The Office of Campus Life will conduct a survey to determine the academic, social and sexual effects of drugs and alcohol on students, according to Associate Dean of Students Sara Waldron.
The Core Institute's Alcohol and Drug Survey will be administered to students during various classes in February, Waldron said. The university last administered the survey three years ago.
"We conduct this survey in compliance with the Drug-Free Schools Act," Waldron said. "Beyond that, obviously students' use of drugs and alcohol is of concern."
The survey helps the university compile information on how many students are involved in illegal substance abuse, Waldron said. The surveys are anonymous so the university will receive more accurate responses, according to Waldron.
Cait Chew, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, said students may not be comfortable telling the truth on the survey.
"I think it would be interesting to see how much drinking affects the different aspects of life at AU, but I'm not positive that students will be giving accurate responses," Chew said.
The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey was created at Southern Illinois University and is used by schools across the country. It is conducted every three years, and this will be the third time it has been conducted at AU.
As of publication date, 22 classes were chosen in which the survey will be administered. The classes were chosen because the professors were supportive of the survey in the past and the students in those classes represent a wide sample of each of the age groups and colleges within the university, Waldron said.
In past years, the university has instituted programs based on survey results, such as the alcohol awareness programs during new student orientation and changes to the transport policy, Waldron said. This year, the university made a student's second medical transport for alcohol consumption grounds for a Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services hearing and a notation on the student's permanent record.
Laura Rose, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said that while the university makes rules, there is no guarantee that students will obey them.
"I think it's ridiculous that the school is surveying students on their drug and alcohol intake," Rose said. "As a college student, the odds that you're going to drink are very high. Just because they change the rules on transports doesn't mean you're going to stop drinking"
