My regret at the situation that developed over University Weekend is particularly intense because of the long months of planning that we devoted to promoting a safe and enjoyable event. The University administration was helped by student leaders and organizations, Mansfield officials, and private property owners. The State Police cooperated throughout our planning process. To them and to our own University police we owe a deep debt of gratitude for their professionalism and service. The task for all of us now is to evaluate not only the future of University Weekends, but the full range of issues that are adversely affecting student behavior at UConn and at campuses across the country.
Alcohol abuse is one such issue, but there are other things to examine as well.
The University of Connecticut must be a place where the quality of student life equals the excellence of the academic program. We need to maintain a campus that recognizes every student as an individual, that nurtures creativity outside as well as inside the classroom, and that offers young men and women a wide range of recreational and social activities. Moreover, we want to foster a student culture that operates as a powerful force against substance abuse of any kind. We are already doing many of those things, and we have both the capacity and the will to do them more effectively and more extensively. As our new Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Vicky Triponey will play the key leadership role in helping us reach our objective.