How we developed our Residence Alcohol Policy at Acadia University. This was a presentation for Residence Life professionals given in November 2012 at Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus in Truro, Nova Scotia. It was part of the Atlantic Residence Conference 2012.

1. Residence Alcohol
Policy Development at
Acadia University
Cecilia Jacobs
Residence Don
Matthew Guy
Manager, Residence Life

2. Acadia s Experience
• Why we were looking at alcohol policies?
• Strang Review

4. Acadia Residence Alcohol Policy
Disclaimer:
• This is not THE answer
(or the only answer)
• High risk drinking still happens
• We still get ambulances, we still get
vandalism and we still have problems
• I will concentrate on our approach rather than
the minutiae of the policy
• One size does not fit all

5. Strang Review
• The Review Process
• Individual, Environmental, Systems
• Best Practices (Residence)
• Student Reaction (ASU)
• Our Strengths
• Provincial/National Level (Issue)
• Webinar (Winter 2012)

6. N.C.H.I.P.
(The National College Health Improvement
Project)
• Acadia University s involvement (Spring
2011)
• Darren Kruisselbrink (Alcohol Surveys)
• Collection of Data
• Alcohol Internship (Addictions course)
• Party Smart Video
• Motivation is Sophistication student
campaign
• Red Watch Band Program

7. Resident Assistant Training
• January 2012 Alcohol Education
workshop
• August 2012 Training
• EHS Training
• R.A.s Leaders for Responsible Drinking

8. Red & Blue Crew
• Red Watch Band Program (Stony Brook
University, U.S.A.)
• Acadia specific
• Alcohol First Aid
• September 2012
• Student led program

10. Globe and Mail
“While the University of Alberta is prohibiting alcohol
consumption in public areas of residences, Acadia has adopted
a more radical, far-reaching approach. It includes sending
letters encouraging parents to have “safe drinking” chats with
their children, allowing residence advisers to enter dorm
rooms to check for alcohol during “welcome week,” and
designating public areas where those who are of legal age can
drink.
Worth noting is that Acadia’s policy has the backing of its
students’ union, while the University of Alberta’s has been
widely criticized by students.”

11. “What makes Acadia’s approach stand
out among its Canadian counterparts is
an acknowledgment that banning
alcohol in residence might only displace
the problem (or simply drive students to
their rooms to drink).”
Globe and Mail, August 2012

12. Context
• NCHIP
• Strang Review
• Welcome Week being coordinated by
Residence Life
• Under a media microscope
• Failure was not an option

13. Approach to Welcome Week
• Back to the drawing board
• What is orientation?
– What do we want to achieve?
• Enhanced role of RAs and House Councils
• Changed role of Welcome Week leaders
• More alternative programming (much much more)
• Less cheering
• New residence alcohol policy

14. Residence Alcohol Policy
• Involve small group of key stakeholders
• Senior Director, Student Affairs
• Manager, Residence Life
• President, Acadia Students Union
• VP Programmining, Acadia Students Union

15. Admission time....
I started off firmly believing we
needed to ban alcohol

16. Consensus
• Did not rush the process
• Series of meetings
• Worked on areas of agreement
• Similar to a contract negotiation
• Lots of areas of agreement
• A few significant areas of disagreement
(deal breakers)

17. What made it work
• Backing of Senior Administration
• Good respectful relationship with our
Students Union
• Partnership approach
• Commitment to reach consensus

18. What happened?
• Decision made at 11th hour
• Policy:
– Ban glass bottles outside rooms
– Relax alcohol transportation rules
– No stockpiling
– No trophies
– Drinking only in designated lounges during first few
days (so no drinking in rooms)

19. Communication
• Long meeting with RAs, House Council and
student Safety and Security staff
• I was thrown to the wolves
• Hour long meeting - some aggressive questions
• No overnight emails
• Follow up meetings with the key student
leaders
• ASU met with House Councils
• ResLife met with Senior Resident Assistants

20. Successes
• General adherence to rules
• No write ups
• More engagement of international students
• Greater satisfaction from international
community
• Dare to be an individual
• Residence retention
• Ongoing programming

21. Challenges
• Measuring success?
– Ambulance calls? NO!
– No major harms?
– Non-academic Judicial Charges?
– Program hours?
– Anecdotal evidence?
– Attendance at events?
– Residence retention

22. Challenges
• Keeping up the momentum
– Homecoming
– Halloween
– Last class bash
– Traditional rivalry events (Cheaton Cup)
• Planning for next year
– Making it better
– Keeping the adherence to rules
– What to repeat and what to drop

23. Lessons Learnt
• Consensus can emerge
• Be flexible - its not winners and losers
• Students often have the best solutions
• Change is difficult
• Starting with blank sheet really worked for us
• Dare to be different - Plan, Do, Study, Act
• Standby for unexpected consequences