SMU President Gerald Turner told students Tuesday why he rejected proposals to have a pub at the student center and why he won't allow open parties where alcohol is served to students of legal drinking age in fraternity houses.  Turner said his objective in implementing part or all of 36 of 38 recommendations of the Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention is to "strengthen the culture of personal responsibility" on campus.  Making more alcohol available on campus wouldn't do that. 

He explained that most students who reside on campus are first-year students who are under the drinking age.  Older students who might go to the pub from off-campus apartments would then have to drive themselves home.  He also rejected the idea of permitting organizations to sponsor parties and serve beer on campus to those of drinking age, noting that a number of national boards of Greek organizations do not permit open parties in their houses where alcohol is present. “The University should encourage the remaining national organizations to adopt similar practices,” he said. 

The Task Force was created after three substance-abuse related deaths of SMU students last year.  Many of the recommendations Turner has accepted have to do with making academics more rigorous at SMU, leaving less time for student to "party." Some seek to reduce the number of "weekend" nights by instituting more Friday classes and encouraging Greek organizations to only have off-campus "bus parties" on Friday and Saturday night and not on school nights (such as Thursday).  Greek groups also will be encouraged to make all events associated with recruitment alcohol-free.

Asked by one student how he expects to enforce alcohol free "rush" parties off campus, Turner said students must begin to "police themselves."  He said that for the recommended efforts to change the social culture to work, "groups have to help us implement" the recommendations.

One fraternity president who attended an informational session Turner had Tuesday afternoon with students asked why not ban fraternity "away" weekends, where considerable substance abuse takes place.  Turner said he hopes to see a recommendation on that issue come out later.  Meanwhile, a social register will be established in the student life, which will require organizations to register their off-campus social events.

Other recommendations that will be implemented include those that will make it easier for students in trouble or those who see other students in trouble to seek help.  That will include Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty policies. Under Good Samaritan, a student who seeks emergency medical help for a fellow student will not face a sanction if he or she also violated alcohol policy. Under Medical Amnesty, the same will apply to a student who seeks emergency help for himself or herself, although police agencies can cite or arrest individuals for public intoxication and use of illegal drugs.

One change sought by students is to have medical help available on campus late at night on weekends.  Turner accepted a recommendation to expand the hours at the on-campus Health Center to 3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. 

As for the campus pub, a concept utilized on other campuses such as Rice, Turner said that as SMU offers more on-campus housing for upperclassmen, the idea may be revisited.  Design work will begin this fall on dorms for 1,200 sophomores that will be ready for occupancy in 2010 and 2011.  Those rooms may be followed by more campus housing for even older students.

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