The changes are the result of recommendations by the SEMP Review Committee headed by former Dean of the College James Larimore, which finished its two year existence last spring. The committee included members of the Classes of 2005 and 2006, Safety and Security Proctor Harry Kinne and various College administrators.
Joe Cassidy, the SEMP committee's chair, director of the Collis Center and Associate Dean of Student Life, said that the committee realized that groups had tails events but that SEMP policy did not cover it.
"There were organizations that were holding cocktails and there really wasn't anything in SEMP procedures that allowed it, so we needed to put it into SEMP policy to allow students to do it safely," Cassidy said.
Ben Robbins '08, Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity's social co-chair, said that he welcomed the change from a safety perspective.
"There's going to be more [Safety and Security] knowledge of how to keep students safer without impinging on them, which is cool," Robbins said.
Heather Strack '07, Sigma Delta's social co-chair, agreed that the tails SEMP change was a step in the right direction but added that she wished current students could have some say in the changes.
"[A two-year committee that decides] the alcohol policy for an indiscernible amount of time is ignorant to the fact that our community needs are constantly changing," Strack said.
There is no ongoing committee currently operating, nor are there any plans to form one in the near future, according to Cassidy.
Cassidy responded to the suggestion that the committee should have continued to meet by noting that the SEMP recommendations have only recently been implemented.
"You've got to put [the SEMP changes] out there, say here's what it is, let it operate for a while and see how it plays out," Cassidy said.
Robbins criticized another aspect of the changes, noting that because CFS organizations can only register one event with alcohol every 12 hours, an organization can't register tails and then have a registered party afterwards.
"What we heard was that most organizations have tails and then they're pretty tapped," Cassidy said. "From a health and safety point of view, if you've had tails for a couple of hours and then you have more drinking? Should you be drinking this long? Will your members be able to organize this event?"
Robbins also noted that organizations are only permitted to have one source of alcohol at a time, meaning that a house that had tails could not have beer or wine afterwards.
"The killer for tails is that with this one-source thing, you can't have tails and then have a party," Robbins said.
Pre-mixed drinks or "punch" are also not allowed, in accordance with College policy.
SEMP policy regarding registering alcohol for outdoor events has also changed, evolving from an ad hoc procedure into a "standardized" procedure laid out in writing. The new procedures require organizations to fill out a form found on the SEMP website.
"We'd had organizations the last couple of years that had been making requests to hold [registered outdoor events with alcohol] and we'd been working with social chairs to work out guidelines," Cassidy said.
