Alcohol and drug-related cases during the 2010-11 school year are up from previous years, according to Ohio University Judiciaries.
There were 1,459 alcohol- and drug-related cases this past academic year, which is an increase of 158 cases from the 2009-10 year. However, officials are less concerned with the numbers and more concerned about the implications.
“The numbers are going to fluctuate every year. I’m not terribly concerned (that) we’ve gone up 100 to 200 cases this year,” Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith said. “If you go back to 2005-2006, we were seeing well over 3,000 cases in Judiciaries. Over the last six years, we’ve cut the number of cases by a third. I’m still concerned with students participating in high-risk behavior; that’s more alarming to me.”
Director of Judiciaries Chris Harris said he hopes to see an improvement as well.
“The impact on the community as well as the individual can be very pervasive,” Harris said. “Although we’re seeing an increase, we’ve seen a decrease in our referrals for alcohol and other drugs since 2006. I’m hopeful that our numbers will reflect that general decline next year.”
University Judiciaries will work with OU’s academic colleges to initiate new policies for alcohol and drug cases, though Smith said the changes have nothing to do with the increased number of cases but are part of an ongoing alcohol-awareness program.
Among the changes are an added online educational proponent and mandatory community restitution.
“Probably the biggest change we’re adding is a fine to violations: It’s $100 for a marijuana violation and $150 for an A-level violation,” Smith said. “Our task force has also recommended an alternative suspension program.”
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