President’s speeches, letters, and articles
Subject: Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Update
August 17, 2023
Dear students, staff, and faculty,
I write to inform you of an update to the college’s Alcohol and Other Drug policy, made in response to a request by the SHARE program and the Legislation Committee. Effective immediately, the following addition will be implemented and enforced as part of the AOD policy under Section 1.B.4 as B.5.
5. It is a violation of this policy to knowingly make available to others a beverage, food, or other substance that contains alcohol or other drugs without informing them that it contains alcohol or other drugs, regardless of whether the person consumes the substance; suffers any adverse effects from consuming the substance; or suffers additional harm as a result of consuming the substance. Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission-licensed servers working in that capacity are exempted from this policy. Any alleged violation of this policy shall be addressed as a Level IV response.
When a request is made to the President regarding policies that have significant impact for reducing harm and risk, it is important that strong consideration be given to promptly update our policies in order to ensure the safety of our campus.
This past spring, this added language went through the legislation process; however, due to time constraints, it regrettably could not undergo the voting phase. Feedback was provided on this legislation, which included: reviews by the Legislation Committee, Faculty Community Affairs Committee, Student Senate; open feedback from the entire campus community; and a feedback session for staff.
This update was made after consultation with the faculty Committee on Academic Policy and Planning (CAPP), the Vice Presidents and Dean of the Faculty, and the Division of Student Life, as well as by special authority granted in the community constitution to the President. It helps to ensure the safety of our campus and that we begin the new academic year with clear expectations around alcohol and other drugs.
Should you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Student Life Office, student-life@reed.edu.
Sincerely,
Audrey