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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

University of Idaho studies idea of becoming dry campus

Shanon Quinn Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Although students at the University of Idaho are drinking about the same amount of alcohol as they have for the past 10 years, the lack of change has not stifled discussion concerning the possibility of a dry campus.

At the request of the UI’s vice provost for Student Affairs, Jean Kim, a psychologist at the university’s counseling and testing center has been working to gather community input on the subject.

“It’s one strategy that other campuses are doing that we should take a look at to see if it applies to our campus,” said UI psychologist Sharon Fritz. “We’re merely exploring this possibility – I have heard no conversation that this is the direction we’re going at all.”

Fritz said she doesn’t believe the change would be beneficial, as the way the UI currently handles underage drinking is working far better than the more stark Just Say No campaigns of the 1990s.

“Twenty years ago … we would tell them ‘drinking is not a good thing, don’t do it.’ Our message shifted to say ‘it’s illegal if you’re underage, your lowest risk is not to do it but if you are going to do it, do it in a way that is not risky for you and everybody else around you.’ ”

Fritz said the message shift has also changed the way students view the university, as well as the culture around drinking on campus.

“Over the past few years there has been a big culture shift that is focusing on safety. Our student groups are having parties with the intent of helping people have fun but be safe,” Fritz said. “What I think we ought to do is continue with those efforts to see if that culture will continue to grow. I think the data show we’re moving in that right direction.”

According to information from the National College Health Assessment, the number of UI students who choose not to drink has jumped from 15 percent to 21 percent since 2005. Of those who reported drinking, 86 percent said they used a designated driver and remained with the same group of friends the entire time; 82 percent reported eating before drinking; and 67 percent reported keeping track of the number of drinks they consumed.

Data from the UI’s 2015 Security and Fire Safety Report also show alcohol arrests on and off campus declined between 2012-14. During the two-year period, on-campus arrests declined from 41 to 23, off-campus arrests 20 to six and public property arrests from 40 to 23.

Fritz said that is an indicator the UI’s approach is paying off.

“It’s a correlation to what we’ve been doing on our campus,” she said. “The administration and student affairs have really been focusing on telling our students that if they do drink in excess and have consequences, there’s going to be accountability for that. Our program has been focusing on talking with students on being safe. I think it has a lot to do with the shift that we’ve made on campus in terms of talking with students.”

But there may be other factors at play when it comes to arrests.

Campus officer and Moscow Police Capt. James Fry said he can’t be certain the changes in programming are the only reason arrests have slowed, as the police force was down five officers during the past year, although it is now fully staffed.

“It will be interesting to see next year’s numbers,” he said.

Fry said the new data will be a better indicator of change.

Although he said a dry campus program has value, he doesn’t believe it would benefit the UI, as current programming, particularly involving agreements with and supervision of the Greek community, seems to be working.

Fritz agrees.

“I do believe that there’s going to be different problems if we make our campus dry. It’s not going to eliminate problems, it’s just going to shift our problems,” she said. “Right now we know what our problems are and we’ve been successfully addressing them. Let us stay the course.”

Fry said he could identify where new problems could come up if the UI were to shift to a dry campus model, with the most important being where the parties would move to.

“Just because you have a dry campus doesn’t mean kids won’t drink,” he said. “They’ll just go somewhere where they can.”

Fry said people should understand the conversation is less about campus policies than student safety.

“We’re looking out for the ultimate safety of people,” he said. “It’s not that it’s a dry campus or if it’s a campus that has parties. We’re trying to establish a campus that is safe.”