BEMIDJI—Alcohol-related incidents at BSU have dropped this year as the school has emphasized student safety and campus togetherness—a trend that will hopefully prove permanent, school officials say.
Without releasing exact numbers, the school did confirm that reports of incidents involving alcohol are down about 25 percent compared to the same time last year. This includes incidents both on and off campus, an early but telling sign that the school is making progress on a problem that took the life of a student in December 2014, and nearly took another a month after that.
“The change is glaringly noticeable,” said Randy Ludeman, university conduct officer. “Having done this for 30 years, that is a drastic change. But we haven’t changed a whole lot. We’ve always focused on responsible use and the law. We were pretty aggressive to begin with.
“But here’s the difference,” he said. “I think students are talking to each other.”
School officials have done most of the planning, most of the work that goes into creating a campaign like this. But students have taken it from there.
Ludeman said everything that happened last year has colored the way students think about safety. It’s a conversation they now seem more willing to have.
“When that’s coming from peers and not from administrators or faculty,” Ludeman said, “it’s much more impactful.”
Safety measures brainstormed by a campus task force last year now mark everyday events.
A two-minute video called “No Buddy Left Behind” played at freshman orientation and the spring break send-off this week. Students wear green rubber bracelets that read: “S.O.S. SAVE OUR STUDENTS.” And school leaders are constantly reminding students—especially freshmen—that there are social events on campus and around town that don’t involve alcohol.
“Some students come in thinking it’s a party scene,” said Brittany Hull, Student Senate president. “But there are so many more activities. There are 96 campus organizations.
“And I think it means a lot more coming from one student to another. I can relate. I’ve been in those situations before. I’ve gone out with friends and seen what can happen, especially when it gets cold.”
When Hull has gone out this year, students have seemed more responsible, she said.
They come and go in groups, usually with all the same people. They’ve also been reminded of the basics: drinking in moderation and not accepting drinks from others.
Traditionally, alcohol is a factor in about 70 percent of all incident reports filed at the university. But that proportion is down this year, and the total number of incident reports is down considerably.
“It’s been a very successful year,” Hull said.
School officials say they expect to maintain these numbers, even as more and more time passes since the events of last winter.
Mary Ward, interim dean of student success, said the school is also looking into the possibility of a low-cost shuttle service that would loop from campus to downtown. Safety officers are another idea. And this spring, faculty are trying out software that helps them see which students are at greater risk of dropping out—who’s missing classes or getting low scores.
“Our methodology is wrapped around education and behavior change,” Ward said. “It’s about creating an environment where people make good choices.”
Jay Passa, health education coordinator, said the school is administering a health survey that will provide a clearer picture of how students this year have used and viewed alcohol—and whether things have changed since last year.
“We certainly haven’t forgotten about last year and the tragedies,” Passa said. “The campaign is very active, still very alive on campus. We’ve made this commitment.”