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ALCOHOL-FREE
HOUSING
Why Alcohol-Free
Housing? (Adapted
from the Alcohol-Free
Housing Alliance)
Re-Focus on
the Fraternity's Values...
College fraternities
were all founded with one goal in mind: to mentor men into becoming better
individuals. All fraternities are based on the same principles of friendship,
leadership, scholarship, community service and high standards of conduct.
The introduction of alcohol
into chapter houses in the early 1960s began a shift from an organization's
principles to a focus on becoming the social centerpiece on
campus.
Combat the Alcohol-Dominated
Culture...
University administrators
consistently agree that alcohol use is the most challenging problem to understand,
and address. According
to a CASA study, Greek housing residents drink three times as many drinks
as other students (averaging 15 drinks per week vs. five drinks per week).
The alcohol-dominated culture
on college campuses seems
to be incubated
in
organizational
settings such as athletic teams, fraternities, sororities and other
organizations that stress "teamwork."
The members
of the Alcohol-Free Housing Alliance want to be part
of the solution
and not part
of the problem; therefore, we are committed to:
- Providing an environment
more conducive to academic achievement
- Providing safer - and
cleaner - living facilities
- Reducing liability insurance
costs
- Meeting the needs of
today's college students
Alcohol-free housing is
available in the Washburn Greek system. Two fraternities and all four sororities
have alcohol-free facility policies. Many also maintain
smoke-free houses. Under these policies, members do not consume alcohol or
smoke on chapter property.
Many believe alcohol-free
housing is a new concept...it isn't. Several Greek organizations had alcohol-free
housing policies prior to 1970, and at least
one national fraternity had an alcohol-free housing policy as early as 1917.
Providing alcohol-free
housing does not mean its members do not drink. AFH chapters
hold social functions at
other
locations where alcohol is legally available from
a "third-party vendor" (e.g., bars, dance clubs, hotels,
or other special event locations). Since the organization holds these types
of events elsewhere, the
chapter house
is cleaner,
nicer,
and a quieter educational-living facility.
Some will argue pros and cons on both sides of this issue, and that is fine.
Individual policies on this issue vary from chapter to chapter. As a result,
there is a wide range of choices in living conditions available to students.
Regardless of individual
alcohol-free housing policies held by each fraternity or sorority, all organizations
are required to follow Kansas state laws governing
distribution and consumption of alcohol. To honor these laws and reduce the
risk of its members, all fraternities and sororities have comprehensive risk
management policies that are dictated from each organization's insurance
company. These policies are generally derived from a form of guidelines
called FIPG.
For more information:
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