Alcohol Policy

Listed below are the standards of the Calvin College community regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. The context for these community standards is that Calvin College expects all students to comply with the state of Michigan laws about alcoholic beverages. In the state of Michigan, persons under the age of 21 shall not purchase, consume, or possess alcoholic beverages. In addition, it is against Michigan law to sell or furnish alcoholic beverages to persons under 21 years of age.

The goal of the community is that students will make responsible choices about whether or not to use alcoholic beverages. A responsible choice will vary from individual to individual. Because most Calvin students are under the legal drinking age, their choices should be abstinence; for those of legal drinking age, it may be moderation. Some will choose abstinence to honor personal commitments. The laws of the state of Michigan and the community standards ought to guide student decisions about alcoholic beverage use. Students who fail to respect these laws and standards risk the sanctions of this community.

Possession and Consumption

Calvin College prohibits the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on campus and in extended campus activities. The college also expects students who are underage to comply with state of Michigan laws regarding the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic Containers

Calvin College prohibits the possession of full or empty alcoholic beverage containers anywhere on campus, including vehicles.

Drunkenness

Calvin College expects students of legal drinking age who choose to drink alcoholic beverages to be moderate in their consumption. Any consumption of alcoholic beverages by any age student that results in impairment or intoxication is a violation of community standards.

Hosting Responsibilities

Calvin College expects students of legal drinking age who choose to serve alcoholic beverages to student guests on off-campus settings to be responsible in their hospitality. It is a violation of both Michigan law and community standards to serve alcoholic beverages to underage guests or to require any guests to pay a cover charge for admission to the host’s residence. It is a violation of community standards to allow student guests 21 years of age or older to drink alcoholic beverages excessively.

Enforcing Alcohol Policy

RAs become aware of a policy violation in a number of ways. Sometimes you will hear of a violation from a fellow RA, at times you will hear of a violation from another resident, and other times you will stumble upon a violation in progress. Listed below are several typical situations and the steps you will most likely need to take.

If...others report to you about a student’s alcohol consumption after the fact

This is hearsay and you should:

Evaluate the reliability of the source.
Process through the conversation with your RD/AC before you approach the student.
Challenge the student on their behavior if you have a relationship with them.
Inform RD/AC about the conversation –Tell the student you will doing this if you have a relationship with them.

Inform your supervisor about the information and about the conversation if applicable. Tell the student this if you have a relationship and have a conversation with them.

If...the student reports their personal behavior to you after the fact

This is self-disclosure and you should:

Affirm student’s decision to report their behavior.
Inform RD/AC about the conversation. Tell student you will be doing this.

A “self-disclosure” like this may call for intervention, conversation, or follow-up from RD, but all fines and conduct sanctions are waived.

If...a student returns to campus under the influence

Talk to student to evaluate the level of intoxication and inform the student that you smell alcohol (or observe a behavior that suggests alcohol use) and are obligated to notify Campus Safety.

Contact Campus Safety and they will administer a breathalyzer test.
Stay with the student until Campus Safety arrives.

If...student(s) are found in possession of alcohol on campus

Confront incident.
If you suspect recent alcohol consumption, contact Campus Safety.
While you wait for campus safety, take the names & ID #s of those present, even if they were not drinking.
Before you leave, take ALL alcohol.
1. Empty open containers in view of residents.
2. Take empty and unopened alcohol containers to RD/AC office.

If...you encounter a violation off-campus

You have a duty to report off-campus alcohol uses if you know those drinking are underage. Not doing so sends the wrong message.
See “Guidelines for RAs and off-campus alcohol” sheet on the next page.

Guidelines for RAs and Off-Campus Alcohol Situations

Avoid off-campus situations where alcohol will be present, particularly if underage or excessive consumption is possible.

If you are invited to an off-campus gathering, clarify with the host whether there will be alcohol present. If yes, clarify the preventative measures they will take so that no under-age consumption will take place and inform them of your obligation as a staff member to report violations. Then decide if you will attend, considering point #1.

If you attend an off-campus gathering, where alcohol is present:
1. Do not drink yourself if you are underage.
2. Do not drink to excess if you are 21 or older.
  1. What is excess? Bringing your BAC to .08 or above.
  2. A helpful chart is below to help determine your individual BAC based on your sex, weight, number of drinks, and time elapsed.
  3. Do not, under any circumstances, be in the presence of underage drinking.
If you unexpectedly find yourself at a gathering where underage drinking is present:

1. Leave the scene immediately. You can explain to the host over the phone why you had to exit.
2. Tell your supervisor about what happened.
3. If you saw underage people you know drinking, tell your supervisor this as well. There may be some follow-up conversations warranted.
If you are present when underage drinking (or drug use at any age) is occurring and you do nothing, you are in effect "complicit" in the violation, sending the wrong message to the students about you, about RAs in general, and about our policies. Intentional complicity could affect your job status. This is why point #1 is the first point.

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