jump to navigation
Print    E-Mail   Share External link. Please review our Disclaimer 

West Virginia University Underage and High-Risk Drinking: A Solution-Based Town Hall Dialogue Morgantown, West Virginia

INTRODUCTION

West Virginia University (WVU), with a student population of 29,466, has a significant impact on the quality of life and economy of the small city of Morgantown (population 30,293). In 2012, WVU received Princeton Review’s number-one party school designation; in 2013, WVU was selected as the biggest party school in the United States in Playboy’s ranking of America’s top party schools. Possibly due to this image, the institution appears to attract students who are already high-risk alcohol users. According to a 2010 survey by EverFi of campus alcohol use policies and prevalence, WVU’s incoming freshmen reported prior alcohol and excessive alcohol use rates that exceeded those nationally. Once on campus, these students continue to drink excessively and experience more negative consequences than their peers.  

EVENT DESCRIPTION

WVU and Morgantown cohosted a Town Hall Meeting as a solution-based dialogue forum on underage and high-risk drinking. WVU Police Chief Bob Roberts captured the attention of the participants when he pointed out that issues relating to underage alcohol use cost the state $412 million annually. Chief Roberts said, “When you take the taxes West Virginia collects from alcohol sales—$23 million—and subtract them from the cost of underage and high-risk consumption, you get a deficit to the tune of $389 million.… If underage drinking was nothing more than people having a good time, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

More than 100 students, university and community members, and local government officials attended the event. Seven experts offered their professional perspective on the consequences of underage and excessive drinking and potential solutions for the community to consider. In addition to Chief Roberts, panelists included the following:

  • Kim Mosby, Senior Associate Dean of Students;
  • Evan McIntyre, President of the WVU Interfraternity Council;
  • Helen Stubbs, Vice President for Higher Education at EverFi;
  • Jenny Selin, Mayor of Morgantown;
  • Charles Whiteman, emergency medicine physician at Ruby Memorial Hospital; and
  • Gary Robinson, education and public information spokesman for the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration (WVABCA).

During the event, participants identified several local factors contributing to underage and excessive alcohol use. These included the party school image, the growing problem of house parties, excessive drinking tied to sporting and other events, and “weekend” drinking that begins with Ladies Night on Wednesday.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

WVU achieved its objective of educating the larger community about the shared problem of college student drinking and discussing possible solutions. One audience member commented, “It’s really easy to say that everyone here has learned something today. We need more events like this and continued discussion, because this has been a problem in our community for so long that people have become accustomed to it.” WVU will incorporate the insights it gained into a white paper that will summarize current and needed best practices in reducing underage and excessive drinking. WVU also provided the hashtag #WVUTownHallMeeting as a way for community members to continue the dialogue.

Media coverage expanded Town Hall Meeting outreach. In addition to press accounts about the meeting in The Daily Athenaeum (the student newspaper of WVU) and The Dominion Post, local television stations WDTV and WBOY covered the event. WVU videotaped the meeting in its entirety and posted it on YouTube.

NEXT STEPS

Morgantown and WVU are currently engaged in the yearlong data collection process that is part of applying for a Safe Communities certification. The National Safety Council awards this designation only to communities that, among other criteria, use community data to prioritize safety and health areas in greatest need of attention. Accreditation for Morgantown and WVU would be the first joint award to a university and town nationally, and, in addition, Morgantown would the first Safe Community in West Virginia.

Robinson of the WVABCA observed that follow-up to Town Hall Meeting recommendations is just as important as its planning. He stated, “The town–gown committee needs to be infused with some of the folks and ideas that surfaced at the Town Hall Meeting. Key stakeholders with expertise or affiliation to specific areas may also want to form a subcommittee to address specific alcohol issues both on- and off-campus. I believe it is critically important to keep the lines of communication open in order to build the community’s capacity to address underage drinking. A Town Hall Meeting is a start, not an end.”

For more information:
Kim Mosby, Senior Associate Dean of Students
kim.mosby@mail.wvu.edu


Return to Success Stories