Dear Providence College Parents,

I believe that the Providence College community cannot grow into what God calls us to be without honestly facing the negative aspects of our campus culture that prevent us from realizing God's loving purpose in bringing us together. In light of this belief, on Ash Wednesday I released to the Providence College Community the results of a year-long study on our campus culture, which showed that Providence College has a serious alcohol abuse problem among its students.

The report showed that "binge" drinking among the 1,079 Providence College freshmen and sophomores responding to a 2006 survey occurs at rates higher than the national average. What makes the data even more compelling is that it was derived from underclassmen, who were presumably underage at the time of the survey. Other statistics are just as troubling. Between September 1 and February 18 of the current academic year, 51 students were transported to the hospital for medical evaluation as a result of their drinking. Of these, 84% were freshmen or sophomores.

There is no doubt that alcohol abuse hurts our students and our community: students have memory problems, miss classes, and fall behind in their work. Friends are battered and the number of sexual assaults rises. Property is damaged, laws are flouted, and the aspirations of an entire community are thwarted. Heavy drinking is also a health issue, one that often remains with students well after graduation.

It is vital that parents as well as the entire campus community understand the magnitude of this problem. To give you the opportunity to know all the facts, I have posted the full report to the Web at www.providence.edu/alcoholabuse. I urge every parent to read this concisely written document.

The report was authored by my Committee on Campus Culture, Conduct, and Civility which I charged last year with assessing the problem of alcohol abuse on campus, researching best practices used by other institutions to counteract alcohol abuse, and making recommendations on how to remedy the problem.

Report data showed that 76% of respondents drank enough to get drunk at least once in the month prior to completing the survey; 62.7% usually drink more than five drinks on a single occasion; 46.2% of freshmen and 51.1% of sophomores binge drink three or more times in a two week period; and 17.6% had ten or more drinks the last time they drank more than four drinks. 

The causes of such alcohol abuse are manifold. Providence meets many of the criteria that research suggests are associated with higher rates of binge drinking: our location in the Northeast, our prominent athletic program, our co-mingling of legal and underage students in residence halls, and our lack of a diverse campus. Additionally, alcohol is inexpensive and readily available in the area.

Another contributing factor is that many of our students started drinking before they came to college. In fact, approximately 61% of freshmen and sophomores indicated that they first became intoxicated before their eighteenth birthdays. With this fact in mind, I urge parents to be especially cognizant of their son's or daughter's drinking habits and to take appropriate action if they think it necessary.

One sign of hope is the report's revelation that our students recognize the problem and want to see it addressed. Nearly a third of freshmen and sophomores do not engage in binge drinking, the majority desire more alcohol-free recreation and very nearly half of them--and a majority of females--are in favor of alcohol-free residence halls.

The culture of alcohol abuse on this campus simply must change. However, edicts from administrators cannot change it, nor can reports from committees. For real change to occur, there must be a collective effort by everyone on campus--students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

To that end I am initiating a campus-wide conversation regarding our culture-one that will involve public forums, consultations between committee members and groups and individuals on campus, and solicitation of ideas for change. With this information in hand, the committee will propose specific recommendations for further public comment. When the process is complete, the administration will implement approved policy changes. I fully expect that some of these new policies will be in place by next September.

Our efforts to remedy the problem of alcohol abuse converge providentially with our efforts to renew the Core Curriculum and to build a fitness center. Our students cannot learn successfully or be healthy if we do not act decisively to end alcohol abuse at Providence College. I am confident that with God's blessing on this community that He helped create, we will be successful and better realize God's loving plan for us.

Rev. Brian J. Shanely, O.P.