After two semesters of debate and six meetings, the Alcohol Policy Working Group has unanimously approved five recommendations regarding Georgetown’s alcohol policy. The recommendations, including an increased keg limit in certain residences and the removal of the prohibition against beer pong, will be formally announced to the Disciplinary Review Committee this afternoon.
“The students made us realize that a one keg limit in larger apartments that had space for larger parties pretty much guaranteed that drinks besides beer would be consumed,” Dr. James Welsh, Assistant Vice President for Student Health Services and co-chair of the working group, said.
The working group recommends that the keg limit for townhouses and Village A apartments with patios or rooftops be increased from one to two kegs. Other recommendations include allowing students over 21 to have beer pong tables and keeping the current restriction on empty alcohol containers to two per person in dry residences. The group also recommends creating another working group over the summer to determine how best to push back the current party registration deadline from 10 a.m. on Thursday.
“On our own, it wouldn’t be advisable to tell DPS that they need to move up the registration deadline and then find out that they’re not able to,” Matt Stoller (COL’ 08), student co-chair of the working group, GUSA senator, and member of Work Hard, Play Hard said.
Instead, the working group is suggesting that representatives from GUSA, UIS, Residence Life, and the Department of Public Safety meet over the summer to create a streamlined registration process that would allow for a later party registration deadline.
Finally, the working group suggests that the language of the student code of conduct be refined, and that GUSA and Student Affairs create a guide to understanding the code of conduct with statistics on citations and sanctions to correct misconceptions among students that three alcohol violations will lead to suspension. According to Stoller, not a single student has been suspended this year for alcohol violations.
The recommendations, which were submitted to VP of Student Affairs Todd Olson on Wednesday, will require Olson’s approval.
“[The input of the working group] will help to inform any adjustments to the policies that we consider for next year,” Olson said.
The majority of the working group’s members are optimistic, both about the recommendations and the experience as a whole.
“I think the working group will end up opening up more discussion, and that it will be less likely that changes will be made without student input in the future,” Melissa Foy, an admissions officer, Georgetown alum, and member of the working group said.
“I remember being a student here and thinking that it was always just students versus administration and that they just want to shut down a good time, but honestly, the administrators were less conservative than the students on some working group issues. I think students would be surprised at how on their side administrators actually are.”
