METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE STUDENT
ORGANIZATION ALCOHOL POLICY
I. PHILOSOPHICAL STATEMENT
Metropolitan State College of Denver is located adjacent to downtown Denver and shares a
150 acre campus with the University of Colorado at Denver and the Community College of
Denver. The College’s administration is committed to providing a safe environment by
promoting the prevention of alcohol abuse and underage drinking.
The Metropolitan State College of Denver Alcohol Policy does not replace existing standards
of behavior found in the Student Code of Conduct. Students should be familiar with the
entire Code, however, the following policy is applicable when alcohol is involved in student
sponsored events. This policy is to be applied in conjunction with relevant campus policies,
federal, state and local laws.
II. STATEMENT OF POLICY FOR EVENTS INVOLVING ALCOHOL FOR ALL
METRO STATE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (including Fraternities and
Sororities)
INTRODUCTION
Student Organizations enjoy rights and privileges associated with official recognition by
Metro State. Student Organizations and their members are subject to disciplinary action for
any violation on or off campus of policies or rules set forth in the Metro State Student Code
of Conduct.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY
A. Student Organizations shall engage in the practice of effective self-governance. Student
members, organizational leadership, faculty/staff advisors, the Student Activities Office
staff, Student Life staff, and other members of the Campus community have a shared
responsibility for upholding the Student Code of Conduct. The hosts and/or
representatives of a Student Organization shall take action designed to prevent or end
such violations by the Organization or by any persons associated with the Organization.
Failure to comply with a directive shall be considered a violation of the Student Code of
Conduct, both by the representatives of the Organization and by the Organization.
B. The hosts and representatives of these events shall be responsible at all times for their
guests’ behavior, regardless of their school affiliation. If the hosts fail to abide by this
rule, they shall be subject to enforcement of Alcohol and Judicial policy, which may
result in sanctions.
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Not Covered By This Policy: Events that do not involve students covered under the Student
Organization Policy are not subject to this policy. This includes groups such as Athletics,
Academic Departments, and College Offices and Departments.
III. EVENT CRITERIA
A. GENERAL
1. Organizations shall read and become familiar with all of the associated details
contained within the College’s Student Organization Alcohol policy.
2. Organizations shall not have violated any of the provisions of this policy within the
last twelve months prior to a new request.
3. The Organization’s faculty/staff advisor or designated full time faculty or staff
member shall be present throughout the entire event.
4. The Office of Student Activities shall have the authority to cancel any student event
that does not follow the proper policies and procedures for events where alcohol is
served.
5. The Office of Student Activities shall look for patterns of abuse of the policy. It shall
be at the discretion of the Student Activities staff to set up corrective action.
6. Organizations that receive donations of alcohol shall not profit from the consumption
of that alcohol at that event.
7. Organizational funds may not be used to purchase alcohol.
8. If organizational funds are used for other event expenses, (i.e. food, speaker, supplies)
all fiscal policies must be followed with special attention to the official function form
and list of attendees.
9. Alcohol must be served by staff of a caterer or third party vendor. Bring your own
beer (BYOB) events are prohibited.
10. Student Organization handbook guidelines shall be followed at all times.
B. SMALL OFF-CAMPUS BUSINESS MEETINGS AT A THIRD PARTY VENDOR
1. There shall be no advertising or promotion of alcohol on any of the event publicity or
marketing materials.
2. Students of legal drinking age who purchase alcohol shall do so with their personal
funds.
3. If the organization is holding a meeting at a venue that serves alcohol, the
organization shall make all meeting attendees aware that the organization is not
responsible for any activities involving alcohol and any attendees who purchase
alcohol do so at their own risk.
C. ON-CAMPUS EVENTS
1. The organization shall submit a written proposal to Student Activities outlining how
an event with alcohol is in line with the mission of their organization.
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2. Only events such as end of the year banquets, receptions, awards ceremonies shall be
considered for approval by the Director of Student Activities or his/her designee
under this policy.
3. Funding from the co-curricular program or college resources shall not be used to pay
for alcohol or any expenditures that are directly related to alcohol (security, special
event permit, bartender, etc). Student organizational funds may be used for related
expenses but not the alcohol.
4. The student group shall utilize an approved on campus caterer that is licensed to serve
alcohol. The caterer shall impose a two (2) drink limit for the duration of the event.
The drinks must comply with the definition of a Standard Alcoholic Drink as defined
in Article V of this policy. The caterer will supply trained staff to serve the alcohol.
5. The student group may receive alcohol donations for this event but the alcohol cannot
be sold to participants. The donation will need to be approved by the Director of
Student Activities or her/his designee. Surplus alcohol will be returned to the donor
within 24 hours. A receipt showing that the surplus alcohol was returned to the donor
must be on file.
6. The student group shall have guests RSVP to the event and turn in a typed list of
invitees to Student Activities two business days prior to the event.
7. The student group shall cover the cost of security for any event with alcohol in order
to prevent underage drinking and disruptive behavior.
8. The student group shall schedule a pre-event meeting no less than thirty (30) days
before the event with a representative of the organization, the advisor (the person who
will attend the event), a full time staff member of Student Activities, a member of
AHEC, any donors and Campus Police representative.
9. Only beer and wine will be allowed at these functions
10. Cash bars are not permitted.
11. Student organizations may not sponsor events with alcohol on behalf of outside
groups or individuals.
D. GUEST MANAGEMENT:
1. No one under the age of 21 will be served alcohol.
2. Members shall not permit, encourage or participate in games involving the
consumption of alcohol.
3. No one appearing to be intoxicated or not on the guest list shall be admitted to the
event.
4. The identification of every person attending the event who wished to purchase or
consume alcohol will be checked. All guests shall have a student ID, driver’s license,
or other form of government issued identification. No person under the age of 18
shall be permitted into the event without a Metro State issued ID, unless accompanied
by a parent or guardian. A student ID shall not be used in lieu of a government issued
ID to establish an individual’s age or date of birth.
5. Alternative transportation information shall be easily accessible to all event attendees.
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IV. POLICY VIOLATIONS
If any violations of law or of the Student Code of Conduct occur during a sanctioned event
involving alcohol, the individual student responsible and/or representatives of the group
hosting the event shall be subject to the procedures set forth in the student code of conduct.
http://www.mscd.edu/policies/student_code_of_conduct/student_conduct_code.shtml
Possible sanctions may include probation, suspension or expulsion and/or all other sanctions
defined in the Student Code of Conduct, educational sanctions and/or substance abuse
counseling or treatment as necessary. Sanctions which are assigned to an individual or group
shall have the goal of providing education regarding substance use. For substance related
cases, students shall be referred to the appropriate resource for intervention on a case specific
basis.
If a group is found in violation of the alcohol policy, the group in addition to individual
members, shall go through the student judicial process as well as any processes that are
deemed appropriate by their governing body such as a national fraternal organization or
honor society.
V. ALCOHOL ABUSE EDUCATION & PREVENTION
Alcohol continues to be a significant problem in the United States and it has a negative
impact on the lives of students. It has the potential to impact employment, finances,
academic performance, health, and interpersonal relationships. Injuries, accidents and
assaults are more likely to occur when one is under the influence. Alcohol is a depressant and
therefore slows down the functioning of the central nervous system. It has direct negative
impact on the brain as it causes a loss of coordination, impaired judgment, distorted vision,
memory lapses, slowed reflexes, and blackouts. When absorbed in large quantities over time
it can lead to serious health hazards such as cirrhosis of the liver and cancer. Of particular
significance to college students is the fact that alcohol disrupts the process of learning so that
information acquired does not get shifted from short-term to long-term memory. This has
direct implications for student success.
Standard Alcoholic Drink:
Normal standardized alcohol drinks contain equal amounts of alcohol. A 12 fl. oz. beer or
wine cooler; 5 fl oz of wine; or one mixed drink with 1.5 fl oz of 80-proof liquor such as
vodka, gin, scotch, bourbon, brandy, or rum all contain roughly the same amount of alcohol
and have similar effects on the human body.
Proof:
Proof refers to the amount of alcohol in hard liquor or distilled spirits. The amount of pure
alcohol in hard liquor is usually one-half of the proof. So a 100 –proof liquor contains 50%
pure alcohol. So, the higher the proof, the more one consumes increasing amounts of pure
alcohol.
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Alcohol Poisoning:
Alcohol poisoning is very serious and can be fatal. It occurs as a result of drinking large
quantities of alcohol over a short period of time. It impacts one’s ability to breathe, heart rate,
and gag reflex and could result in coma or death. Other signs of alcohol poisoning include:
vomiting, seizures, and unconsciousness.
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) or Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) are set to determine illegal
levels for driving while impaired (DWI) or Driving under the Influence (DUIs):
This refers to the concentration of alcohol in one’s bloodstream or system. It is used to
determine whether an individual is legally intoxicated, especially when driving motor
vehicles. In Colorado, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle if one’s Blood Alcohol Content
(BAC) is .05% or higher and the driver is over 21 and .02% if under 21. It can result in very
costly convictions and a suspension or revocation of one’s driving license. Factors such as
gender, weight, amount of food consumed before drinking, medication, health status, alcohol
content of drinks and the amount of time over which drinks are consumed all determine a
person’s BAC.
Binge Drinking:
Binge drinking refers to a pattern of excessive alcohol consumption within a short period of
time that increases an individual’s BAC very quickly. Factors such as individual tolerance,
family history, and predisposition to addiction can impact one’s binge drinking behaviors.
There are gender differences, for men it involves having five or more consecutive drinks, and
for women four.
Avoiding Alcohol-Related Problems and Accidents:
Note that 1,400 college students die each year from alcohol poisoning. Prevention is certainly
the key to avoiding alcohol-related mishaps. This means that students should not consume
large quantities of alcohol at any one time. Friends and peers can help to monitor each other
and set limits ahead of time. Date rape is another common occurrence when individuals are
intoxicated so peers should try to keep others safe. Social events can also be planned without
alcohol or a combination of alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages. Adequate food should be
consumed if one is planning on consuming alcohol. Last but not least, having a designated
driver or using safety ride programs is critical in avoiding the devastating effects of drinking
and driving as well as the potential criminal charges that often accompany DUIs or DWIs.
Alcohol- Related Program Resources at Metro State:
• Substance Abuse Workshops sponsored by Metro State’s Counseling Center; Fall and
Spring Semesters
•
On-Line self-help pamphlets and screenings available through the Counseling center’s
website:www.mscd.edu/~counsel
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•
Campus wide screenings and prevention awareness at the annual National Alcohol
Screening Day, April, each year
•
Individual psychological interventions available through the Counseling Center and
psychiatric assessments available through the Health Center at Auraria. Referrals for
detoxification and intensive outpatient can be obtained through both of these facilities.
Definitions:
Advisor: A full time faculty or staff member designated in an organization’s registration
process through Metro State Student Activities. Responsibilities of Advisors are
outlined in the Student Organization Handbook.
Third Party Vendor: A separate organization or company other than the principals
involved such as the College or students. The third party vendor provides goods or
services not provided by the main principals.
Student Organization: Any associated group/organization of students that meet and
fulfill the requirements for registration at Metro State as outlined in the Student
Organization Handbook.
Approved Campus Caterer: These are businesses who have agreed to service the
Auraria Campus Community. See Auraria Campus Events Services or Metro State
Student Activities for an updated list of approved campus caterers.
Revisions: This policy will sunset on January 31, 2012. A review of this policy will be
conducted sixty days prior to this date. The Alcohol Taskforce will be convened by the
Associate Vice President of Student Life and will include representatives from the Student
Government Assembly, Student Activities, Judicial Affairs, Counseling Center, Auraria
Health Center and a faculty representative appointed by the Faculty Senate.
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