Alcohol and Drug Issue 1 Roger Williams University Memorandum To: The Department of Public Safety From: Assistant Directors, Office of Student Affairs Date: February 18th, 2014 Subject: Alcohol and Drug Issue at Roger Williams University Purpose: The problem that we are proposing to research is the increase in drug and alcohol violations that are occurring on and off campus. The number of violations has been on a steady rise in the past few years, and we want to figure out why. This is a problem because students are getting hurt, and there could also be legal ramifications against the students in question along with the school. We propose a research project into figuring out why there has been an increase in violations, and if there will be legal ramifications for the parties involved. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Interesting lines of inquiry. I’m not sure the legal ramifications is fully justified, but your purpose statement is otherwise cogent. Methodology: The Roger Williams University website provides campus life information including the policies and guidelines of the university which will help us during our research to receive correct data. We will evaluate current policies surrounding students’ alcohol and drug use both on and off campus and compare RWU’s policies with other universities. Looking at other college and university policies and guidelines will help us tremendously in figuring out how we can fix the increase of alcohol and drug violations. We will discover the Colleges and Universities by contacting them and looking at their school websites. We will do anything we can to ensure RWU is in line with current best practices to keep our environment safe and secure. Below are some important questions to ask ourselves while we do our research. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Which other universities? How many will you compare? These are some important research questions: How quickly are the rates of violations increasing? When did they start increasing? What year are most of the students who are caught? What other Colleges and Universities are against on and off campus drinking and what are their policies and guidelines? Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Redundant Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Good questions Significance: As the Office of Student Affairs, it is our responsibility to take action in investigating and studying these changes in the activities of students at Roger Williams. This includes issues ranging from student involvement in extra-curricular activities, to affairs such as the one at hand. We are concerned about the rising violation rates in campus policy, mainly related to substance abuse, because not only does it look bad for the entire school, but is also destructive to the Bristol community as a whole. This is why I request your permission to investigate these issues to maintain healthy relationships with both the Bristol Police Department and the Bristol community. Finally, because of the seve.

1. Alcohol and Drug Issue 1
Roger Williams University
Memorandum
To: The Department of Public Safety
From: Assistant Directors, Office of Student Affairs
Date: February 18th, 2014
Subject: Alcohol and Drug Issue at Roger Williams University
Purpose:
The problem that we are proposing to research is the increase in
drug and alcohol violations that are occurring on and off
campus. The number of violations has been on a steady rise in
the past few years, and we want to figure out why. This is a
problem because students are getting hurt, and there could also
be legal ramifications against the students in question along
with the school. We propose a research project into figuring out
why there has been an increase in violations, and if there will be
legal ramifications for the parties involved. Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: Interesting lines of inquiry. I’m not sure the
legal ramifications is fully justified, but your purpose statement
is otherwise cogent.
Methodology:
The Roger Williams University website provides campus life
information including the policies and guidelines of the
university which will help us during our research to receive
correct data. We will evaluate current policies surrounding
students’ alcohol and drug use both on and off campus and
compare RWU’s policies with other universities. Looking at
other college and university policies and guidelines will help us
tremendously in figuring out how we can fix the increase of

2. alcohol and drug violations. We will discover the Colleges and
Universities by contacting them and looking at their school
websites. We will do anything we can to ensure RWU is in line
with current best practices to keep our environment safe and
secure. Below are some important questions to ask ourselves
while we do our research. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds:
Which other universities? How many will you compare?
These are some important research questions: How quickly are
the rates of violations increasing? When did they start
increasing? What year are most of the students who are caught?
What other Colleges and Universities are against on and off
campus drinking and what are their policies and guidelines?
Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Redundant Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: Good questions
Significance:
As the Office of Student Affairs, it is our responsibility to take
action in investigating and studying these changes in the
activities of students at Roger Williams. This includes issues
ranging from student involvement in extra-curricular activities,
to affairs such as the one at hand. We are concerned about the
rising violation rates in campus policy, mainly related to
substance abuse, because not only does it look bad for the entire
school, but is also destructive to the Bristol community as a
whole. This is why I request your permission to investigate
these issues to maintain healthy relationships with both the
Bristol Police Department and the Bristol community. Finally,
because of the severity issues, we hope to curb these violations
because it is detrimental to the health and wellness of the
student body here at RWU and because it is our mission to
provide a safe and healthy campus for which students can live
and thrive. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: You make a
persuasive argument about significance

3. Outcomes:
Our goal for this project is to decrease alcohol and drugs
consumption on and off campus in the Bristol area, with the
help of the community, local and campus authorities. According
to the Crime Statistics of RWU from 2010 to 2012, arrests on
and off campus because of drug law violations and liquor law
violations has increased every year, just as disciplinary actions
has gone up for the same violations. What we want to achieve is
to turn around this situation, to decrease the incidents caused by
the abuse of alcohol and drugs. This will not only benefit the
students and those who surround them, but it will help Roger
Williams University with its reputation. The reputation of an
institution is crucial, and when it comes to universities the
statistics and rates on drinking and drugs incidents affects the
decision of a student choosing to attend or not. Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: This is a great long term goal. You might
acknowledge more immediate goals that can realistically be
achieved as a direct result of your research. The research will
provide a foundation for developing new
policies/programs/guidelines that will (hopefully) yield the
decrease, but it’s not an immediate effect of the report. Does
that make sense? Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Hi All,
Your proposal is pretty clear and you make a compelling case as
to the significance of the problem. As you’ll see from my notes,
most of my comments are about clarity and style rather than any
big organizational concerns or conceptual gaps. Let me know if
you have any questions.
Grade: 2.5/3 points

4. WTNG 220.06 Critical Writing for the Professions
Dr. Dahliani Reynolds, Spring 2014
Final Portfolio
The Portfolio
A portfolio is a reflection of its maker: a collection of materials
the author has chosen to represent her work. Make sure your
portfolio paints you—and your work—in the best light possible.
Your portfolio should include the following:
· Your revised proposal and report from Project 2 OR your
revised proposal and critical text from Project 3 (if you choose
to revise Project 2, you will do so individually)
· A metacognitive rhetorical analysis of your work this semester
· Optional: Any process work that you would like to include as
evidence of your work and growth as a writer
Project Revision
For your final portfolio, you will revise either Project 2 or
Project 3. Your revisions should do more than simply correct

5. typos on the sentence level—they should result in stronger
critical analysis, rhetorical fluency, and genre awareness. In
other words, strong revision requires you to “re-see” your texts,
to assess them based on the concepts and theories we’ve learned
throughout the semester in order to deepen both your thinking
and your writing. Strong revision generally includes all of the
following:
· Revising the content to include new information, evidence, or
counterarguments.
· Revising the organization to make the text more coherent
and/or to better conform to genre conventions.
· Revising the style to create a more effective design and/or
sophisticated prose.
Metacognitive Rhetorical Analysis
The “new” part of the final portfolio is a memo (2 pages, single-
spaced) in which you will write a critical reflection—
essentially, a metacognitive rhetorical analysis—of your work
this semester. The audience for this reflection is the faculty in
the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition.
This is your final opportunity to demonstrate the analytical
skills you’ve developed through our reading, writing, and class
discussions. The goal is to analyze the rhetorical nature of the
work you’ve produced and evaluate its effectiveness. A strong
metacognitive rhetorical analysis will consider how your work
this semester has helped you make progress toward achieving
the learning outcomes. You should quote, paraphrase, or
otherwise reference your work this semester to support your
claims, and you should do so in a way that shows the reader that
you are connecting your thinking and writing to the learning
outcomes. This reflection should demonstrate depth and
complexity of thought.
A strong metacognitive rhetorical analysis will consider the
following sorts of questions:
· How does this portfolio demonstrate fundamental rhetorical

6. concepts important to critical writing in your field?
· What choices (about audience, genre, content, or design) went
into producing this portfolio? How effective were those choices
in advancing your argument?
· How effective is this portfolio in demonstrating your ability to
locate, evaluate, and use a variety of sources to persuade your
readers?
· To what extent does this portfolio demonstrate your ability to
analyze discourse community standards to produce texts that
follow basic conventions of assigned genres (e.g.,
organizational strategies, documentation, level of formality,
etc.)?
· What revisions did you make for your final portfolio? What
rhetorical considerations prompted you to make those changes,
and what is their purpose?
· How do the pieces in your final portfolio demonstrate
expertise in rhetorical knowledge, genre knowledge, content
knowledge, discourse community knowledge, or writing process
knowledge?
Outcomes & Assessment
The final portfolio is worth 35 points toward your final grade; a
grade of “35” is reserved for truly excellent work. This
portfolio should demonstrate your progress toward achieving
these course outcomes (which are also the basis for assessment):
· Rhetorical Knowledge: Demonstrate awareness of and
responsiveness to audience, context, and purpose.
· Genre Knowledge: Employ genre conventions, both textual
and visual, to serve your purpose(s).
· Content Knowledge: Use appropriate, relevant, and compelling
content to explore ideas and shape your project.
· Discourse Community Knowledge: Demonstrate attention to
and successful execution of the conventions specific to the
discourse community, including organization, content,
presentation, formatting, and stylistic/syntactical choices.
· Writing Process Knowledge: Evidence significant recursive

7. writing/thinking by developing, exploring, interpreting,
evaluating, and revising content, style, and design throughout
the portfolio.
· Metacognitive Knowledge: Provide evidence of thoughtful,
self-aware reflective practices shaping the portfolio.
Due Date
Monday, May 12, 2014, between 10:30-12:30, in my office:
GHH 239. Bring a hard copy to my office (use a binder clip to
organize materials). Before you turn in the hard copy of your
portfolio, post an electronic copy of all portfolio items (except
any process pieces) on Bridges.
Electronic documents posted on Bridges must be titled:
· First Name Last Name Revised Proposal
· First Name Last Name Revised Critical Text
· First Name Last Name Metacognitive Analysis
Note: I do not provide written feedback on final portfolios. If
you would like to discuss your portfolio, I would be happy to do
so if you make an appointment with me at the beginning of
spring semester.
WTNG Assessment: Before you turn in the hard copy of your
portfolio, post an anonymous copy of your metacognitive
analysis on Bridges under Tests & Quizzes (follow instructions
there for posting).
2
Research findings report
Roger Williams University

8. Research findings report: drug and alcohol violations study
From the Office of Student Affairs
Summary 1
Introduction 2
Project Scope 3
Research Methods 4
Research Results 4
Recommendations 6
Sources 8
Summary Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: You might think
about using the subtitle for your running header since it’s more
specific…
As the office of Student Affairs at Roger Williams University, it
is our responsibility to investigate student activities on and off
campus that may concern the safety and well-being of the
student body. One of the major concerns that we have become
aware of is a potential increase in drug and alcohol violations
involving Roger Williams students. From previous studies done
by the Roger Williams public safety department, it was shown
that there has been a steady increase in the number of drug and
alcohol violations, both on and off campus. Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: Good move to define the problem and
indicate exigency.
The Roger Williams University website provides campus life
information including the policies and guidelines of the
university which will help us during our research to receive
correct data. The current policies surrounding students’ alcohol
and drug use both on and off campus have shown that the
university needs to focus its attention more acutely on these
issues. Other college and university policies and guidelines

9. have helped us tremendously in figuring out how we can put a
halt to the increase of alcohol and drug violations. By
contacting the surrounding colleges and universities in the area
we have found that there are many steps we can take to achieve
this goal. We will do everything we can to ensure RWU is in
line with current best practices to keep our environment safe
and secure. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: You might be
more specific here: policies regarding alcohol and drug use (the
university has all kinds of policies on a range of issues).
Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Hmmm… do the policies
show the need to focus its attention, or the number of
infringements show the need. Do you see what I’m getting at?
The policies at Roger Williams University have proven that they
are effective but could be improved. By looking at other college
and university policies, we have come up with the proof that
illustrates that the Roger Williams University policies should be
revised. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Again, it might be
helpful to specify which policies you are referring to here.
These findings are based on the research we have conducted on
the topics stated are closely tied into our recommendations. We
began our research by looking into the Public Safety department
here at RWU and comparing it to other colleges and universities
in Rhode Island. One of the points we have found was relating
the number of officers to the number of violations. We have
also noticed a significant correlation between the number of
alcohol and drug violations on and off campus to how it affects
student academic achievement. Finally, it has been observed
that other colleges and universities have been upgrading their
alcohol and drug policies to include a “Three-strikes-and-
you’re-out” policy. While Roger Williams may not have this
policy currently in place, the research findings are described
more in depth later on. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Huh?
I’m not following you here… Comment by Dahliani Reynolds:
What was this relationship? Comment by Dahliani Reynolds:
Okay, this kind of discursive gesture is fine in the report itself.
However, the executive summary needs to function

10. independently. We need to be able to read the summary to get a
full sense of your primary arguments without having to refer to
the report.
Based on our research we have come to the conclusion that in
order for Roger Williams University to lower the numbers of
alcohol and drug related violations, the school should adopt
stricter policies. While there are a number of other successful
policies in place at other institutions, we feel that there are a
few select strategies that would best suit Roger Williams. The
policies which the school has had in the past, as well as the
policies which are still being implemented, have proven to be
inefficient and unfit for RWU. In conclusion this is because it is
clear that the number of violations has been increasing steadily
since 2010 and it is the duty of Roger Williams University to
invest in the safety and well-being of its students as a whole.
Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: This is a place to name
the strategies (see my previous note). Comment by Dahliani
Reynolds: Seems more an introductory point relating to
exigency than a conclusion…
Introduction
When the word “college” comes to mind, what is pictured?
Students sitting outside on the quad, books in hand, talking to
each other? Or are wild parties pictured that only end when the
ambulance is called? Unfortunately for Roger Williams, it
seems that the latter is becoming more and more of a problem.
In recent years, the number of alcohol and drug related
incidents has been on a steady rise, according to a survey done
every year by the Roger Williams department of Public Safety.
However, even with the current system in place regarding drug
and alcohol violations, the number continues to increase. There
has to be a better way than just punishing those who get caught.
Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: This doesn’t seem like a
“however” statement since you’re making the same point in a
different way (it’s an extension of the previous point, not a

11. complication).
Time and time again, the department of public safety has
kept a strong hand across this campus, reminding the students of
the zero-tolerance policy for drugs and the distribution and
drinking of alcohol if they are underage. However, even though
the current policies have been shown to be effective, there is
still something missing. Currently, the policies are punishment
oriented, meaning that if someone is caught, any penalty will be
so great as to prevent the person from ever doing it again. That
option works sometimes, but there needs to be a deterrent
program on campus where students can go to hang out and relax
instead of getting high or drunk. Comment by Dahliani
Reynolds: Really? Then why is the number of infringements
increasing?
The main focus of this report is to bring to light the
troubling statistics of students who are underage who are
drinking both on and off campus; as well as the students who
are doing drugs; both on and off campus. So far, we have
researched other colleges and their policies regarding underage
alcohol consumption, as well as their drug policies. This report
will also give recommendations regarding improving the
schools current policy regarding punishment and deterrence
when dealing with drug and alcohol violations. With this report,
we hope to make Roger Williams a safer and more secure
learning environment for everyone. Comment by Dahliani
Reynolds: Okay, I see this working to function as a forecasting
statement, but it’s not quite there yet. We need to see how this
paragraph is forecasting the report, not reflecting on the process
of writing it. Do you see the difference?

12. Project Scope
The analysis and presentation of the status, findings, and
recommendations of this project are an undertaking of decent
size. Upon first glance, it can be assumed that colleges and
universities around the region, country, and the whole world are
closely tied to drugs and alcohol. Post-secondary education has
taken a steep rise in popularity around the world in the past few
decades alone. However, driving the demand for education
through the roof. This has led to an increase in not only the
numbers of students enrolled at post-secondary institutions
around the world, but has led to the development of a new type
of culture surrounding colleges and universities today. While
this project was concerned only with the suspected changes in
drug and alcohol violations at Roger Williams University, it is
key to keep in mind the changes in rates at surrounding
universities and institutions in the region and on a global scale
in order to compare the differences at hand. Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: Huh? I’m not following you here…
Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Rates of what?
Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Nice way to contextualize
your study. In general, it’s clear and persuasive.
On a more manageable scale, however, we first took a
look at investigating our project at different levels within Roger
Williams University itself. Here our findings were more acute
and helped to give a better understanding and identify the
individual problems at this particular university. In the
research, we began by compiling data collected online from
similar studies from other universities. Additionally, we
researched and gathered information from the Roger Williams
Public Safety department on campus, giving a depth of
information scaling back three years to 2010. Below is a table
taken from the RWU Public Safety Annual Security Report of
some of the applicable information that helped us find our

13. results (Safety and Security Report, 2012). Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: Maybe reverse the order? Seems like you
have to identify problems before you can understand them…
Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: As a reader, I expect that
you’re going to discuss those specific problems here (or in a
subsequent section) in some detail. Comment by Dahliani
Reynolds: Nice use of the visual data!
From this table we can see the information from which we
shifted through to discover the size and extent of the asserted
problem at Roger Williams.
Although this study included other university findings in
regions both large and small, it is again emphasized that our
conduct only includes those results as a comparison between
Roger Williams and other related institutions. This helps find
trends or patterns in the data and improves our gauge of where
Roger Williams lies statistically as a private university in the
New England area. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: I’m
getting lost here. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: What does
“this refer to here?
Research Methods
In order to enhance our knowledge surrounding the issues
observed, we first had to research related topics in a very
thorough manner. In doing so, there were multiple tools used.
As mentioned in the Summary and disclosed in the Source
Appendix, the multiple sources used ranged from the Roger
Williams University website, to the sites of other universities in
the Rhode Island and New England area. In addition to
browsing those sites, search engines such as CQ Researcher,
RefWorks, and the Roger Williams University Library Server
Engine were used. By using such a diverse set of tools, the

14. domains applied were in no way specific. This allowed the team
to review articles, papers, studies, and reports of all types and
compile the given information in such a way that benefited the
project scope and the accuracy of the results. In doing so, the
accuracy of the results improved substantially because the
diverse arena of sources were then able to be cataloged to blend
together many different aspects of the study itself. Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: RefWorks isn’t a search engine, but I see
where you’re going with this… Comment by Dahliani
Reynolds: I don’t know what this means.
In the end, the study’s results were of the utmost
importance. Because the research deals with student safety and
well-being, it is important that this report be reviewed
immediately. Additionally, the plethora of statistics and
findings compiled henceforth should be taken seriously and
dealt with in a professional manner.
Research Results
All college and university campuses have some sort of
department dealing in public safety, or as others call it, a
department of safety and security. However the department is
labeled, their job is to monitor all student related activities,
whether on or off campus, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The department makes every effort to keep the campus and its
students safe and secure by keeping an eye on activities and by
working together with the local police and fire departments.
According to the US Department of Education, Office of
Postsecondary Education (OPE, 2014), only Roger Williams
University, Johnson & Wales University, and Salve Regina
University have solely unsworn, security-based officers. The
rest of the schools in Rhode Island, Brown University, the
University of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island College have
sworn officers. Brown and URI have security officers as well as

15. their sworn officers. Having both sworn officers and security
officers gives the campus more security and that helps decrease
drug and alcohol violations on and off campus. Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: Interesting…
According to the Roger Williams University website, rwu.edu
(“The Department of Public Safety,” 2014), there are 20 full-
time security officers who assist the campus community with
numerous services including the enforcement of local, state, and
federal laws, as well as the campus rules and regulations. At
Brown University, the Brown.edu (“The Police and Law
Enforcement,” 2014) site states that there are 80 campus police
officers who also help to prevent campus incidents and
violations. In 2010, the number of crimes committed and
reported at Roger Williams was 536 (Safety and Security
Report, 2012), while the number of crimes reported at Brown
University was 119 (Annual Security Report, 2012), These
statistics are significantly different because the Brown
University website, Brown.edu (“Enrollment Statistics,” 2014),
states that it has an undergraduate population of 6,182; almost
double that of the 3,735 undergraduate students RWU has on
their site, rwu.edu (“RWU Enrollment,” 2014). Clearly these
statistics show that, knowing Brown has both sworn and
security officers, it is clear that the Public Safety department
plays a big part in keeping campuses safe, as well as trying to
keep it alcohol and drug free. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds:
Not necessary to include the url here. Comment by Dahliani
Reynolds: What kind of crimes? How do we know the crimes
are related to drugs/alcohol? Comment by Dahliani Reynolds:
Need one more sentence here to drive home your point that the
statistics are significant because Brown is bigger AND has a
lower rate of crime. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Good
point, though I suppose it’s possible that there might be other
reasons for Brown’s good record…
Many college and university campuses are “dry campuses,”
meaning alcohol is banned, regardless of the owner’s age or
intention to consume it elsewhere. RWU’s Alcohol Policies and

16. Guidelines states, “On south campus, all alcohol, including
empty containers, is prohibited anywhere in the buildings or
surrounding areas regardless of a persons’ age. This includes
parking lots and walkways.” This policy is directed only
towards the south campus, which means that if a student is 21
years of age and on the north half of campus, it might be harder
for the person to be found at fault. Cedar Residence Hall, a
freshmen only dormitory at Roger Williams with an occupancy
of 350 residents, is a dry residence hall. The university has staff
that conduct bag checks at the door, however they are the only
residence hall on this campus that does this procedure. Rhode
Island College is a fully dry campus. Therefore, the college
states on ric.edu that it has the right to inspect all bags or
possessions brought into the residence halls (“Statement,”
2014). Because RIC is a dry campus, allowing bag inspections
have helped their campus and student safety. Having a dry
campus eliminates public drinking. Even though students still
may choose to engage in such a legal activity, this policy still
reduces alcohol activity on and off campus. Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: Good—this is pretty clear!
Through extensive research, our findings on the increase in drug
and alcohol use among students both on and off campus has
yielded worrying results. Not only have students been cited on
campus for possession of alcohol, but several undercover
operations at local bar’s, Finn’s Sports Taphouse & Grille and
The Beach House to give a couple examples, have resulted in
the arrest of approximately 31 RWU students. Charges included
underage drinking or possession of alcohol, possession of a fake
ID, hosting an alcohol related party off campus with minors
present, and distribution of alcohol to minors. There was also
one count of driving under the influence, one count of fighting,
and two counts of public urination. Director of Student Conduct
and Community Standards Helen Hartzell said “This is
substantially higher than what we normally see within a two
week period. Out of those 31 charges however, not all of them
are at one location. We did have a spike at one location.” That

17. location, which has confirmed to have had an “exorbitant
amount of fake ID’s” in the past two weeks is Finn’s Sports
Taphouse & Grille. (Scofield, pg. 1, 2014) Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: This is important information to indicate the
exigency, but it seems out of place given that you’ve just been
talking about policies/guidelines. Maybe this section needs to
be moved to a different place in the report…
The violations that are taking place on campus are even
more troubling. While students will not be brought up on
criminal charges when they are cited by the school, they do face
hefty fines and removal from housing. If it is not their first
offense, they face extended removal from housing, probation,
and even suspension from the University if the violation is
severe enough. If a student is found in possession of drugs, the
penalties range from one week removal from housing and a
$150 fine, to suspension from RWU. If a student is found
distributing drugs on campus, they face immediate suspension,
sometimes even expulsion. Over the course of the last few
years, there have been a total of 15 arrests on campus for
alcohol violations, and a total of 1,198 disciplinary actions
taken against students. In regards to possession of drugs, there
have been a total of 81 arrests on campus, and 187 disciplinary
actions. With each year, the numbers of disciplinary actions are
slowly increasing, but the number of arrests have all but
dissipated. (Source: Public Safety Survey 2010-12 academic
years). Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Ever? Comment by
Dahliani Reynolds: There are some proofreading problems, but
good information to include (though, as with the previous
paragraph, I wonder if this is the best place for it).
Recommendations
Since Roger Williams University alcohol and drug violations
has increased steadily throughout the years, it is more than
enough proof that the current policies that the university is

18. enforcing are not working. When we look at Roger Williams
policies and the student’s response to them, and then compare
them to other universities’ with stricter policies and the number
of alcohol and drug related violations the school has, it is clear
that being more strict with students will lead to a reduction of
violations. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: I’m seeing a
few problems with singular/plural agreement…
When it comes to alcohol related incidents such as consumption,
possession and alcohol paraphernalia, there are up to three
violations before suspension at RWU. Other universities such as
Rhode Island College, Brown University, Bryant University,
and University of Rhode Island have up to one or two violations
before suspension or expulsion. All of these universities have
lower alcohol and drug violations in comparison to Roger
Williams. One thing that we have noticed is that several
universities have a mandatory class or seminar for their
freshman students, where security officers and/or persons with
knowledge in the field talk about safety, substance abuse and its
consequences. We believe that this should be implemented at
Roger Williams, like at the University of Rhode Island, where
students have to take “URI 101,” a mandatory course for
freshman (Richmond, 2006). The university should guide and
help the new students whom are not prepared for the exposure
of alcohol and drugs that is common at college parties. This
“Health 1:1” seminar that Roger Williams’ students have to take
after their third violation should be at the beginning of their
college years as a form of prevention, not after violations have
taken place as a punishment. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds:
One more sentence articulating your point: RWU should have
stricter policies. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Seems like
a sensible recommendation.
Another policy that we believe RWU should take into account
from the University of Rhode Island is their “three-strikes-and-
you’re-out” policy on the students that partake in illegal use of
drugs and alcohol. Even though Roger Williams have similar
policies, they are not as harsh. Strictness from part of the

19. university is needed, since their “third-violation-and-you’re-
suspended” is evidently not working and has failed to reduce
the number of violations in the matter. RWU current policies
regarding alcohol and drug violations lead to punishment such
as housing suspension, reduction of merit points, and fines;
while on the other hand URI’s three-strikes-policy leads to
expulsion, therefore lowering their violation rates.
For Roger Williams, we recommend that they should lower the
number of alcohol and drugs violations from three, to one or
two maximum and consider expulsion depending on the
magnitude of the violation. The school should also implement a
seminar or class for freshmen students to help and prevent
future misconducts and violations. And the “dry-areas” of the
campus and the number of public safety officers should
increase. Comment by Dahliani Reynolds: Okay, good. This is
a very clear articulation of what you are recommending.
Roger Williams’ current alcohol and drug policies are not
giving the desirable outcomes, and we believe it is because the
school is not being strict and cautious enough. We hope that our
research and recommendations are taken into consideration and
that they will lead to positive changes not only for students, but
for the whole Roger Williams community.
Sources
Safety and Security Report. Roger Williams University,
Department of Public Safety. (2012).
Clery Statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.rwu.edu/sites/default/files/annual_security_report.p
df

20. OPE. United States Department of Education, Office of
Postsecondary Education. (2014).
Rhode Island Institutions. Available from
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/az.html
The Department of Public Safety. Roger Williams University,
Department of Public Safety.
(2014).
About. Available from
http://www.rwu.edu/about/university-offices/public-safety/about
The Police and Law Enforcement. Brown University,
Department of Public Safety. (2014).
About the Department. Available from
http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Public_Safety/about/
Annual Security Report. Brown University, Department of
Public Safety. (2014).
Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Retrieved from
http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Public_Safety/news/2012
%20Annual%20Report.pdf
Enrollment Statistics. Brown University, Department of
Admissions. (2014).
Enrollment Statistics. Total. Retrieved from
http://www.brown.edu/about/facts/enrollment
RWU Enrollment. Roger Williams University, Department of
Admissions. (2014).
RWU Enrollment. Undergraduate. Retrieved from
http://www.rwu.edu/about/who-we-are/fast-facts
Statement. Rhode Island College, Residential Life and Housing.
(2014).
Policies. Alcohol Policy. Available from
http://www.ric.edu/residential-Life/policies_alcohol.php

21. Richmond, Jayne, Dean. (2006). Textbook and Course
Curriculum.
In URI 101 Traditions and Transformations (Section 53).
Available from
http://www.uri.edu/accreditation/selfstudy/AppendicesStandard
6/Appendix6.25URI101Syllabus.pdf
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