February 2013
Dear Rising Seniors:
As many of you know, we instituted TIPS for alcohol-allowed housing in 2011. The purpose of this
program was to reduce the number of underage students being served alcohol in alcohol-allowed
residences and to reduce the overall “high-risk” drinking incidents in alcohol-allowed housing.
After a year and a half of utilizing TIPS for residents of alcohol-allowed housing we conducted a costbenefit analysis to determine the impact of the program, relative to the cost of managing it. While we
saw some gains, they were not significant and the cost – in student and staff time – was significant.
Furthermore, we surveyed those who participated in TIPS (and will do so again in a few months) to get
their thoughts on how the program impacted their decision making and whether or not they believed it
was worthwhile. While there were many positive comments and recommendations on how to use TIPS
differently, a majority of the comments indicated that students already had the knowledge base TIPS
provided. In other words, WE HEARD YOU and are determining different ways to utilize the program
more effectively in 2013-2014.
Effective for Fall 2013, TIPS will no longer be required for students entering alcohol-allowed housing.
We will be offering a variation of the program to designated populations and potentially as an
educational tool for those students who violate college alcohol policies related to hosting. It is our hope
that with the Fall 2011 institution of AlcoholEdu for first year students and other educational programs
in effect or planned, we will see a drop in alcohol violations for all students and particularly those who
have the privilege of living in alcohol-allowed housing.
We strive to create a safe and enjoyable environment on campus, as well as to respond to student
feedback. Our goal is to educate and empower students and then give them the opportunity to make
good decisions without our intervention. As students entering alcohol-allowed housing, we trust that
you will enjoy this privilege responsibly and demonstrate that additional interventions are no longer
necessary.
Sincerely,
Dr. Miki Cammarata and Dr. Patrick Chang
Associate Vice Presidents for Student Affairs