Alcohol violation notification policies at Va. schools vary

Virginia Tech students used to get a break for a minor infraction involving underage drinking. They could be caught with a can of beer in a residence hall, for example, and not worry about their parents finding out.

But subsequent offenses could result in suspension with parents caught unaware and demanding, "why didn't you tell me there was a problem before?" said Edward Spencer, Tech's vice president for student affairs.

So last month, Tech told students that the university now will inform their parents of all violations -- a policy change that Spencer said reflects the increased level of parental involvement for this "tethered generation" of students.

While university policies on alcohol violations vary across Virginia, most take advantage of an amendment to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, that allows for parental notification.

Virginia Commonwealth University and Longwood University contact parents or guardians about each offense.

Christopher Newport University, a "dry" school that does not allow alcohol consumption by students over 21 on campus, goes a step further: Students are required to write a letter home telling their parents what happened.

At the University of Virginia, it depends on the severity of the incident whether parents are notified. Virginia State University does not contact parents, although the policy is under review, a spokesman said.

The University of Richmond also does not routinely call parents unless the student has been hospitalized for alcohol consumption or there's a pattern of drinking that raises concerns.

At issue for the universities is whether to view students as full-fledged adults who are accountable for their actions, or recognize they're in a somewhat awkward, in-between age with many gray areas about their status.

"I've been through three generations of students," said Spencer, who has been at Tech for 27 years.

He has seen a generational change in their parents as well. Parents of the "latch-key generation" of the 1980s weren't nearly as involved in their college-age children's lives as today's parents, who keep an "electronic tether" to their kids, he said.

Parents he has heard from are overwhelmingly happy with the change in Tech's three-strike policy, Spencer said.

Under the Tech policy, one strike for a minor offense results in probation; two strikes, which could be two minor offenses or one major offense, brings a deferred, or suspended, sanction. And three strikes results in suspension for one semester, although even one serious act could cause a student to be suspended or lose university housing.

The new notification policy means parents have an early warning of problems, but only for a narrow area as defined by the 1990s amendment to FERPA. That law protects the privacy of student records to the point that parents must have their children's permission to get their college grades.

Though FERPA allows universities to notify parents about alcohol and drug problems, the university can't tell them of other infractions that may add up to a suspension, such as thefts from the bookstore, Spencer said.

But alcohol abuse remains "one of the greatest challenges" on the nation's campuses, he said. At Tech, nearly half of all students report they take part in high-risk drinking, which is generally defined as five or more alcoholic drinks for men and four or more for women within a few hours.

It's a problem he links to the "alcohol culture" created on campus after the legal drinking age was increased to 21 by Congress in 1984 in a law that tied highway funding to compliance. Virginia, which had been gradually raising the drinking age, complied by 1987.

Spencer recalls his own undergraduate days in the 1960s when his fraternity at the University of Rochester would have wine socials with deans and vice presidents. "We had a great time together, and nobody got drunk," he said.

But getting drunk is the point of drinking on college campuses now, Spencer said. Each Monday, he gets a report of weekend incidents on campus that usually includes two to five cases of students passed out drunk in residence-hall bathrooms -- which would be a major offense.

Universities attempt to imbibe disciplinary actions in such cases with a strong shot of education.

At Longwood, which also has a three-strike policy, students must pay $50 to attend a class called First Round for the first violation. The class emphasizes decisions "they make as young adults and the consequences," said Tim Pierson, vice president for student affairs.

A second violation results in a $75 Last Call class and the knowledge that another violation will result in suspension for a semester.

It's a straightforward policy that parents and students are told about at orientation, Pierson said.

"Students monitor themselves," he said. "They know that this is how it works at Longwood."

The university notifies parents of all violations but uses a generic letter that encourages them to discuss the problem with their son or daughter, he said.

Christopher Newporttakes a different approach.

"We actually have the students write a letter to their family," said Kevin Hughes, dean of students. The letter is read to make sure it is accurate and is mailed by the university.

"It doesn't mean the student is a bad student or a bad person," Hughes said. "It just means the student didn't make a good choice that day."

The idea is to include parents or guardians in university efforts to help students succeed.

"We want to see them graduate," he said.

(Tell us what you think in the Comment section with this story: Should universities notify parents right away when their underage children get caught using alcohol or drugs?)

Contact Karin Kapsidelis at (804) 649-6119 or kkapsidelis@timesdispatch.com.