Spectrum - Volume 21 Issue 13 November 19, 1998 - Committee forwards alcohol policy to BOV

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Committee forwards alcohol policy to BOV

By Clara B. Cox

Spectrum Volume 21 Issue 13 - November 19, 1998

The Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Visitors voted to forward a resolution endorsing Virginia Tech's plan for addressing under-age and binge drinking by students to the full board during the committee's meeting on November 9.
The committee expressed concern with the parental-notification aspect of the plan, which involves notifying parents of both under-age and legal-age students when students incur a first major alcohol-related offense or a second minor alcohol-related offense, asking what would happen to students who do not have good relationships with their parents.
"We'll do what we've always done when we notify parents. We'll talk to the student first to get an understanding of his or her relationship with the parents and determine the best way to minimize any adverse relationship," Landrum L. Cross, vice president for student affairs, told the group. The approach, he said, could be that the student would call his or her parents first or the judicial system would call the parents before the official notification letter is mailed to them.
Regarding parental notification of legal-age students, Cross said the university is not differentiating between dependents and non-dependents pursuant to the federal legislation making notification possible. "We really want to keep the focus on high-risk drinking. Dependency is a secondary consideration," he said.
Cross reminded the committee the university's plan will be reviewed annually. "This is our opening plan. Everyone should expect us to modify it as we go along. We will be open to suggestions at the next edition of the plan to consider the dependency issue."
The committee also heard reports on the Corps of Cadets from Maj. Gen. Stanton R. Musser, commandant of cadets; on use of the recreational facilities in McComas Student Health and Fitness Center from David Ostroth, assistant vice president for student affairs; and on the Schiffert Health Center from Paul Farrier, associate director of the center.