Grant to Help Programs, Services for Alcohol Abuse Prevention

Illinois State University has received a $7,500 grant to help in the prevention of underage drinking in student organizations at Illinois State University. The grant, which is from the Illinois Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Other Drug and Violence Prevention, the funds will help coordinate programs and services that address the incidence of underage drinking within Illinois State fraternities and sororities.

Currently, the responsibility for addressing underage drinking is held by individual organizations’ risk management officers. Illinois State is interested in creating programs and educational materials to help address how student organizations educate students about alcohol, and how they manage events so underage drinking is not occurring at events. Such programs and services will also serve to better enforce the University alcohol policy and ordinances by the Town of Normal that are related to distributing alcohol to minors.

According top grant coordinator Suzette Zompetti of the Dean of Students Office, ISU will use the grant to assist with policy enforcement for student organization events where alcohol is served, to create a resource training guide, develop a mandatory social host program and create standardized sober monitor training.