All institutions of higher education are required by federal law to conduct a biennial review of campus alcohol and other drug programs and policies.
The 2018 Biennial Review Committee comprised of faculty, staff and students met from May to August 2018 to conduct the federally required biennial review of the U-M Alcohol and Other Drug Policy for Students, Faculty and Staff. Several subcommittees also met during these months, discussing student organization accountability, consistency of enforcement, and alcohol storage on campus.
The committee determined that the University of Michigan is in compliance with federal requirements for the University of Michigan Alcohol and Other Drug Policy for Students, Faculty and Staff. The policy document is distributed electronically to every student, faculty and staff member on an annual basis and is also included in the Annual Security Report & Annual Fire Safety Report. It is also linked in the mandatory online course required for all incoming first year and undergraduate transfer students, and is referenced in parent and student orientation materials. Recommendations on enhancing distribution are detailed below.
The committee endorsed the following policy changes:
- Updated external sanctions (section 8) to include alcohol offenses to include new Minor in Possession law, False Identification, Drunk Driving and Open Intox
- Health Risks (section 4) now include vaping and edibles for marijuana
- Included Smoke-free campus policy (section 2) changes
- Updated new office locations (during renovation period) and office name changes
They also noted that most of the 2016 recommendations have been implemented successfully, most notably the formation of the Law Enforcement Collaborative, which brings together campus and community officials to share data and evaluate potential legal strategies. Other recommendations require more attention and are in progress.
The committee reviewed accomplishments, as well as the Alcohol and Other Drug Typology Matrix, to determine program effectiveness. Committee members were asked to identify strengths and weaknesses in program components. Members sited the strong collaborations within Student Life departments and law enforcement are among the major strengths surrounding this work. The challenges of working in a decentralized environment and the limited time and resources available to implement improvement measures continue to be areas of focus.
Recommendations for continued improvement include:
- Continue to send various departmental representatives to all AOD related meetings, e.g. high-risk planning events, Biennial Review, monthly AOD meetings, Law Enforcement Collaborative
- Establish relationships with retailers on and around campus regarding policy compliance
- Increase tailored outreach to graduate and professional students
- Identify ways to incorporate policy discussion within onboarding of new student, faculty or staff hires
For a complete report or more information, please contact Wolverine Wellness at [email protected] or 734-763-1320.
See a list of all biennial review summaries at Biennial Review for Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act.