Over the last year, Portland State has seen a consistent increase in the amount of drug and alcohol violations in on-campus housing. And according to Clery crime statistics—a report produced annually by all U.S. colleges and universities—liquor law and drug law violations on the PSU campus have been on the rise.
Over the last year, Portland State has seen a consistent increase in the amount of drug and alcohol violations in on-campus housing. And according to Clery crime statistics—a report produced annually by all U.S. colleges and universities—liquor law and drug law violations on the PSU campus have been on the rise.
“The Clery statistics are gathered from a variety of sources, including university officials, the Portland Police Bureau and Campus Public Safety,” said Philip Zerzan, director of Portland State’s Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO).
“For an offense to qualify as an alcohol or drug offense in the Clery statistics, it must involve a violation of the law that results in either an arrest or a referral for disciplinary procedure,” Zerzan said.
In 2008, there were 203 liquor law referrals on campus, resulting in 4 arrests; in 2010, there were 363 referrals and 14 arrests. Of the 363 liquor law referrals, 100 percent of them occurred in PSU’s residence halls.
Last year, 100 percent of the 164 drug law referrals also occurred in the residence halls. The number of drug law referrals has almost tripled since 2008, when there were 58 total drug law referrals and 50 referrals in on-campus housing.
This year, Residence Life has introduced a new aspect to the consequences of a liquor law violation. “Under The Influence” is a tier one preventative program that uses an online module to educate users about the risks involved with excessive, illegal or dangerous alcohol consumption.
Statistics gathered by Third Millennium Classrooms, the provider of the Under The Influence program, show that 80 percent of students who took the course considered it “interesting and helpful.” Additionally,
77 percent of students who took the course said it would help them avoid future problems with alcohol.
“It has a lot of educational components to it, to show what alcohol is doing to your body,” said Nachel Glynn, the conduct coordinator for Residence Life and the staff member who proposed utilizing the Under The Influence program at PSU. Statistics based on when you started drinking and how much you reported drinking show what kind of risk factors you’re facing, Glynn said.
The numbers at PSU remain high when compared to those of other urban universities, such as the University of Chicago. In 2010 there were 13 disciplinary referrals for alcohol in University of Chicago residence halls; its student body—approximately 15,000 students—is about half the size of PSU’s.
Boston University is an urban university with about 30,000 students—a number comparable to enrollment figures at PSU. In 2009, BU had 421 liquor and 33 drug law referrals in its residence halls. The university’s 2010 Clery report had not been released at press time.
While 76 percent of BU students live on campus, according to Boston University student housing statistics, only 6.7 percent of PSU students live in residence halls.
The statistics may not be as shocking as they first appear. “Alcohol violation,” for example, is an umbrella term that ranges from possessing an empty beer can to being suspected of being under the influence to drinking in public.
Violations issued by PSU can also include being present in the midst of underage drinking. Additionally, arrests on campus may include non-students.
PSU, like many other universities, prefers to run students through its own disciplinary method rather than turn violators over to the penal system.
“We want [students] to learn and grow, to become positive members of our communities,” Glynn said. “I try to tailor-make a sanction that can help them grow academically, professionally or personally in their wellness.”
This is standard policy across the large majority of college campuses, according to Glynn.
Across the nation, colleges turn to resident assistants and campus security rather than police to handle any illegal activity on campus.
Resident assistants at PSU are trained in a vigorous program. This year, PSU increased the duration of the training program from one week to two. Resident assistants are trained by members of the CPSO, the Queer Resource Center and the Women’s Resource Center.
Students who attend PSU and break policies are subject to a hearing and if found guilty, are issued a warning. Additionally, a sanction including fees, writing a paper or creating a poster can be issued. Sanctions are determined on a case-by-case basis.
PSU policy states that for a drug or alcohol offense, “the first violation will result in a $50 fee, a second violation of the same or similar nature will result in a $75 fee, and the fee will increase by an additional $25 for each subsequent violation of the same or similar nature.”
