As Dean of Students, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning and Executive Director of University Health Services, we encourage faculty, teaching assistants and staff to join the Alcohol Task Force and faculty/staff presenters for Alcohol and Our Learning Environment: A Symposium for Faculty and Staff — October 14, 2008, 8:30am-1:30pm, On Wisconsin Room – Red Gym.

The Symposium is designed to provide tools for engaging students in critical thinking about alcohol on campus, and to facilitate planning of future campus-wide responses to alcohol- related issues.  The need to address excessive drinking is especially important with first year students, who may mistakenly believe excess is the norm as they enter, in their words, a “party school”.  Data collected by our campus PACE High Risk Drinking Project shows that 67 percent of students have had studying or sleep interrupted because of another student’s behavior related to drinking. Twenty-nine percent have missed class as a result of drinking and 25 percent report falling behind in academic work.   Some effects are more pronounced for first year students, who are more likely to get into trouble with campus or local police and to be hurt or injured. Student alcohol abuse also affects the relationship between our campus and the broader community, as excessively intoxicated students require police and emergency medical services, cause property damage and raise questions about the responsibility of the citizens we are cultivating. Involvement and leadership from faculty and staff are needed to address the impact on our learning environment.

To register for this event, please see the attached agenda with a link to registration, or click on the link below:

www.ohrd.wisc.edu/OHRDCatalogPortal/Default.aspx?tabid=29&CourseKey = 22097

Lori M. Berquam, Dean of Students
Aaron M. Brower, Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning
Sarah Van Orman, Executive Director, University Health Services