The Student and Presidential Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee presented its findings regarding alcohol consumption at the College and policies that may serve to promote student safety to College President Jim Yong Kim and other members of the administration today at noon, according to committee co-chair Max Yoeli '12. After consulting with administrators, the committee expects to present the final report at a public forum on May 18.
Yoeli declined to share the details of the finalized reporting at this time, citing the confidential nature of much of the information until it is approved by administrators.
Along with Kim, the committee invited Acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears, chief of staff David Spalding, interim associate Dean of the College Harry Kinne, education coordinator for Dick's House's Alcohol and Other Drugs Program Brian Bowden, director of College Health Services Jack Turco and College general counsel Bob Donin to the meeting, Yoeli said.
In a March interview with The Dartmouth, Spears said she and Kim will decide how to best achieve alcohol harm reduction once proposals were made by the committee to change or augment policies.
After presenting to senior College leadership today, the committee plans to present the report to representatives from the Office of Greek Letter Organizations and Societies on May 17.
As current plans stand, the committee plans to then present the report to the public, including students and community members, at a public forum on May 18, Yoeli said.
"The administration has been very cooperative and encouraging and I think out of today's presentation will come meaningful results," Yoeli said.
Following the finalization and presentation of the report, a newly created SPAHRC Implementation Committee will be placed in charge of executing the committee's suggestions. The finalized composition of this committee is expected on May 18 as well.
The schedule for releasing the report remains subject to change, however, according to Yoeli
The 60-page report is a result of over two months of efforts from student members of SPAHRC, which was formed in mid-February in response to the campus-wide discussion of College alcohol policy that was instigated by proposed changes to alcohol policy proposed by the Hanover Police.
Specifically, concern stemmed from the Hanover Police's announcement to enact "compliance checks" at Greek organizations in order to ensure underage students were not receiving alcoholic beverages. Students responded by arguing that such a policy might push drinking underground, therefore making it more dangerous, as well as discourage students from using the Good Samaritan policy due to fear of legal repercussions for intoxicated students, The Dartmouth previously reported.
SPAHRC is chaired by Kim and Administrative Chair Molly Bode '09, as well as student co-chairs Yoeli and William Schpero '10.
The committee consists of four sub-committees The Education and Prevention sub-committee, the Social Life subcommittee, the Town Policy subcommittee and the Health Care subcommittee which each completed data collection on "best practices" by April 9, according to Yoeli.
Individual subcommittee work took place until April 23 and the final report was completed by May 7.
Each of four subcommittees, created to address an individual aspect of alcohol harm reduction, is led by one senior and one underclassman student chair, who both have access to various administrators who oversee the subcommittees, The Dartmouth previously reported. This structure is intended to foster collaboration amongst students of different class years, Spears told The Dartmouth in a March interview.
Schpero is a former member of The Dartmouth Senior Staff.
