Alcohol and You

So you got documented for underage alcohol possession! Now what happens?

Your Resident Assistant (RA) might be the coolest person in the world, but if your RA has reason to believe – whether s/he is sure or not – that you might have violated the alcohol policy, it needs to be documented on something called an Incident Report. Don’t give your RA a hard time – it’s part of his or her job, and probably not the favorite part, either.

The Incident Report goes to the Assistant Director of Residence Life for the area, who will contact you about your options. Usually, you choose a hearing with the Assistant Director or with a board of your peers (Judicial Review Board). The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether it is more likely than not that you were responsible for the alleged violation. (If the alleged violation is more serious, such as intoxication or supplying alcohol to underage students, your hearing will be with the Director of Judicial Affairs and Community Responsibility.)

If you are found responsible, you will receive something called a sanction . For alcohol violations, the most common sanctions are educational or reflective in nature. Other possible sanctions are community restitution, or suspension from the residence halls or the University. Sanctions are intended to be educational, fair, and consistent, but the severity of sanctions increases with the number and severity of the offenses.