New alcohol policy given OK by Rodin

A new alcohol policy incorporating the recommendations of the alcohol task force will be in place for the fall. University President Judith Rodin announced this week that she has approved each of the alcohol task force's recommendations, meaning that the University will have a new alcohol policy in place for the start of the upcoming school year. Rodin said Tuesday that all students will receive a copy of the new policy, which incorporates the 45 recommendations presented in late April by the provost-appointed task force, via mail or e-mail later this month. The Provost's Office is currently working with the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life, the Office of the President and the Office of the Executive Vice President to formulate a budget and identify funds for the implementation of the various initiatives, according to Provost Robert Barchi. Barchi said Tuesday that he expects the task force's recommendations to be implemented regardless of their costs. "Although fully implementing all 45 recommendations will certainly tax our resources, it is our intention that funding will not be a rate-limiting factor for implementing these recommendations," Barchi said. Among the recommendations that administrators expect to have implemented by the time students return to school next month are those calling for increased non-alcoholic social programming. Rodin cited late-night dining options, a student-run music club, the re-opening of Irvine Auditorium and enhanced alcohol education as examples of non-alcoholic social opportunities that should be available in the fall. "In September, students can expect to arrive on a campus with a more vibrant and healthful way of life," Rodin said. Other possibilities mentioned in the proposal, such as a pool hall and a video store, are considered more ambitious and are not expected on campus in the immediate future. Assistant to the Vice Provost for University Life Max King said the recommendations, though "not the solution," will "give students something other to do than drinking." In addition, University administrators expect to hire an Alcohol Coordinator -- a position designated by the task force's report as a "confidential source to address all areas of of concern related to alcohol and other drugs" -- in early September. Rodin's approval is the latest in a series of developments that dates back to late March, when Barchi appointed a committee of students, faculty members and administrators to recommend changes to Penn's previous alcohol policy. Administrators formed the committee, comprised of 14 student leaders and seven faculty and staff members, in the wake of several alcohol-related incidents within the Penn community -- most notably the death of 1994 Penn graduate Michael Tobin, who was found dead outside the Phi Gamma Delta house on March 21 after an evening spent drinking. The University-wide task force convened for five weeks and, on April 26, presented its final report to Rodin that consisted of 45 recommendations to curb alcohol abuse on campus. Specifically, the task force called for a total ban of all on-campus undergraduate registered events; a stipulation that alcohol distribution end at 1 a.m.; more educational programming; more on-campus social options; and counseling and education for alcohol violations. Rodin then began a two-month period of consultation, during which she reviewed the task force's recommendations and ultimately decided to approve each of them and recommend them for implementation. Another provost-appointed committee of students and faculty and staff members, charged with the actual implementation of the recommendations, has been meeting throughout the summer and will continue to do so during the year, Barchi said. Now, with the task force's recommendations approved, the University is preparing itself for life under a new alcohol policy. "Students should not be concerned that the new policies will drastically alter their social lives," InterFraternity Council President Mark Metzl said Tuesday. "The policies should enhance the quality of the social scene at Penn, providing more avenues for a good time as well as safety to the existing ones," said Metzl, a College senior and a member of both the alcohol task force and the implementation committee.

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