Correction Appended
Restricting the use of beer cans in favor of a more liberal keg policy and establishing student walkthroughs during parties may be among the recommendations the Student and Presidential Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee will outline for the Dartmouth community when they present their report this afternoon, according to an e-mail obtained by The Dartmouth that was sent to fraternity presidents from Inter-Fraternity Council president Tyler Brace '11. The e-mail outlined several changes that may be proposed today, but did not address all of the recommendations contained in the SPAHRC report and emphasized that the recommendations are "not set in stone."
"Keep in mind that [the recommendations] are subject to change," Brace wrote in the e-mail.
SPAHRC members presented a preview of their report to Greek leaders on Tuesday, as previously planned. Along with College President Jim Yong Kim, the committee will submit an executive summary of the report to the entire Dartmouth community today at 5 p.m. in Filene Auditorium.
The committee may announce a plan to "liberalize the keg policy" and allow up to five kegs in a basement at one time, while simultaneously eliminating cans in the basement, according to the e-mail.
The committee may also propose instating student walkthroughs, during which student monitors would observe houses during parties to identify severely intoxicated individuals. Student monitors would be expected to use the Good Samaritan policy when necessary and would verify whether Greek house members were properly performing their duties. Monitors would then e-mail their findings to Greek house officers.
The frequency of these regulations and the role of Safety and Security in such walkthroughs is still unclear, based on Tuesday's presentation, according to the e-mail.
Committee members emphasized that hard alcohol consumed during "pregames" heavy drinking before attending a party at a Greek organization contributes to a majority of student hospitalizations. To combat this problem, the committee may recommend relying on door monitors to identify individuals who are dangerously intoxicated, to prevent such students from entering a party and to use the Good Sam policy when appropriate, according to the e-mail.
The committee also recommended "radical" changes to the Social Event Management Procedures for open parties, according to Brace's e-mail. Under the new policy, events will be classified into three tiers: those with fewer than 30 individuals will not require registration, while events with 30 to 60 guests will require registration and those with more than 60 students will require registration and "maybe something else," according to the e-mail.
SPAHRC is chaired by Kim and Molly Bode '09, as well as student co-chairs Max Yoeli '12 and William Schpero '10.
Schpero declined to comment on the details of the plan until this afternoon's presentation.
"I encourage students and other members of the Dartmouth community who have questions about the SPAHRC recommendations to attend the committee's presentation at 5 p.m. today," Schpero said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "I will not be commenting more specifically on what we are recommending until that time."
Brace said the IFC would formulate an official response after the full report is released.
The 60-page report compiled by SPAHRC is a result of over two months of work from student members of the organization, which was formed in mid-February in response to the campus-wide discussion of College alcohol policy. Concern stemmed from the Hanover Police's announcement to enact "compliance checks" at Greek organizations 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, and discourage students from using the Good Samaritan policy because of fears of legal repercussions, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Kim said he is looking forward to implementing the changes in timely and effective manner, according to a press release issued yesterday by the College.
"As a result of this evidence-based analysis, my hope is that we can quickly implement a cohesive set of strategies aimed at addressing dangerous drinking behavior with the goal of reducing excessive drinking and harm," Kim said in the release.
Schpero is a former member of The Dartmouth Senior Staff.
