This publication was produced

under U.S. Department of

Transportation (USDOT), National

Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) Contract

No. DTNH22-99-H-05163 with

North American Interfraternity

Conference (NIC) and George

Mason University’s Center for the

Advancement of Public Health.

Geof Brown is the Project Director

serving as the Alcohol Summit

coordinator for the NIC. The

principal writer was David S.

Anderson of the Center for the

Advancement of Public Health,

George Mason University. Ruth

Esteban-Muir served as the

contracting officer’s technical

representative (COTR) for NHTSA.

Benjamin Cromer with NHTSA

served as the editor and publishing

coordinator.
F

1

PREFACE

It was a very

effective summit;

it opened my

eyes to the

community

problem and

encouraged

members of

each sorority

and fraternity

to work together.

– Participant

Fraternities and sororities in

the United States have a long and

varied history. Founded with high

ideals, these student-led organizations have firmly established

standards, rituals, and traditions

that have evolved over the years to

embrace the positive, quality

development of young men and

women as their primary mission

and focus. Many of these Greekletter organizations and their

members have been recognized for

their leadership, not only on

campus but in the surrounding

community as well.

Unfortunately, high-risk alcohol use

has played a large part in unraveling

the fabric of these organizations.

To help address the high-risk and

problematic use of alcohol by members of fraternities and sororities,

many national organizations have

worked diligently to develop

strategies and programs, including

specific policies, to combat the

problem.

Despite these efforts, drinking

patterns among members of

fraternities and sororities are found

to be higher than those of undergraduate students who are not

affiliated with Greek organizations.1

While this varies from campus to

campus, fraternity or sorority

members typically consume larger

quantities of alcohol, and drink

more frequently, than nonmembers. Everyone involved in

tackling the issue of high risk

drinking in campus communities,

from national fraternity and

sorority leaders and chapter

advisors to campus administrators

and parents, are justifiably

concerned about the most

appropriate and effective ways to

address this recurring problem.

The North-American Interfraternity

Conference organized the Alcohol

Summit, a meeting designed for

leaders of college fraternities and

sororities to develop an agenda and

work plan to identify, design, and

implement strategies to reduce this

high-risk drinking by college-age

students. The Alcohol Summit

represents an important first step –

a roadmap to developing a plan for

changing the glamorized destructive

drinking culture of fraternity and

sorority organizations. This

document provides a foundation

of this strategic approach, for

consideration by campuses and

other groups interested in

influencing a culture change for

the nation’s college campuses.

The Alcohol Summits piloted on

18 campuses served as a helpful

foundation for meaningful and

sustained change. Although no

campus turned around the high-risk

drinking problem overnight as a

result of the Summit, many have

begun to make progress in

developing, implementing and/or

re-engineering new programs,

activities, policies and/or procedures referred in this guide as

change initiatives.

1

Weschler, H.; Eun Lee, J.; Kuo, M.;

Seibring M.; Nelson, T.G.; and Lee, H.

Trends in College Binge Drinking

during a Period of Increased

Prevention Efforts: Findings from 4

Harvard School of Public Health

College Alcohol Surveys: 1993-2001.

Journal of American College Health

April 2002; 50: 203-217.

3

outcomes within the context of an

overall comprehensive campusbased program.

In addition, the Alcohol Summits

em ph a s i zed ethical dec i s i on - m a k i n g,

community-building, values-based

leadership, and methods of

implementing change. Initiated in

2000, the Alcohol Summit program

involved 18 colleges and universities

from throughout the United States,

both public and private institutions,

large and small. The pilot schools

were Mercer University, Adrian

College, Bucknell University,

Valdosta State University, the

University of South Dakota,

Washington and Lee University,

Vanderbilt University, Iowa State

University, the University of Nevada

– Las Vegas, the University of North

Dakota, the University of Miami,

Baldwin-Wallace College, the

University of Rochester, the

University of Maine, the University

of Kansas, the University of Akron,

Northwest Missouri State University,

and the University of Maryland.

These Summits were held between

fall of 2000 and spring of 2003.

There were over 750 fraternity and

sorority members and campus

professionals that participated in the

18 Alcohol Summits.

Organizers and participants share

their experiences, lessons learned,

and a variety of initiatives specific

campuses implemented as a result

of conducting an Alcohol Summit.

By studying these insights and

strategies learned, it is hoped that

fraternities and sororities at other

educational institutions will benefit from this shared knowledge

and experience.

H

INTRODUCTION

High-risk drinking has long been

a problem at U.S. colleges and

universities. Consequently, the

educational community, national

organizations, government agencies,

national fraternity and sorority

groups, and interested citizens have

worked individually and collectively

to identify potential strategies that

address the disproportionate level

of high risk drinking by collegeage students.

The North-American Interfraternity

Conference (NIC) with funding

from the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA) of

the U.S. Department of Transportation held a series of one-and-a-halfday Alcohol Summits for college

fraternity and sorority communities.

Focusing on impaired driving and

high-risk drinking, the Summits

were designed to help fraternity and

sorority leaders on participating

campuses identify ways of better

addressing the harmful consequ en ces of these high - risk beh avi ors .

The Alcohol Summit provided an

opportunity for fraternity and

sorority leaders to review how

alcohol is used on campus, how

alcohol affects a student’s behavior,

and how alcohol contributes to

negative consequences, including

the ways that they can assume

responsibility to better address

alcohol issues. As with any one

strategy, it is not a “magic bullet” or

a “cure all”; it can play a positive

role in achieving the desired
4

Organization of the Guide

The guide has been designed to

provide direction from initiating

an Alcohol Summit to assessing or

evaluating the implemented change

initiatives.

The Overview provides a quick

summary of the organization of the

Summit and insights and

recommendations from Summit

participants and organizers.

Campus Profiles describes the

conditions and environment of each

participating campus at the time the

Summit was implemented. This will

help campuses and communities

identify those participating

campuses most similar to theirs.

Post-Summit Initiatives outlines the

activities implemented by the

campuses as a result of the

Summits. The initiatives were

classified into four areas of strategic

intervention, 1) Environmental; 2)

Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavioral

Intentions; 3) Health Protection;

and 4) Intervention and Treatment.

The classification of these strategies

were defined by the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher

Education Center for Alcohol and

Other Drug Prevention as explained

in the Safe Lanes on Campus: A

Guide for Preventing Impaired

Driving and Underage Drinking,

published in 2003.

Project Implementation provides

explanations of the organization of

the Summit including: Facilitator/

Participant Selection, Advance

Preparations, Planning, Implementation, and Follow-Up.

Program Evaluation explains the

key elements to assessing the success

of the initiatives implemented.

Developed by the Center for the

Advancement of Public Health

(CAPH) at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia, it is

an integral part of these Alcohol

Summits. Insights from the assessments also served as a foundation

for this guide.
5

NIC worked with these campuses to

trial their newly developed process

for organizing the Alcohol Summit.

This included setting up initial

interviews with a variety of campus

and community leaders and

stakeholders. This included setting

up initial interviews with campus

and community leaders and

stakeholders and identifying

fraternity, sorority, and campus

personnel to participate.

Recognizing the importance of the

selection process to the success of

the project, NIC and NHTSA

established criteria for participating.

NIC developed a pilot curriculum

that was created based on their

experience in leadership

development training. The original

curriculum served to build strong

relationships, and knowledge and

skills of participants. While building

leadership skills was critical to

successfully implementing

programs, NIC recognized the

importance of emphasizing the

development of action plans. This

was incorporated into the

curriculum that is used today.

Participants, NIC leaders, and

campus staff members offered these

suggestions for implementing the

Alcohol Summit.  Recognize the needs of his/her

campus concerning alcohol/highrisk drinking programming and

prevention measures.

T

OVERVIEW

This was one

of the best

experiences

I have had

in college. It

allowed me to

take a look at

my life as well

as the lives

of others.

– Participant

The model for the Alcohol

Summit is based on the experiences

and insights gained from the wide

range of schools that participated in

the program. This section of the

guide provides direction on

structuring a program to ensure a

successful Summit. NIC staff

developed the guide through the

experiences gained from the pilot

phase of the project.

There were three phases of the pilot

program. The first phase helped

establish a process for setting up

the Alcohol Summit. It was the

initial implementation of the

Alcohol Summit. Three campuses

participated. The second phase

helped define the criteria for

campus selection. Five campuses

participated. The third helped refine

the Alcohol Summit process that

would lead to an initial work plan.

Two sets of five campuses

participated in the last phase. A total

of 18 campuses participated.

With the vision to change the

culture of fraternities and sororities

throughout the nation, the NorthAmerican Interfraternity

Conference collaborated with the

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration to develop the

foundation for the Alcohol Summit.

NIC and NHTSA staff identified

three initial demonstration

campuses by promoting the concept

to NIC campus members and

selecting from those that responded

with interest.
 Create a vision and plan of

action for the fraternity/sorority

community with involvement

from each participant.

 Assist students in forming

collaborative relationships

among the campus and local

community.

 Understand the process of

leading change within an

organization.

 Introduce them to the concept of

leadership as viewed through

behavior.

 Examine the role of values in

their decision-making.

 Identify the extent to which

stated fraternal values drive

fraternity/sorority attitudes,

programs, and behaviors.

 Increase their commitment to

values, designed to serve as a

catalyst for urgent change.

 Establish a climate of openness

and trust through small group

sharing exercises.

 Demonstrate how effective

communication skills are a

necessity to accomplish the

identified goals.

 Identify available resources.

 Ma ke su re that ex pect a ti ons for

the Summit are clear to everyon e .

This helps the campus staff

m em bers to know what to ex pect ,

and it helps the fac i l i t a tors know

what the ex pect a ti ons are .

 Address specific traditions, such

as high-risk weekends, that are

destructive to what you are

trying to accomplish.

 Conduct the Summit offcampus. This allows the group to

be focused on the task at hand.

 Engage support from those

outside fraternity/sorority office

life. Gaining support from other

parts of the campus community

will help the overall cause.

 Continue to educate and inform

parents, alumni, and the board

of trustees about the initiation

of the Alcohol Summit,

including the goals, to

implementation of programs.

 Develop action plans early in the

Summit process. By not having

the action plan woven

throughout the Summit, it will

be too late for the students to

become engaged with the plan.

 Continue to promote leadership

from the top.

 Listen to what participants, staff

and facilitators have to say about

the curriculum.

 Make sure that fraternity/sorority

leaders buy into the efforts; if

they don’t “get it,” then it is

unlikely that the rest of the

chapter will.

 Identify a few students who are

genuinely passionate about the

issue and who can be tasked with

organizing large parts of the

Summit. It is particularly useful

to find students who want to see

changes occur but just do not

know where to start.

 Recruit small group facilitators

into the effort. If you have strong

supportive facilitators, the

change initiatives will be

improved. Also, on-campus

facilitators promote connections

by students to other parts of the

campus community.

 Hold small group facilitator

training at the same off-campus

location as the Summit. By

offering this training off-site,

participants will be more relaxed

and prepared for the students’

arrival. Make sure all the logistics

are handled correctly. This

includes departing campus on

time for an off-campus location

and staying on schedule.

 Offer a follow-up retreat to

maintain momentum after the

core group of students involved

with the Summit graduate. Also,

do not rely on one student to

follow through: spread out the

responsibilities.

 Develop new goals after the

initial goals are achieved. This

helps offset the idea that once the

initial goals are accomplished,

the job is finished.
7

T

CAMPUS PROFILES

The summit

gave a sense of

purpose and

direction to

our overall goals

as a community.

– Participant

The 18 pilot campuses that

conducted the Alcohol Summit

demonstrated a diversity of needs,

histories, campus settings, and

results. The ultimate aim sought for

each of these campuses was a reduction of alcohol-related problems for

members of the campus’ fraternities

and sororities. The desired impact

sought was a change of culture on

the campuses. Resulting from the

Alcohol Summits was implementation of a wide range of change

initiatives, which are reported on

the following pages. These efforts

provide the initial indication of

results that serve as the foundation

for the longer-range impact of a

changed campus culture.

George Mason University’s Center

for the Advancement of Public

Health conducted a multi-phase

review of the project. The review

included a knowledge and attitude

assessment administered to

participants at each of the Alcohol

Summits. In addition, pre and post

interviews were conducted with

student and administrative leaders

for each campus. Assessment instruments, outcomes, and additional

details beyond the summaries are

available through the GMU and

the NIC web sites.

While it is too early to demonstrate

the desired changes, the processes

and activities achieved thus far

document that many campuses are

moving toward the desired

direction. These campus profiles

reflect the viewpoints and opinions

of the student and administrative

leaders who were interviewed

and/or were participants in the

Alcohol Summits.

Mercer University

Location: Macon, Georgia

Student Population:

6,800 undergraduate and

graduate students

Characteristics: Private;

Baptist affiliated, 24 percent of men

in fraternities, 26 percent of women

in sororities

www.mercer.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 41

The Alcohol Summit at Mercer

University led to educational

programs, awareness seminars,

activities, and social and

recreational events without alcohol,

providing various platforms to

address alcohol awareness on

campus. One concern resulting from

the Summit was a lack of organized

follow-up on campus. While

students demonstrated a desire to

address alcohol issues, the formal

advising and follow-up was missing.

Therefore, the challenge was to

combine self-governance among

students with on-campus

administrative support. Another

challenge at Mercer University was

the need, in both a training and
8

follow-up role, to help students see

alcohol issues as a problem of

behavior; these students tended to

see alcohol issues as a problem of

image. Given that this was the first

Alcohol Summit at Mercer, it was a

useful lesson for those who would

be assisting others in addressing

alcohol issues on campus.

Bucknell University

Location: Lewisburg, PA

Approximate Student Population:

3,350 undergraduates and

150 graduate students

Characteristics: Private, 41 percent

of men in fraternities, 45 percent

of women in sororities

www.bucknell.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 40

The Alcohol Summit held at

Bucknell University was an

especially difficult project because

of a clear divide between school

administrators and students. The

rift occurred when fraternity and

sorority chapter members were

informed that they were required to

attend the Summit; in addition, a

policy and standards document was

developed with little student input.

Yet, the event was not a complete

loss. Participants did express a

willingness to host more alcoholfree events. In addition, an Alcohol

Awareness Week following the

Summit was cited as perhaps the

“best yet.” Fraternities and sororities

abstained from alcohol during that

week; parties were not hosted on or

off campus during the week; and

many fraternity and sorority

members participated in the

activities, including fraternity and

sorority presidents signing a

proclamation recognizing the

importance of curtailing alcohol

misuse and abuse.

Valdosta State University

Location: Valdosta, GA

Approximate Student Population:

9,300

Characteristics: Public, 3 percent

of men in fraternities, 5 percent

of women in sororities

www.valdosta.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 34

Before the Summit, the consensus

of interviewed students at Valdosta

State University did not see alcohol

consumption as a problem on

campus. While the students had

previously had conversations about

alcohol on campus, there was not

dialogue to bring about change. As

a result of the Alcohol Summit,

fraternities and sororities discussed

developing a safe rides program and

addressed the need for more alcohol

awareness and alcohol-free

programming. They also identified

issues such as a training program

for people planning parties, as well

as targeted programs for local bar

and tavern owners to provide an

alternative to the drinking specials

they offer. In addition, the mood

on campus is starkly different:

Campus leaders report less visible

public drunkenness and continued

visibility of efforts to inform

students about alcohol issues. There

is room for improvement due to the

absence of staff to help students

continue to follow through on the

activities and initiatives outlined in

the Summit.

University of South Dakota

Location: Vermillion, SD

Approximate Student Population:

8,700

Characteristics: Public, 20 percent

of men in fraternities, 12 percent

of women in sororities

www.usd.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 47

Students at the University of South

Dakota reported they have “nothing

to do but drink,” with drinking

apparently playing a significant role

on campus. The small-town college

community has limited entertainment options and students frequent

bars in the area. As a result of the

Summit, two existing student

organizations, GAMMA (Greeks

Advocating Mature Management of

Alcohol) and HELP (Health

Enhancement Led by Peers), were

merged. Students suggested offering

a variety of fraternity/sorority

alcohol-free activities, reducing

both the incidence of high-risk

drinking as well as drinking and

driving. A president’s task force was

formed to further address alcohol

issues. Although students are

reported to be more receptive to

discussing alcohol issues following

the Summit, it is not clear whether

this fact resulted from the Summit
9

itself or from other activities that

occurred during the same period

as the Summit.

Adrian College

Location: Adrian, MI

Approximate Student Population:

1021

Characteristics: Private, Methodist

affiliated, 29 percent of men in

fraternities, 29 percent of women

in sororities

www.adrian.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 41

Ad rian Co ll ege is a small priva te

rel i gious affiliated co ll ege wh ere

s tu dents hold trad i ti onal Mi dwe s t

va lu e s . By holding an Al co h o l

Su m m i t , a t ten ti on was directed at

forming a GAMMA ch a pter. Th e

focus of the ch a pter was to rec ru i t

n ew mem bers because the stu den t

l e aders at the Al cohol Summit fo u n d

that probl ems are more evi dent wi t h

yo u n ger, “o ut of con tro l ” s tu den t s .

S tu dents attending the Al co h o l

Summit also prom o ted peer edu c a -

ti on with the ex pre s s edneed to

edu c a te each other abo ut dec i s i on -

m a k i n g, d rinking re s pon s i bly,

ad d ressing the root of d ri n k i n g

p a t tern s , and examining the con s e -

qu en ces of a l cohol con su m pti on .

Summit participants also discussed

the establ i s h m ent of a shuttle bu s

program to tra n s port stu dents to

p a rties at off-campus houses inste ad

of h aving them drive . An o t h er

po ten tial soluti on of fered by parti -

cipants was to establish a partn ership with a nei gh boring co ll ege to

ad d ress tra n s port a ti on issues rel a ted

to stu dents and dri n k i n g.

Washington and Lee University

Location: Lexington, VA

Approximate Student Population:

1,700 undergraduate and 350

graduate students

Characteristics: Private, 80 percent

of men in fraternities, 72 percent

of women in sororities

www2.wlu.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 48

Wa s h i n g ton and Lee Un ivers i ty is

ri ch in trad i ti on and va lues with the

m a j ori ty of u n der gradu a te s

becoming mem bers of f ra tern i ti e s .

Recen t ly, a strong de s i re to cre a te

s i gnificant ch a n ge occ u rred

pri m a ri ly as a re sult of the deaths of

s everal stu dents in alco h o l - rel a ted

tra ged i e s . The Al cohol Su m m i t ,

m oreover, p a ra ll el ed a revi ew and

m a j or revi s i on of the campus

a l cohol po l i c y. Con c u rren t ly,

s tu dents had strong oppo s i ti on to

the new policy and the stri ct

d i s c i p l i n a ry approach inherent in

the new po l i c y; while it tu rn ed out

that the new policy was proactive ,

the stu den t s’ s pecific con cerns were

that stu dent con s en sus had not been

s o u gh t , and they had not

p a rti c i p a ted in policy devel opm en t .

The alcohol policy insti tuted a

“t h ree - s tri ke sys tem for vi o l a ti on s

and ulti m a tely foc u s ed on holding

a ll stu dents acco u n t a bl e . One of t h e

s i gnificant outcomes of the Al co h o l

Summit was that it served as a major

c a t h a rsis for stu den t s , who bel i eved

The entire

summit made

me feel a lot

more confident

in my abilities

to confront

alcohol issues.

I learned a lot

about myself

and my personal

leadership skills.

– Participant
10

a l co h o l . As a re su l t , the Al co h o l

Summit Va n derbilt Group was

form ed , wh i ch inclu ded 10 to 12

s tu dents who met wee k ly after the

Su m m i t , with a pri m a ry em ph a s i s

on devel oping stra tegies for

ch a n ging the drinking norms on

c a m p u s . S pec i f i c a lly, the aim was to

of fer edu c a ti onal opportu n i ties for

f ra tern i ties and sorori ti e s . Th ere was

also a de s i re to have more alco h o l -

f ree activi ties on the campus,

i n cluding a “S pring Fling” c a rn iva l .

It was espec i a lly rew a rding wh en

data co ll ected immed i a tely fo ll owi n g

the Summit reve a l ed that sign i f i c a n t

ch a n ges in parti c i p a n t s’ percepti on s

a bo ut the pers onal role they co u l d

p l ay in campus cultu re ch a n ge had

t a ken place du ring the Su m m i t ; t h i s

data not on ly illu s tra ted wh a t

s tu dents ga i n ed and learn ed over the

wee ken d , but the Summit also

ch a n ged their out l ook on ri s k

m a n a gem ent issues and high l i gh ted

the dangers of h i gh - risk dri n k i n g. In

ad d i ti on , po s t - Summit campus wi de

su rvey data showed a sign i f i c a n t

redu cti on in drinking amon g

f ra tern i ty mem bers , com p a red wi t h

data from pri or ye a rs .

Iowa State University

Location: Ames, Iowa

Approximate Student Population:

28,900 (23,400 undergraduate and

5,500 graduate)

www.iastate.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 52

During the Alcohol Summit at Iowa

State University, the Summit helped

improve fraternity/sorority members’ accountability as participants

sought to identify ways to hold

more members accountable for

their actions. This emphasis on

accountability seemed to derive

from a concern that the university

administration might need to

enforce the campus alcohol policy

more vigorously. Another outcome

was a more serious desire to

promote alcohol-free activities on

campus. Many of the students who

participated in the Alcohol Summit

have since assumed leadership

positions for a wide range of

campus councils and committees.

Students also became more involved

in planning ways to implement late

night and weekend programs.

Finally, they are involved in

establishing policies that designate

certain events as alcohol-free.

University of Nevada -

Las Vegas

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Approximate Student Population:

24,000

Characteristics: Public, 7 percent

of men in fraternities, 5 percent

of women in sororities

www.unlv.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 35

The University of Nevada – Las

Vegas faces several challenges, most

notably a campus setting located

near the “Las Vegas strip” of hotels

t h ey had little input into the po l i c y.

The re sult was incre a s ed dialog u e

with ad m i n i s tra tors abo ut stu den t

beh avi or, re s pon s i bi l i ty, com mu n i -

c a ti on , pers onal va lues sys tem s , a n d

l e aders h i p.A second issue foc u s ed

u pon du ring the Summit was the

su pport of a l co h o l - f ree tailga te

p a rti e s . The third major outcom e

was the establ i s h m ent of a safe ri de s

tra n s port a ti on proj ect , the Travel er

progra m . It invo lves two miniva n s

that are ava i l a ble three nights a wee k

with veh i cle insu ra n ce handl ed by

the univers i ty.

Vanderbilt University

Location: Nashville, TN

Approximate Student Population:

6,300 undergraduate and 4,600

graduate and professional students

Characteristics: Private, 34 percent

of men in fraternities, 50 percent

of women in sororities

www.vanderbilt.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 44

Being a mem ber of a fra tern i ty or

s orori ty at a co ll ege in the sout h ,

su ch as Va n derbilt Un ivers i ty, of ten

means that dec i s i ons abo ut wh a t

s tu dents wi ll do on a parti c u l a r

n i ght revo lve around “ wh ere to

d ri n k” as oppo s ed to “ wh et h er or

not to dri n k .” The Al cohol Su m m i t

i nvo lved su b s t a n tial su pport from

u n ivers i ty ad m i n i s tra tors . Th e

u l ti m a te goal espo u s ed by stu den t s

du ring the Summit was to dec re a s e

s tu den t s’ s ocial depen dency on
11

organization to help in implementing the action items generated at

the Summit. Weekly meetings were

held to help launch these initiatives,

and to generate publicity for the

organization. Greeks in Action cosponsored an on-campus coffee

house, which demonstrated the

concern by the fraternity/sorority

community regarding alcohol use

on campus. Three change initiatives

emerged from the Alcohol Summit:

Al co h o l - Free Rec ru i tm en t , S pon s orship of Al co h o l - Free Even t s , a n d

Redu cti on of D rinking and Drivi n g.

Overall, students supported the

Alcohol Summit and adopted as

t h eir own the message abo ut a va lu e s -

b a s ed approach to ad d ressing dri n k -

ing as well as drinking and drivi n g.

University of Miami

Location: Coral Gables, FL

Approximate Student Population:

15,000 undergraduate and graduate

Characteristics: Private 13 percent of

men in fraternities, 13 percent of

women in sororities

www.miami.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 49

The Alcohol Summit at the University of Miami served as a type of

mediation between the administration and fraternity/sorority leaders

concerning alcohol issues. The

Summit helped to empower

students and suggested strongly that

they have a voice in determining the

policy for the university community.

As a result of the Summit, a student

and resorts, a lifestyle that suggests

to some students that heavy drinking is seen as okay. One major

outcome of the Summit was a

renewed commitment to GAMMA;

in fact, the entire executive board

of GAMMA attended the Summit.

As a result, attendance at GAMMA

events has increased, as well as

support of GAMMA by fraternity

and sorority chapters. The Summit

also led to substance-free community-wide events every semester. The

students hosted a number of speakers and a campus-wide substance

free formal called S-No Buzz.

Another by-product of the Summit

was the incorporation of discussions

about the role of alcohol in the

community as a major focus during

the fraternity/sorority leaders’

retreat that followed the Summit.

University of North Dakota

Location: Grand Forks, ND

Approximate Student Population:

12,400

Characteristics: Public, 9 percent of

men in fraternities, 9 percent

women in fraternities

www.und.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 39

The Alcohol Summit at the

University of North Dakota had

large student support because students themselves helped organize

the event. Following the Summit, a

new organization was established,

Greeks in Action, which focused

on becoming a recognized student

This has been

a great building

experience. As

a person who

is highly active

in the community,

I learned how

to confront and

tie problems

together.

– Participant
12

Overall, students were more committed and empowered as a result of

the Summit; they expressed their

concern about some staff initiatives

to revamp a student organization

and focused instead on their own

change initiatives. They wanted to

counteract some alcohol-related

behaviors that were campus traditions, such as the April Reign event.

In addition, the participants decided

to highlight the entire picture of

Greek life, and not just parties, with

a positive marketing campaign.

Finally, participants pledged to

create different penalties for deviation from rules, strengthen standards for chapters, and recommend

that chapters sign a “social contract”

whereby they will respect the law,

both on and off campus.

University of Rochester

Location: Rochester, NY

Approximate Student Population:

4,400 undergraduate and 2,900

graduate students

Characteristics: Private, 26 percent

of men in fraternities, 19 percent of

women in sororities

www.rochester.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 38

The pre-Summit challenge facing

the University of Rochester included

student concerns about their

relationship with campus security

personnel. As a result of the Alcohol

Summit, participants focused on the

need to shift the relationship with

campus security to embrace clear

lines of communication, weekly

meetings, and continuity with patrol

officers. In addition, the rights and

responsibilities of security officers

and of Greek members also were

identified. To address these issues, a

Greek Review Board was formed; its

purpose was to enhance activities

already occurring on campus by

studying the total picture of what is

occurring with Greek life, identifying changes that are needed, and

examining those reoccurring

activities and events that is highly

associated with alcohol drinking as

its main activity, such as the Dandelion Day celebration, held on

campus each spring. Another concern that emerged from the Alcohol

Summit was the lack of a clear mandate of support from the campus

administration for these initiatives.

University of Maine

Location: Orono, MN

Approximate Student Population:

11,300

Characteristics: Public, 7 percent of

men in fraternities, 8 percent of

women in sororities

www.umaine.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 32

One of the challenges facing the

University of Maine was its perceived remoteness of the campus,

leading to students stating that,

“there is nothing to do.” Further, a

poor campus-town relationship,

which was based in part on a lack

of attention and commitment to

creating a safe environment

regarding alcohol use, added to the

organization named GLUE (Greek

Life United Everyone or Greeks

Leading Uniting Everyone) was

established to implement the action

plan. The action plan included

revision of the alcohol policy and

party registration procedures with

the perspective of students, a risk

management program, and

revitalization of social activities for

the campus. A Safe Rides program,

Beep-A-Greek, also was established.

Finally, a weekly risk management

round table discussion group was

offered to help cement the changes

brought about by the Summit.

Baldwin-Wallace College

Location: Berea, OH

Approximate Student Population:

2,900 undergraduate and 600

graduate students

Characteristics: Private, 17 percent

of men in fraternities, 21 percent

women in sororities

www.bw.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 33

The Alcohol Summit at BaldwinWallace College offered several

unique challenges. Due to staff

turnover, the preparation lacked full

coordination and involvement of

students. Further, the Summit was

scheduled on a big campus

community weekend, thus limiting

student involvement. Even so,

several action initiatives emerged

from the Summit. Participants

wanted to create an environment

that models responsible behavior.
13

The Greek community at the

University of Kansas believes there is

no consistency within the campus

community about alcohol issues.

The campus’ social norms program

was viewed as not working,

inappropriate, and as a joke among

students. A general goal of the

Alcohol Summit at the University of

Kansas was to promote an environment where non-alcohol events

would be fun. Specifically, the Greek

community hosted alcohol-free

programs for members, including

“Hawk Night” (movie nights),

hosted by a local movie theatre, with

rewards and incentives for particip a ti on . For new mem bers , the “G O ! ”

(Greek Orientation) is offered to

introduce new members to alcoholfree events. A large emphasis was

placed on reducing drinking and

driving by expanding the campus

safe-ride program, increasing

chapter-based drinking and driving

educational programs, and expanding the campus’ bus service. The

strong involvement of Inter-Fraternity Council and Panhellenic

Council representatives at the

Summit demonstrated that student

leaders were involved in the process

and were committed to the

Summit’s agenda.

University of Akron

Location: Akron, OH

Approximate Student Population:

19,177

Characteristics: Public, 4 percent

of students in fraternities and

sororities

www.akron.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 42

Primarily a commuter campus,

students at the University of Akron

typically carry a full academic load

and many have part-time or fulltime jobs. In addition, there has

been concern on campus about

underage drinking. As a result of the

Alcohol Summit, an increased

awareness and self-responsibility

about alcohol consumption

emerged, along with a range of

action initiatives to promote greater

responsibility by students. Victim

impact initiatives were scheduled to

promote “the scare” of negative

consequences that can emerge from

high risk drinking. Programs on

creating safety and awareness on

alcohol issues, including broader

community-wide alcohol awareness

programming, also were identified.

Alcohol-free programming is in the

process of being reevaluated to

make these events more appropriate

and more attractive, which also

recognizes the importance of

promoting alcohol-free recruitment

and maintaining chapter accountability. From a policy perspective, a

new alcohol policy was passed with

the support and understanding of

uneasy relationship between the

college and local community before

the Summit. During the Summit,

students emphasized the need for

risk management, accountability,

values, and confrontation. The

Summit led to development of a

program that educates members on

risk management policies, codes,

accountability, and available campus

resources, including those on

alcohol, health and wellness. Alternative programs that offer social

and educational opportunities

include coffee houses and a Winter

Formal opened to the entire campus. A fraternity/sorority designated-driver network brought attention

to reducing drinking and driving.

Ads were encouraged to promote

taxi and bus telephone numbers,

offer education about the dangers

of drinking and driving, and

encourage fraternity and sorority

members to keep others from

drinking and driving. The focus on

new members included meaningful

programming on alcohol responsible decisions and health and

wellness issues.

University of Kansas

Location: Lawrence, KS

Approximate Student Population:

28,800

Characteristics: Public, 15 percent

of men in fraternities, 18 percent

of women in sororities

www.ukans.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 55
14

interactive web-based programs.

The Summit also emphasized promotion of alcohol-free programming, providing the impetus for the

social chairs in each chapter to

create alcohol-free programming

that students will want to participate. Further, there was a desire to

reduce drinking and driving by

working with the city council;

strategies included changing parking

regulations outside licensed

establishments such as allowing

overnight parking, subsidizing

taxicab rides, and promoting

designated driver programs. Finally,

risk management policies were

highlighted through increased

enforcement of the policies, as well

as writing the policies in easily

understood language with the aim

that every Greek member sign a

statement that they have read and

understand the bylaws and risk

management policies.

University of Maryland

Location: College Park, MD

Approximate Student Population:

25,179 undergraduates

Characteristics: Public, 9 percent of

men in fraternities, 10 percent of

women in sororities

www.umd.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 42

The Alcohol Summit at the

University of Maryland was held at

a campus that experienced two high

profile drug or alcohol-related

deaths among members of the

Greek community. There were

additional challenges in the period

immediately preceding the Summit:

While the Alcohol Summit had

social chairs and risk managers, no

chapter presidents, IFC, and

Panhellenic leaders attended.

Despite these setbacks, several

initiatives emerged, such as an

attention to safety in the

community surrounding the

campus as well as the creation of the

Greek watch program to promote

safe walks home for those who have

been drinking at parties. In

addition, the desire to create a lower

risk environment was promoted by

changing the norm of heavy alcohol

consumption and amending the

social policy to allow parties (but

not the serving of alcohol) to begin

later. After the Summit, several

follow-up meetings were held and

GAMMA has been identified as the

appropriate group to implement the

change initiatives.

all chapters on campus. The alcohol

policy was developed to assist

chapters in the areas of: event

management, responsible member

behavior and decision-making,

reducing legal liability, providing a

healthy and safer environment for

members and guests, maintaining

the condition of chapter housing,

and enhancing the relationship

with the surrounding community.

Finally, promoting on-going

dialogue within the Greek

community has been emphasized

to generate greater consistency

about alcohol issues.

Northwest Missouri State

University

Location: Maryville, MO

Approximate Student Population:

6,200

Characteristics: Public, 20 percent

of men in fraternities, 23 percent

of women in sororities

www.nwmissouri.edu

Alcohol Summit participants: 48

A major theme that emerged from

the Alcohol Summit at Northwest

Missouri State University was the

desire to build more meaningful

and appropriate alcohol education

content for new member programming. This would include

faculty, outside speakers, and the

addition of technology, such as
T

15

POST-SUMMIT INITIATIVES

campus recognition. The Plan

addresses non-alcohol hosting

issues, risk management, using

alcohol safely, and other related

issues, requiring every fraternity and

sorority to include members who

are trained in the TIPs program.

Social Events Policy (Adrian

College). Fraternity and sorority

leaders voted to enact a campuswide social events policy to address

the inconsistency of social events

(some events included alcohol,

some were alcohol free), available

in off-campus locations. For

example, the policy stipulates

that parties can only be held on

weekends, with the hours restricted

(from 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.).

In addition, a guest list must be

submitted 24 hours before the party

with attendance regulated by a

clicker system used to count the

number of people who are actually

present at any one location.

Educational Programming

(Vanderbilt University). Participants

at the Alcohol Summit wrote a

proposal to the Interfraternity

Council, the Panhellenic Executive

Board, and the National Panhellenic

Council requesting new polices

requiring that chapters sponsor

educational “mixers” where alcohol

issues can be discussed in a

meaningful manner. Related topics

included such behaviors as sex

under the influence of alcohol,

high risk drinking, and drinking

and driving.

The Alcohol Summits at the 18

pilot campuses led to a number of

important change initiatives, which

involve four general thematic areas.

These initiatives are outlined below,

listed with the name of the

respective university where the

initiative occurred: (1)

Environmental; (2) Knowledge

Attitudes, Behavioral Intentions; (3)

Health Protection; and (4)

Intervention and Treatment.

Environmental

Policy Development (University of

Nevada – Las Vegas). As a result of

the Alcohol Summit, the

Interfraternity Council initiated two

policy-related strategies. One change

is that the formal recruitment for

Greek organizations must be

completely “dry” for all events, not

just for the recruitment activities.

Another strategy was to redesign

student leader agreements so that

when a student assumes a leadership

position in the Greek community, a

formal review of expectations must

occur. This review focuses on the

constitution for the Greek council

for whom they will work, the expectations between the advisor and the

student leaders, and the expectations from the university as a whole.

Plan for Prominence (Bucknell

University). Bucknell University’s

Plan for Prominence outlines

standards that all Greek

organizations must follow to retain

I felt very honored

to be a part of this

summit. I have

gained valuable

knowledge that I

will certainly relay

to my chapter.

– Participant
16

the Dean of Students. As such,

students researched the policies of

national fraternities and sororities,

policies and roles of insurance

groups, and other related resources.

They created a presentation derived

from this research, with virtually all

of their recommendations for

changes in the campus alcohol

policy adopted.

Social Contract (Baldwin Wallace

College). Organizers of the Alcohol

Summit sought to create stiffer

penalties for deviation from the

established rules and regulations of

the campus. The plan was to set

standards for each chapter, requiring

that each chapter sign a social

contract that they will respect the

law, on and off campus. The

discussions about this judicial aspect

help focus on problematic behavior

that may occur among students.

DUI Reduction Initiative

(Northwest Missouri State

University). As a result of the

Alcohol Summit, students wanted to

reduce the incidence of Driving

Under the Influence (DUI) and

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) by

students. “Ticketing outside the bar,”

where individuals in violation of

local ordinances and state laws

could be ticketed, was one such

initiative. To reduce driving while

under the influence, the campus

leaders also sponsored designated

driver programs and a subsidized

taxicab initiative. To gain greater

support and buy-in for the

program, leaders reached out to

other student organizations.

Further, Summit organizers

sponsored public forums to

promote greater awareness and

support for these initiatives.

Risk Management Initiative

(Northwest Missouri State

University). While the campus

already had risk management

policies, the risk management

initiative that emerged from the

Summit was designed to promote

greater understanding and support

of these efforts. Risk management

policies were re-written so they

would be more easily understood. In

addition, a goal was to have every

Greek member sign a statement that

they have read and understand the

risk management policy as well as

the chapter by-laws.

Normative Marketing Campaign

(Baldwin Wallace College). Given

that, all too often, the image that

fraternity and sorority members

focus on the consequences resulting

from high risk drinking, a new

strategy emerged that focused on

positive actions. The design of the

marketing campaign is to reward

those fraternity and sorority members who are undertaking initiatives

that demonstrate positive actions,

illustrating the entire picture of

Greek life, not just parties.

Risk Management Initiative

(University of Miami). Students

focused attention on risk

management issues among

fraternities and sororities by

developing a risk management

certification program. Campus

leaders identified what a chapter

needs to accomplish to earn risk

management certification. When

certification as a “star chapter” on

risk management is earned, a

monetary incentive is included.

Alcohol Policy Revision (University

of Miami). As a result of the Alcohol

Summit, student participants

revised the alcohol policy, which

had previously been the domain of
17

involves providing alcohol-free

“mocktails” throughout the campus.

There appears to be wide-ranging

support for this activity by other

campus groups.

Alcohol-Free Events (University of

South Dakota). Campus fraternities

and sororities, through the student

organization Greeks In Action, now

host at least three alcohol-free

events each semester. In addition,

the Greek leadership decided to

apply for grant funding to help

underwrite the cost of these events.

Winter Formal (University of

Maine). Participants in the Greek

Summit hosted a large scale alcoholfree Winter Formal, which was open

to the entire campus with a large

number of students in attendance.

Based on the popularity of the

event, this will be repeated on an

on-going basis.

Greek Night at the Movies

(University of Kansas). Movie nights

at a local theater were offered to

fraternity and sorority members and

included the development of

rewards and incentives for

participation in alcohol-free events.

Alpha Sigma Organization (Mercer

University). Following the Alcohol

Summit, a Greek organization,

Alpha Sigma, wanted to sustain the

momentum generated during the

event by establishing a new body to

change the campus-wide alcohol

culture. By offering alcohol-free

programming, the aim was to get

the name and the mission of this

new organization, AS (named after

the Alcohol Summit), established

on campus. There were some

concerns, however, because students

wanted to run this splinter group as

a student organization but did not

have a staff member who would

serve as an advisor.

Alcohol-Free Recruitment

(University of South Dakota). This

policy focused primarily on alcoholfree events during recruitment for

Greek organizations. One of the

initiatives was to get a commitment

from chapters to be alcohol free

during the entire recruitment

period. Another strategy was to

convince chapters to utilize one

another as recruitment tools.

Presidential Proclamation (Bucknell

University). A proclamation signed

by the presidents of the campus’

fraternities and sororities was

issued, recognizing the importance

of curtailing alcohol misuse and

abuse.

Harvest Fest 2000 (Mercer

University). Fraternity and sorority

leaders organized Harvest Fest 2000

during the Halloween period as an

alcohol-free event with a

community focus, designed to

showcase Greek life without alcohol.

Substance-Free Tailgate Parties

(Washington and Lee University).

Many students have embraced the

concept of alcohol-free tailgate

parties, with the first Greeksponsored event held in front of a

sorority house. Multiple tailgates

have been offered since this first

one, primarily when parents and

alumni are on the campus.

S-NO BUZZ (University of Nevada

– Las Vegas). This school began

offering substance-free communitywide events every semester, which
18

activities, primarily with a focus on

bringing educational issues to each

fraternity and sorority. The plan is

to merge GAMMA with this group.

Campuswide Leadership (Iowa State

University). As a result of the

Alcohol Summit, students began

looking for ways to provide alternative activities on campus, particularly for late nights and weekends. To

that end many students who

participated in the Alcohol Summit

assumed leadership positions on

campus councils and committees,

organizations that plan events and

enact policies that designate certain

events as alcohol-free.

Greek Co m mu n i ty Fo rum (Un ivers i ty

of Akron). Sponsored by participants of the Al cohol Su m m i t , t h e

goal of this Forum was to devel op

con s i s tency on the campus — to

“get the Greek com mu n i ty on the

same page” rega rding alco h o l - rel a ted

i s su e s . This forum provi ded the

opportu n i ty to share insights and

pers pectives as well as de s i red direc -

ti ons abo ut alcohol on the campus.

Greek Review Board (University of

Rochester). To help provide a new

kind of leadership and oversight for

the Greek community on campus,

the Greek Review Board was

established with the involvement of

respected campus leaders. The role

of this new body was to study

overall Greek life on the campus,

identify areas of concern and

enhance the activities organized by

other established groups on campus.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and

Behavioral Intentions

Establishment of GAMMA Chapter

(Adrian College). The GAMMA

Chapter was established with

students serving as an executive

board for the Chapter. Given that

problems with alcohol are found

more with the new students, the

group decided to focus on recruiting

younger students rather than older

classmates who would be closer to

graduation.

Alcohol Summit Vanderbilt Group

(Vanderbilt University). Following

the Alcohol Summit, some 10 to12

students met weekly to continue the

devise specific ideas about how to

change drinking norms on campus.

They began to work on specific
19

This group action initiative is

enhanced by support from the

campus administration.

Drinking and Driving Safety

Measures (University of Maine). One

approach identified by participants

in the Alcohol Summit to help

reduce drinking and driving was a

Greek designated driver network.

For instance, each chapter house is

supplied with ads for taxicab

companies as well as Greek-created

business cards (one for each Greek

member) with taxi numbers and

bus numbers. In addition, education

programs about the dangers of

drinking and driving were offered.

GO! (University of Kansas). A

program for new members of

fraternities and sororities, GO!

(Greek Orientation), was established with useful information for new

members of the Greek community.

The program emphasizes that events

do not have to include alcohol and

serves to educate new members

through a series of programs

about Greek life and a healthy

chapter environment.

Intervention and Treatment

Accountability Focus (Iowa State

University). Students at the Alcohol

Summit wanted to create a way to

hold more fraternity/sorority

members accountable, increasing

confrontation with individual

members about their behavior. As

such, Greek organizations wanted

The Greek Review Board’s initial

impact was to help change the role

of alcohol role in campus traditions,

such as May Day.

Health Protection

Traveler Safe Rides Program

(Washington and Lee University). A

new group was established, Generals

Advocating Safe Driving, building

on the tradition of the Generals, a

name long associated with

Washington & Lee University. This

comprehensive safe rides program

involves a van system called the

Traveler, named after General

Robert E. Lee’s horse. Two vans are

available three nights a week and

transport students attending parties

and off-campus social events. In

addition to the vans, private

automobiles are available on a callin basis. Campus leaders hope to

expand Traveler by acquiring

additional minivans, bypassing the

need to rely on personal vehicles.

Sober Network (University of

Rochester). To help reduce high-risk

behavior among fraternity and

sorority members who have been

drinking, individuals in each

fraternity and sorority are identified

for each party. These individuals are

“sober go-to people” who are

available to serve as an escort or

as a sound resource on party night.

This group action initiative is

enhanced by support from the

campus administration.

The Alcohol Summit

sparked a whole

new attitude in our

students about being

proactive, personal

accountability,

community

confrontation, and

responsible norms.

The experience

unified the group

and generated a new

level of leadership.

I cannot endorse the

program enough as a

catalyst for change.

– Campus Advisor
20

increased dialogue to discuss

potential solutions to problem

drinking. They also wanted to

demonstrate greater commitment

from Greek students to address the

alcohol problems in their own

community. The IFC and

Panhellenic organizations started an

orientation session for all new

members to focus attention on

alcohol education and the

prevention of problems. A Greek

mentor program also is being

considered that would reinforce the

values for each group. To assist with

promoting accountability, the

governing councils and leaders of

fraternities and sororities are

challenged to follow existing

policies. If policies are not followed,

events will be suspended.

Confrontation to Implement Values

(Iowa State University). As a result

of the Alcohol Summit, students

learned to talk about brotherhood

and sisterhood and the importance

of looking out for one another in

the context of confrontation. This

dialogue on confrontation has

provided students with the skills to

handle confrontation. The goal was

to change student behavior to be

more responsible as well as to

communicate accurately about what

is occurring. In addition, it is hoped

these new norms of responsibility

and confrontation will result in

alcohol-related problems becoming

less severe as these norms are passed

on to incoming students.

Reduced Drinking and Driving

(University of South Dakota).

Overall, participants sought to

reduce drinking and driving by

increasing awareness about drunk

and impaired driving. This also

involved a strategy of confrontation

and group intervention whereby

individuals will challenge others’

behavior that may result in highrisk decisions. A related strategy was

to encourage the sober

brother/sister program. Finally,

students wanted to alert chapter

members to resources available to

stop drinking and driving, such as a

sober ride program offered by a

local taxicab company that provides

low-cost transportation.

Internal Risk Management Group

(University of Maryland). An

attempt to address high-risk

behaviors on campus was the

impetus for establishing an internal

risk management group. The

intention was to have each fraternity

and sorority establish a committee

or group within the chapter to

address these issues. Specifically,

their aim was to confront high-risk

behaviors as they are encountered

and to promote a lower risk setting.

The overall aim is to change the

heavy consumption norm as well as

the valued form of drinking to one

of having less alcohol (or no
A

21

alcohol) is desirable by fraternity

and sorority members.

A variety of insights and

perspectives were gleaned from the

18 pilot Alcohol Summits, resulting

in a number of recommendations

for Greek organizations that wish

to conduct a Summit of their own.

The following recommendations

will help fraternities and sororities

organize an Alcohol Summit. These

recommendations are divided into

several areas: Facilitator/Participant

Selection, Advance Preparations,

Planning, Implementation, and

Follow-up.

Facilitator/Participant Selection

 When developing the Alcohol

Summit, make sure that those

in attendance represent the range

of fraternities and sororities on

campus.

 Participants do not necessarily

have to be the leaders of their

respective organizations. In fact,

some campuses reported greater

success with individuals who

were not in designated leadership positions.

 Ideally, there should be between

35 and 50 participants.

 It is particularly helpful when

the individuals are all volunteers.

When chapters are required to

send a representative, or if

someone is sent to an Alcohol

Summit as part of a sanction

for misbehavior, it can be

counterproductive.

 Involve students with the

application process to ensure

student participation from the

beginning of the process. In

addition, involve student leaders

from the IFC and Panhellenic

Council. This shows a commitment that student leaders are

invested in the process and

will be working on creating

the agenda.

 Include people from a range of

campus offices including the

health center, student activities,

residence life, public safety, and

the university counsel’s office.

 The Greek advisor’s role in the

Summit should be caref u lly

con s i dered. The Greek advisor’s

participation depends on the

specific campus and the

relationship between the Greek

advisor and the Greek students.

Once that relationship is

analyzed, consider whether the

Greek advisor should be included

or excluded from the process.

 It is important to make clear

why students should participate

in the Summit. Ultimately, it

is advantageous to have a wide

range of students present; event

organizers, however, should

be careful about mandatory

student participation due to a

chapter function. In addition,

participation should not be

I found the

activities and

overall Alcohol

Summit experience to

be very helpful

in creating change

within our

fraternity/sorority

community and

very challenging.

I am a stronger person

as a result

of attending.

– Participant

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
22

linked to punishment for

some transgression.

 It is critical to conduct facilitator

training in advance of the

Summit; this is a worthwhile

investment that will help lead to

the ultimate success of the

Summit.

 When selecting facilitators, try to

include individuals who have

some connection to the Greek

coordinator and/or the campus

Greek community rather than

outsiders. Ideally, facilitators

should also be selected based on

their agreement to stay involved

in the follow-up phase.

Advance Preparations

 Try to hold the Summit at an offcampus location. This provides

an opportunity for the

participants to focus specifically

on the program agenda and their

interactions with their peers. An

off-campus location also

minimizes the distractions that

would likely occur at an oncampus location.

 An off-campus location helps

ensure that individuals coming to

the Summit commit themselves

for the duration of the workshop

process. It also reduces the

opportunity for students

substituting for one another,

which would have the effect of

reducing continuity and flow.

 With an off-campus location, it

will be easier to communicate

the priority given to the issue and

will provide a sense of reward for

the students who participate.

 Identify the appropriate staff

member to take the lead with

students both before and after

the Summit. This individual

should be someone who

inspires the students and who

values them.

 Find ways to be sure that the key

people who need to be present

are present at the Summit. Be

careful about scheduling the

Summit when key leaders may

not be there.

 Once the Summit is scheduled,

be careful about not scheduling

other major campus events at the

same time as the Alcohol

Summit; this is particularly

important regarding events that

draw upon the same Greek

student leader population as that

found for the Alcohol Summit.

Planning

 Ensure you have adequate time

to prepare for the Summit. The

variety of logistics, preparations,

and arrangements require a

certain amount of time, regardless of the level of experience of

the organizers. This time can be

reduced somewhat if project

organizers are familiar with

Greek leadership programs (such

as others offered by the NIC),

there’s immediate “buy-in” from

other campus departments, and a

staff member who previously
23

served as a facilitator is involved

with planning your Summit.

 It is important to make sure that

expectations regarding the

Alcohol Summit (i.e., the specific

desired outcomes as well as the

processes to be implemented) are

clear from both sides. This helps

the campus staff know what to

expect, and it helps the

facilitators know what the

expectations are.

 In preparing for the Alcohol

Summit, it is helpful to have clear

discussions with campus leaders

at least one month prior to the

event. This will clarify roles and

responsibilities and help forge an

agenda for follow-up activities

following the Summit.

 During the planning stage, clearly

define expectations for everyone

involved, including those of

large-group facilitators, small

group facilitators, campus Greek

advisor, chief student affairs

officer, substance abuse

education coordinator, staff,

students, student leaders, and

others involved in the process.

Give everyone the opportunity to

discuss their expectations, both

for themselves and for other

project organizers.

 In advance of the Summit, you

should conduct campus-wide

marketing. Indeed, marketing

will generate curiosity as well as

external support for the project.

 Campus contacts should be

reminded to examine their

calendars thoroughly for

potential conflicts prior to

scheduling the Summit.

 Inspire the staff to be visionary

and to be clear about what they

expect the Summit to

accomplish. Organizers should

have an action plan that

complements the Summit.

 Use community resources to help

generate funding for the Summit.

A grant from a local agency (such

as an alcohol beverage control

board or health department) can

help cover expenses for

transportation, lodging, and

other necessary expenditures.

 Be sure to adhere to the NIC’s

recommended guidelines

concerning the timeline for

completing Summit

arrangements. These timelines

are based on the experiences of

other campuses that have held

Alcohol Summits.

 Establish some guiding principles

for the project team regarding

what should be included in the

Summit, both content and

process. This planning will help

make the Summit operate more

smoothly and assist with followup implementation.

Implementation

 When conducting an Alcohol

Summit, it is important to allow

This weekend was

very helpful and

a lot of fun! I went

into it thinking

that it would be

helpful, but boring.

However, it has

turned out to be

very enjoyable. I

learned so much

and much to take

back to my chapter

as well as things to

change within my

own life. I am glad

that I participated.

– Participant
24

sufficient time for the tasks

inherent in the process. For the

18 pilot Alcohol Summits, the

ideal appeared to be Friday

evening and Saturday (day and

evening) with 4 hours devoted to

the workshop on Friday evening

and 10 hours on Saturday. While

certain program segments can be

completed in fewer hours, a

reduced time frame also prevents

participants from more fully

bonding with the process.

 Try to develop some guiding

principles for your Summit; that

is, the project coordinators

should not get bogged down in

the minutiae of each task in the

Summit by simply going through

a series of activities.

 Ideally, the agenda for the

Summit should represent

students’ issues as well as the

concerns of organizers and

campus administrators. These

issues should be openly discussed

prior to the Summit to ensure all

views are represented.

 Be cognizant of regional

differences among students regarding alcohol use and address

issues that represent all views.

 Continue to nurture participants

throughout the Summit because

first impressions by students can

be negative and may change

during the Summit.

 It is particularly advantageous for

the Greek advisor to have served

as a small group facilitator at an

Alcohol Summit on another

campus. This knowledge helps to

clarify needs and expectations,

giving campus leaders and other

professionals a greater

understanding of what is

reasonable and appropriate for

the campus’ Summit.

 Keep your focus on the Summit’s

overall objectives and goals and

the overall principles guiding you

through the process. These

principles can be developmental

in nature, which will lead to

specific performance measures,

such as establishing a student

organization or developing a safe

rides program. Your ultimate aim

should be to identify ways of

shifting the culture of alcohol use

prevalent among fraternity and

sorority members.

 It may also be helpful to segment

the strategies to achieve your

goals into tiers. For instance,

typically students who

participated in the pilot Summits

were more concerned with

promoting safety rather than

confronting behavioral issues. In

other words, the students did not

want to change their high-risk

drinking behavior, but did want

to change the circumstances

surrounding that behavior so

that they would feel less at risk.

Promoting a safe rides program,

so that the drinking behavior can

continue without compromising

the safety of individuals or of

others on the highways, is one

illustration of this dichotomy.

Therefore, try to focus on the

long-term perspective while

addressing short-term concerns.

 It is important to manage

expectations from the outset:

both for participants as well as

for campus administrators.

Reiterate that the Summit alone

will not solve high risk drinking

on campus; it is not a “cure all.”

In effect, the Summit is a useful

tool that that can help fraternity

and sorority leaders address the

campus-wide problem in a more

systematic manner.

 Be sure to make students feel a

part of the process, thanking

them for their commitment and

support during the Summit.

 If staff or campus administrators

attend for only a portion of the

Summit, it may appear that they

are not willing to be fully

engaged in the process. Time

limitations by these professionals

should be clearly specified. For

example, it may not be helpful

for campus professionals to come

to dinner and then leave.

Follow-up

 You should try to capitalize on

the afterglow following the

Summit, a period when energy

and enthusiasm is at its highest.
25

Try to help students find ways to

sustain their energy and

commitment to the Summit’s

ideals. Participants often seek to

create or empower an existing

student organization to continue

the Summit’s initiatives.

 During the immediate postSummit period, it is easy for this

enthusiasm and commitment

to wane so work diligently to

prevent this from happening.

Encourage participants to

identify ways of continuing to

nurture the positive ideas that

were generated. It may be helpful to establish timelines and

set tasks through regular

followup meetings.

 Project coordinators have an

important role to play during the

follow-up stage. There is a delicate balance between facilitating

the process after the Summit and

helping guide students. What is

helpful is to continue to keep the

concepts and ideas alive through

appropriate activities. While

students may need structure to

help them during this period,

that help should be in the

form of guidance, rather than

strict mandates.

 To maintain the energy of the

Alcohol Summit, think about

ways to engage other students in

this process. One way to achieve

this is to hold another Summit to

address the alcohol issue within

the Greek community. This will

also serve to renew, review, and

re-engage participants, as well as

bring in new faces.

 Think abo ut the Summit wi t h i n

the con text of a lon g - ra n ge plan

to ad d ress high risk drinking on

c a m p u s . While the immed i a te

activi ties fo ll owing the Su m m i t

m ay focus on accom p l i s h m en t s

with specific obj ectives and short -

term proce s s e s , in the year fo ll ow -

ing the Summit it is re a s on a ble to

focus on lon g - term goa l s .

 Pu bl i c i ze the Su m m i t’s accom -

p l i s h m en t s . This helps to rei n -

force the depth of activi ty en ga ged

by stu dents and su pports them for

t h eir vo lu n teer ef fort s . It also

i llu s tra tes what worked , and wh a t

did not work , rei tera ting the fact

The Alcohol Summit

program has such a

solid foundation,

visionary leadership,

and effective

approach to the

problem of college

students, especially

Greeks, drinking

excessively.

– Camp Advisor
26

that high risk drinking is an on -

going issue that must be

ad d re s s ed in a va ri ety of w ays .

 It is important to identify strong

advocates for the Summit

process, to ensure the long-term

viability of the project. Given the

turnover of personnel who serve

as Greek advisors, it is necessary

to identify a range of offices and

individuals who can support

your efforts. These individuals

should communicate regularly

about the Alcohol Summit and

the role of alcohol in Greek life.

Individuals at the highest levels

should be engaged, including the

chief student affairs officer, dean

of students, judicial advisors,

campus substance abuse education coordinator, and others.

 Acknowledge both individual

tasks and the overall process of

the Alcohol Summit. The tasks

are specific activities and

initiatives while the overall

process is a critical outcome that

will validate the importance of

participation by members of the

fraternities and sororities. In

addition, the process

demonstrates the important role

that Greek leaders play in

affecting change on campus.

 Clearly define who among the

college professionals will be

responsible for the Summit’s

planning, implementation, and

follow up. In addition, make sure

work assignments and

commitment levels during the

follow-up phase are dispersed

among all the organizers, to

prevent one or two students from

carrying the load.

 Keep in mind that any

participant can be recruited to

provide leadership following the

Summit. Even though some

attendees may not be in a key

chapter position or in a campuswide position of authority, they

can be persuaded to be an agent

for change.

 Be prep a red for the lack of con -

ti nu i ty fo ll owing the Su m m i t ; to

h elp prevent this, de s i gn a te ind ivi duals to be in ch a r ge of s pec i -

fic items before the Summit en d s .

 Keep the stu dents en ga ged

i m m ed i a tely after the Su m m i t .

Ca p i t a l i ze on the high en er gy

i m m ed i a tely fo ll owing the

Summit by con du cting fo ll ow -

up activi ties and discussion s

within the first two wee k s .

In deed , s tu dents wi ll con ti nue to

e s pouse their strong ideas but

also were wi lling to see other

vi ew points while ju s ti f ying thei r

s trong feel i n gs abo ut targeted

activi ties to ad d ress high ri s k

d rinking on campus.

 Build and sustain coalitions with

other campus departments. This

is important for the ultimate
E

27

adoption of the action steps and

change initiatives identified

during the Summit.

Evaluation and project monitoring of the Alcohol Summit will help

determine the proj ect’s overa ll

su ccess in reducing high ri s k

d rinking at your co ll ege / u n ivers i ty.

Eva lu a ti on also can iden tify spec i f i c

i n i ti a tive s , work plans, or acti on step s

to be taken fo ll owing the Su m m i t .

At first, the evaluation process may

appear overwhelming. In addition,

project leaders often believe that

they alone are responsible for

conducting the project evaluation.

In reality, these responsibilities may

be shared: the individual in the

leadership position may be responsible for seeing that the evaluation is

completed, but not necessarily

responsible for actually doing it.

Before conducting a post-Summit

evaluation, it may be helpful to

review the original goals of the

Alcohol Summit. As with all highrisk drinking and prevention efforts,

no single approach can address

every issue associated with this

problem. In addition, the Alcohol

Summit was designed to help

campuses, and the Greek

community in particular, to reduce

high risk drinking and associated

drinking and driving among

fraternity and sorority members.

The evaluation process can help

document the nature and extent of

the success of your efforts, helping

fraternity and sorority leaders

develop an agenda for change.

Typically, the focus for the Alcohol

Summit is on the campus, rather

than just on individual members or

fraternity and sorority chapters.

Therefore, evaluation measures

should be identified to monitor the

overall cultural change on campus.

The first question is to determine

the extent of the alcohol problem on

campus. Begin by conducting a

survey of fraternity and sorority

groups, as well as others in the

community outside of Greek life. It

may be helpful to compare

responses from those who are in the

Greek organizations with those not

involved with fraternities or

sororities. In addition, the

perspective of students may differ

greatly from that of the faculty, staff

members, alumni, and the

community at large.

Your survey can address a wide

range of questions on key issues to

ascertain their views on:

 Personal responsibility, such as

their thoughts on whether it is

appropriate to intervene when

others are intoxicated (i.e.

designated drivers).

 Greek life on campus, such as

fraternity/sorority reputations,

the role of alcohol in chapter

activities, and their views on

alcohol-free events.

Upon returning

to campus,

I plan to take

immediate

action to

prevent risky

behaviors

from occurring

within my

chapter.

– Participant

PROJECT EVALUATION
28

 Overall life on campus, such as

alcohol prevention efforts,

priorities on campus, and the

level of respect for student views.

 Percepti ons abo ut alcohol use,

su ch as how of ten others dri n k ,

h ow mu ch is con su m ed , and high -

er risk beh avi ors they ob s erve .

 Hi gh - risk beh avi ors , su ch as driv -

ing while intox i c a ted (DW I ) ,

h a n govers , redu ced ac ademic perform a n ce , false ID card s , u n dera ge dri n k i n g, qu a n ti ty of d ri n k i n g

per occ a s i on , f requ ency of d ri n k -

i n g, bra gging abo ut get ting dru n k ,

and peer pre s su re to dri n k .

Existing data also can be used to

illuminate the alcohol problem on

your campus. These sources include

incident reports, police reports,

hospital and health center records,

and judicial reports. Pay particular

attention to:

 Violations and consequences,

such as vandalism, police

intervention, violence, conduct

records, alcohol-related offenses,

and hospital visits for alcohol

poisoning.

 Policies and procedures of Greek

chapters, such as attention to risk

management functions, use of

defined guest lists, involvement

of third party vendors, and the

ways that fraternities and

sororities hold parties.

 Service and values of Greek

chapters, such as how engaged

the fraternity/sorority is with the

rest of the campus community,

the focus of the organization

toward leadership and service,

and the number/quality of social

functions without alcohol

sponsored by Greek

organizations.

 The existence of a forum to

address the alcohol problem,

such as a planning or oversight

body (e.g., task force or smaller),

support mechanisms, and review

processes.

One note of caution: while you want

to gather pertinent data, do not try

to collect too much because this can

overwhelm the evaluation process.

Try to focus on what is essential to

learn about the alcohol issue and

what actions are already in place to

address it.

Another key question to address in

the evaluation is what follow-on

benefits have occurred as a result of

the Alcohol Summit. The Alcohol

Summit, while only one or two days

long, gave participants additional

insights and skills that will help

them in their day-to-day roles as

leaders of Greek organizations,

particularly the role of alcohol on

campus. To determine the follow-on

effects of the Summit, first consider

the type of specific goals of the

Summit and how these goals might
29

be measured. For instance:

 If the Summit addressed how

high-risk alcohol drinking can

result in negative consequences,

then determine the involvement

of Greek students with the

specified negative consequences

such as vandalism, judicial

charges, arrests, DWI, etc. which

can be obtain from police or

campus incident reports).

 If the Summit demonstrated how

student leaders from Greek

organizations could be more

active in community affairs, then

review a chapter’s documentation

about service activities and

community leadership roles.

 If the Summit emphasized the

need to reduce Greek

involvement in DWI incidents by

increasing the use of designated

drivers, then note self-reported

attitudes and behaviors.

When evaluating the Summit,

remember to:

 Use both quantitative and

qualitative measures.

Quantitative approaches include

questionnaires and surveys, as

well as data from incidents and

activities. Qualitative approaches

can include interviews,

discussions, focus groups, and

observations.

 Think in terms of the long-term

and the short-term changes.

Categorize those changes that

may take place immediately versus those changes that occur over

a few months to several years.

 Examine changes at the organizational level. Organizational

changes include new or revised

chapter or campus-wide policies

and whether these changes were

the result of the Summit.

Additional tools, such as a pretest/post-test evaluation that was

developed for use during the

Alcohol Summit under the Federal

grant awarded to the North-American Interfraternity Conference, also

can be employed. Comparing data

gathered before and after the

Summit can illustrate ways in which

the event, though brief, had an

impact on the participants.

Remember to gather information

that is helpful to you in program

planning and review, ensuring that

what data is captured is reliable.

As noted earlier, the project leader

need not actually conduct the

evaluation but it is his/her

responsibility to see that the

evaluation is completed. A wide

range of resources is available to

help project leaders with this task.

One tool, not specifically oriented to

the Alcohol Summit but worthy

nonetheless, is A Step-by-Step Guide

to Planning and Implementing

Evaluation Strategies. This

publication, prepared by George

Mason University and available

This program

helps to open

the eyes of

fraternity leaders

to see that we

are the objects

of scrutiny and

that we must

rise to the

challenge of

confronting our

irresponsible

behavior.

– Participant
30

online at www.caph.gmu.edu,

outlines a 14-step process that

elaborates on many of the

suggestions identified earlier.

An o t h er re s o u rce , prep a red by the

Task Force of the Na ti onal Advi s ory

Council on Al cohol Abuse and

Al coholism and ava i l a ble at

w w w. co ll eged ri n k i n gp reven ti on . gov,

is Redu cing Al coh ol Probl ems on

C a m pus: A Guide to Planning An d

Eva l u a ti o n. The U. S . Dep a rtm ent of

E du c a ti on’s Hi gh er Edu c a ti on Cen ter

on Al cohol and Ot h er Drug Preven -

ti on also of fers nu m erous re s o u rce s

a bo ut eva lu a ti on , i n cluding the

Coll ege Al coh ol Risk As se s s m en t

Gu i d e, ava i l a ble atw w w. edc . org / h ec.

For a qu i ck stu dy on eva lu a ti on ,

re ad NHTS A’s publ i c a ti on The Art

of Appropri a te Eva l u a ti o n i s ava i l a bl e

on the NHTSA web site at

w w w. n h t s a . do t . gov. If ava i l a bl e ,

ask for help on eva lu a ting ef fort s

f rom profe s s ors that te ach re s e a rch

de s i gn cl a s s e s .

Ultimately, the Alcohol Summit is

intended to help colleges and

universities, fraternities and

sororities in particular, reduce

high-risk drinking and associated

behaviors, such as drinking and

driving, by fraternity and sorority

members. The insights you gain
T

31

from the evaluation process will

help not only your campus but

others as well.

The Alcohol Summit progra m

de s c ri bed in this re s o u rce guide

provi des one avenue for ad d re s s i n g

h i gh risk drinking and rel a ted issu e s

a m ong fra tern i ty and sorori ty mem -

bers at U. S . co ll eges and univers i ti e s .

This campus-based approach pro -

m o tes ways of ad d ressing alco h o l

probl ems at the local level and

focuses on the co ll ective fra tern i ty /

s orori ty com mu n i ty, ra t h er than on

i n d ivi dual leaders or disti n ct ch a p -

ters . The process of ad d ressing alco -

hol issu e s , h owever, is based on mu ch

m ore than rep ut a ti on , m em bers h i p

nu m bers , and liabi l i ty con s i dera -

ti on s . In deed , the process em ph a -

s i zes indivi duals taking re s pon s i bi l i ty

for their own lives and their own

campus fra tern i ty / s orori ty cultu re .

The Al cohol Summit is a “ ju m p - s t a rt”

to an overa ll , l on g - term process to

t ackle the alcohol probl em . Th ro u gh

the stra tegies and approaches iden -

ti f i edhere , the Al cohol Summit can

h elp stu dent leaders ref l ect upon the

i m portant leadership role they play,

both indivi du a lly and co ll ectively, a s

m em bers of the fra tern i ty / s orori ty

com mu n i ty. While the Al cohol Su m -

mit occupies on ly a bri ef wi n dow in

the sch ool ye a r, it provi des the fo u n -

d a ti on for on going and su s t a i n ed

acti on plans and ch a n ge initi a tive s .

A particular challenge with the

Alcohol Summit, based on the

insights gathered from this initial

group of 18 campuses, is to sustain

the energy, commitment, and

heartfelt ideas over time. This is a

shared responsibility between those

who were present at the Alcohol

Summit and those who have other

leadership responsibilities on or off

campus. Focusing on the core issues

that emerge during the process,

providing appropriate resource

assistance, monitoring the progress

and challenges, and learning what

sustains the primary efforts, are all

essential elements of a successful

Alcohol Summit.

The Alcohol Summit provides

campus professionals and student

leaders with an opportunity to

redirect the fraternity and sorority

culture. While high risk drinking is

not an issue that will “go away” or

“graduate” easily, it is clearly a

problem where more focused and

thoughtful management is feasible.

The challenge and the opportunity –

are to do something meaningful on

a collective basis to tackle high risk

drinking and its associated or

resulting consequences. With great

demand, the North-American

Interfraternity Conference continues

to bring the Alcohol Summit to

campuses throughout the nation.

For more information about the

Alcohol Summit, change initiatives

on campuses, evaluation tools, and

other resources helpful for

CONCLUSION

The whole idea

of the Alcohol

Summit is so

awesome. It

brought us all

together and got

us pumped up

to do something

that will benefit

us all.

– Participant
32