Alcohol EDU now a required course for freshmen

In order to register for spring semester classes, more than 3,000 students in Central Michigan University’s freshman class are now required to complete and pass an online Alcohol EDU course.

Michelle Veith, assistant director of Residence Life, said the Office of Student Life is taking a proactive approach to decrease alcohol poisoning that is prevalent among college students.

“We’ve seen far too many medical transports over the past few years due to alcohol poisoning,” she said.  “Many students engage in binge drinking and it’s extremely dangerous.”

The two-phase program is a non-opinionated, science-based alcohol abuse prevention course free to students that educates them on the impact alcohol has on the mind and body.  Phase 1 must be completed by Monday and Phase 2 by Oct. 24.

Veith said she hopes the two hours it takes to complete each phase will address one of the major priorities of the Office of Residence Life, which is to inform and educate students to be responsible and know how to take care of each other.

A Towers Resident Assistant, who asked to remain anonymous, said all resident assistants are required to complete the program to understand the education residents are receiving.

“If they sit down and do it, maybe they can learn something,” she said.

Not all students, freshmen especially, know the facts to make informed decisions about drinking alcohol, she said.

Rochester Hills freshman Emily Webber said she doesn’t find it necessary for the program to require two phases.

“We learn everything in the first step,” she said.  “It just talks about drunk driving, not letting people make drinks for you … It’s all stuff we already know.”

Webber said the course stated 10 percent of students on campus drink, but she said the number seems much higher.

“I don’t think that’s right,” she said. “It’s more like 90 percent.”

Leslie freshman Tucker Hanson said the course was very tedious and long.

“It wasn’t beneficial for me,” he said.

Although Hanson didn’t find it worthwhile, he said it could be helpful to freshman entering college with no experience drinking alcohol.

“It wasn’t a bad idea,” he said.  “(CMU) has good intentions.”

Veith said whether the student chooses to drink or not, students will be empowered to make well-informed decisions about alcohol and be able to cope with the drinking behavior of their peers.

“The bottom line is we want our students to be safe; we want them to look out for one another; we want them to call for help if they are concerned about a friend and we want them to be successful at CMU,” Veith said.