcohol Abuse Prevention, Jeff Potteiger, updated Associated Student Government (ASG) Tuesday with a report outlining what parts of the recommendation have already been implemented and which parts are in the development phase.
"Some of the recommendations can be implemented quickly, others (have to be implemented) over time," Potteiger said.
Potteiger emphasized to senators that the final report recommended a combination of policies and changes be put in place, which can transform Miami's social culture only if they are all implemented.
"You can't pick (proposals) that don't cost a lot of money or ones that aren't student-centered," Potteiger said. "In order to be effective, you have to take them as a whole."
In his presentation, Potteiger presented statistics that compared Miami's alcohol abuse problem to benchmark institutions.
One issue that makes Miami's situation unique is the percentage of undergraduate students who come to the university having already established drinking behaviors. The percentage of freshmen students who claim they frequently or occasionally drank beer during their senior year has stayed around 64 percent over the last decade for Miami while it has decreased from 55 to 44 percent at benchmark institutions over the same time period.
Potteiger said that this data shows that there is a group of students who come to Miami with certain behaviors already set. Potteiger also said that some students use alcohol as a way to treat their problems.
"Some students are self-medicating and their medicine of choice is alcohol," Potteiger said.
Potteiger pointed out that drinking arrests on all college campuses rose to 34,393 last year. He said that this can either be due to increased drinking or increased law enforcement.
While some of the task force's proposals to remedy this problem have been put in place, committees have been formed in some instances to look at implementing other policies in the near future.
"Some of the recommendations can be implemented quickly, others (have to be implemented) over time," Potteiger said.
Potteiger emphasized to senators that the final report recommended a combination of policies and changes be put in place, which can transform Miami's social culture only if they are all implemented.
"You can't pick (proposals) that don't cost a lot of money or ones that aren't student-centered," Potteiger said. "In order to be effective, you have to take them as a whole."
In his presentation, Potteiger presented statistics that compared Miami's alcohol abuse problem to benchmark institutions.
One issue that makes Miami's situation unique is the percentage of undergraduate students who come to the university having already established drinking behaviors. The percentage of freshmen students who claim they frequently or occasionally drank beer during their senior year has stayed around 64 percent over the last decade for Miami while it has decreased from 55 to 44 percent at benchmark institutions over the same time period.
Potteiger said that this data shows that there is a group of students who come to Miami with certain behaviors already set. Potteiger also said that some students use alcohol as a way to treat their problems.
"Some students are self-medicating and their medicine of choice is alcohol," Potteiger said.
Potteiger pointed out that drinking arrests on all college campuses rose to 34,393 last year. He said that this can either be due to increased drinking or increased law enforcement.
While some of the task force's proposals to remedy this problem have been put in place, committees have been formed in some instances to look at implementing other policies in the near future.
