Penn and its various peer institutions are embarking on different paths in their common quest to make the undergraduate weekend party experience as safe as possible.
Equipped with an arsenal of training sessions, monitoring systems and alcohol restrictions, administrators across the country are trying to piece together effective party protocols for their respective schools.
"Each school does things just a little differently," Yale University College Dean Betty Trachtenberg said.
The main points of divergence among alcohol policies at various institutions generally revolve around the sanctioning of kegs and hard alcohol. Penn only allows wine and individual-sized cans or bottles of beer to be served.
Kegs and hard alcohol, which are allowed at Dartmouth College's registered parties, have not generated any noteworthy negative effects there, according to Dartmouth's coordinator of Alcohol and Drug Education, Ryan Travia.
"From the numbers we've been generating here, ... I don't think they tend to differ too much from the other Ivies," Travia said.
Penn Director of Alcohol Policy Initiatives Stephanie Ives said that Penn limits approved alcoholic beverages to only beer and wine in an attempt to deter students from binge drinking.
"Hard liquor leads to a lot of high-risk consumption," she said. "By not permitting liquor at registered events, I do think that we are reducing some of the risks associated with consuming alcohol."
Ives described the keg ban as a "national issue" for fraternities, and indeed Stanford and Cornell universities have outlawed kegs as well. In addition to Dartmouth, Duke and Yale universities both continue to allow kegs in most circumstances.
Yale only restricts kegs in the freshman-dominated "Old Campus" area.
"Since kegs imply service, and the service of alcohol is illegal [to minors], we don't have kegs on the Old Campus," Trachtenberg explained. She said that hard alcohol and kegs are not banned from campus completely, because "students are trusted to obey the rules of the state."
But with trust can come trade-offs. Though Dartmouth allows students to use kegs and hard alcohol, officials are not taking very many chances.
There is "some limitation on the amount of alcohol that is allowed at each event," Travia said. Hosts must decide to serve either mixed drinks, beer or wine and are then allowed an appropriate amount of alcohol, as determined by the administration.
"They're allotted a certain number of kegs ... based on the number of people coming and the individual history" of the organization, Travia said.
Dartmouth students often complain that the officially determined portions are not reasonable -- at times preventing fraternities from having enough kegs to even provide each brother one drink.
Penn's policy recommends that hosts have about four drinks on hand for every of-age guest, but Ives stressed that it is "not a mandated clause," because it is often difficult to estimate party size in advance.
Party monitors, which are common at many schools, are also assigned based on the number of guests expected.
At Penn, any organization throwing a party must appoint one sober host per 50 guests. At Duke, the ratio is one for every 25.
Ives said that she generally meets with the sober hosts before the event to review her expectations for their behavior. She also encourages fraternity chapters to attend training sessions.
At many other schools, educational workshops are required for those who want to throw parties.
Students "have to be certified to be party planners on campus," Stanford Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Program Manager Ralph Castro said of the hour-and-a-half-long workshop that the Stanford Office of Student Activities hosts throughout the year.
Penn does not require hosts to attend educational programs, but it does mandate that its alcohol monitors do.
Alcohol monitors patrol registered parties on any given weekend to make sure that protocol is being followed. They also report suspicions of unregistered parties on campus.
"When alcohol monitors observe an event that appears to be an alcohol-related party at a chapter house on campus, they write up a form called the unregistered event form," Ives said.
Usually, the reports are handled by the InterFraternity Council, which has its own judicial boards.
"There are consequences" for not registering a party, Director of the Office of Student Conduct Michele Goldfarb said. She said that houses have frequently been sanctioned for violating the registered party clause of the alcohol policy.
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and the InterFraternity Council have jurisdiction to fine houses or impose punishments for these infractions.
Penn's rules for registered parties
All hosts of on-campus events serving alcohol must register with the University and agree to the following stipulations. Hard alcohol: No hard alcohol can be served. Kegs: Kegs are not allowed. Limits: Alcohol may not be served after 1 a.m., and drinks should be limited to four per guest. Wristbands: Hosts must identify students and provide wristbands to those over 21. Door monitor: It is recommended that there be outside security, but a door guard of some kind is required.
