In a unanimous vote by the college trustees, Milligan’s alcohol policy will change in the fall, according to President Bill Greer. Under the new policy, Milligan will remain a dry campus, but students over 21 will be permitted to drink alcohol off-campus in accordance with state law.
The new policy states that students must follow state laws regarding the consumption of alcohol, “particularly those that address underage drinking.” Students “may not possess alcoholic beverages or empty alcohol containers on campus, on college property, in personal vehicles on college property, or in on-campus living situations.”
The policy also addresses being involved in an alcohol violation. If a student is in a dorm room or an on-campus apartment where alcohol is present and/or being consumed, he or she may face disciplinary action for “complicity with an alcohol violation.” A student present at or hosting an off-campus gathering where alcohol is consumed by an underage student may face disciplinary action for complicity with an alcohol violation. As a host, the student is responsible for all actions of attendees, whether the guest is invited or uninvited.
“I don’t think it’s good teaching to just say that (drinking alcohol) is absolutely wrong no matter what,” Greer said in an interview with the Stampede. “I can’t stress enough that the reason behind me recommending this policy change and the board approving it is to demonstrate this level of trust and respect for our students, because our current policy doesn’t do that.”
Greer emphasized that this change in policy does not endorse in any way the consumption of alcohol, but rather fixes the former policy which, he said, “did not create opportunities to engage with students in conversation about responsible adult behavior when there was the assumption that no one was drinking.”
“We wanted to step into that dialogue to help students navigate the transition from under 21 to over 21, and do it responsibly and in a way that honors Christ,” Greer said. “Without a change in policy, we couldn’t do that.”
Greer added that this policy will still expect students to respect scriptural values of moderation and discipline when it comes to the consumption of alcohol off-campus.
“Something important to recognize about this change is that this isn’t a free for all,” Greer said. “We are expecting our students to not only abide by state law but also behave in a way that honors Christ in all things, including this.”
Greer also noted that when it comes to this new policy, specifics about what exactly is OK and what is not when drinking off campus are somewhat ambiguous. Greer mentioned that the policy is meant to have ambiguity to allow a space for dialogue, responsibility and mutual respect. The new policy does not currently list any specific disciplinary actions to punish violations.
“We will learn as we go,” Greer said. “It is safe to say that returning to campus intoxicated would be inappropriate. Overall, we are more concerned with the overall behavior and actions of a student. We want to demonstrate trust in the discernment of students.”
So, why change now?
Milligan staff, including Dean of Students Tony Jones, spent a few years doing research on other Christian institutions to get a better grasp of what a change in the alcohol policy would look like, a process that Greer described as “careful and methodical.” The trustees found that most of these schools had a dry campus but allowed students to drink off-campus in accordance with the state’s laws. However, the colleges also included policies in which students would need to display characteristics in accordance with Christlike behavior and recognition of biblical passages that “caution against intoxication.”
“This policy change does bring Milligan into line with other Christian church-affiliated institutions,” Greer said. “It aligns our policies with what is more the norm and with what really happens.”
The policy will go into effect Aug. 1. The current policy will be enforced until then.
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