Similar Alcohol Use in Faculty Students

David Troyer

In the final article in a three part series discussing alcohol use among EMU affilates, almost three quarters of faculty/staff polled said they consume alcohol.

Of 42 faculty and staff polled this week 31 said that they do consume alcohol. These numbers coincide very closely with the percentages of 69% and 63% in the first two surveys of students in this three part series. While 62% of students said there was a social divide, only 18% of faculty and staff said they felt a divide exists among the faculty and staff Of those who said they do not drink, only 1 person claimed they felt uncomfortable with peers drinking in their presence.

Among the faculty and staff there was massive support for the CLC. Of those polled, 93% would still sign the agreement given the choice. Since alcohol is one of the more debated aspects of the CLC, the question was also asked whether faculty and staff think it is being used by EMU as a marketing tool. Out of 39 responses to this question, only seven said that yes, it is.

One strongly defended the CLC as a commitment to valuing Mennonite values. "Many Christian Colleges ban alcohol use in all settings. EMU's position seems to embody a compromise between traditional Mennonite attitudes (towards alcohol) and a changing view among many Christians. This view understands responsible use of alcohol as consistent with the ethics (and example) of Jesus." And in the eyes of the faculty and staff surveyed, it has made a difference in keeping alcohol abuse away from EMU's campus.

Despite recent findings reported in the weathervane only 54% of the faculty/staff thought that drinking was a problem on campus. Those who commented on the survey were more concerned about underage and binge drinking among students than about drinking itself. One faculty member hesitated to answer this question because of a lack of information on this very issue.

Another staff member said that they do not see drinking amongst the EMU community as a reflection on any greater problems than those found in the broader culture. "That is, there are those among us who abuse alcohol, and there are those who, as a majority do not. Particularly on campus, we have been relatively successful in creating a space free from the violence and destruction of alcohol abuse." Said another, "I'm sure that some students drink but I would estimate that most students don't abuse alcohol on campus." Although the question posed asked whether drinking on campus is a problem, a few mentioned that alcohol abuse can be a problem off campus. One professor specifically mentioned the cross-cultural program as a situation where alcohol isn't always used responsibly.

For the most part, the faculty and staff saw alcohol abusers as a minority at EMU. One response was "do I think this is a large group of people? No, a small group who can cause problems for many." Another said "Other schools wish they had our level of a ‘problem.'"

Faculty and staff surveyed realized that, whether drinking is a problem at EMU or not, it is an issue that all colleges deal with. "We can proclaim ‘dry campus' until we're blue in the face, but students will drink regardless of that and the lifestyle agreement," said one staff member. And the issue of underage drinking, although only mentioned in a few surveys, certainly falls into the category of abuse. In the words of one survey response, "students under 21 shouldn't be drinking anywhere, anyway."