Dear UMD Parents and
Family Members:
As the University of
Minnesota Duluth's Chancellor, it is a pleasure for me to welcome you to our
outstanding university community. The faculty, staff, and students of UMD
join me in our commitment to making your student's new university home an
intellectually stimulating and enjoyable place to learn and grow.
We take every part of the UMD experience very seriously, and we
are committed to making a difference with our students. Most
of our students excel, but many of them also encounter challenging situations
involving alcohol. Most relationships
among students are positive and supportive. However, there are times when abusive relationships appear between
students. When abuse occurs, it is often
related to alcohol use. We've implemented
a comprehensive prevention program to help our students make the safest,
healthiest decisions possible.
- Our health services and student life staff offer resources and programming designed to heighten student awareness of the dangers of alcohol abuse and underage drinking. A comprehensive resource page may be found by visiting this website.
- When violations of university alcohol policies occur we have disciplinary procedures in place to address these issues in a manner focused on education and changing behavior. The emphasis is on helping students be successful in every aspect of their college experience.
- At UMD, we value our partnership with parents regarding the health and safety of our students. To that end, we will contact the parents of any UMD student who has been taken to the hospital emergency room or to a local detoxification facility by UMD police for an alcohol-related emergency. On a case-by-case basis, we may also contact the parents of underage UMD students who have violated the university's alcohol policy, on or off campus.
- This summer every incoming student will be required to complete AlcoholEdu for College, a 2-3 hour online course that uses the latest prevention techniques and research to educate students about the impact of alcohol on the mind and body. Whether or not your student drinks alcohol, AlcoholEdu for College will empower your student to make well-informed decisions about alcohol and help them better cope with the drinking behavior of peers.
We also understand
that parents are the first line of defense against alcohol misuse and
abuse. There are several things you can do this summer to help your
student get ready for the decisions they'll be making after they get to UMD.
We're providing a brochure to serve as a resource and a guide if
you decide to discuss the dangers of underage drinking and excessive alcohol
use with your student.
Minnesota State Law
requires that every incoming student must participate in training on sexual
assault prevention. One way our students will receive training is through
another online course called Sexual Assault Prevention.
Our partner for
providing the AlcoholEdu and Sexual Assault Prevention is a company called
EverFi. (By the way, EverFi also provides online training required for every
UMD employee). We're providing you with a link
to an EverFi website that has information for parents of college students. The site includes downloadable resources to
support conversations with your student about these important topics. In
addition, this
UMD website
has links to an overview for each of the required courses.
The deadline for
completing the AlcoholEdu and Sexual Assault Prevention courses is August 20, 2018.
We hope you will encourage your student to meet that deadline.
We are proud of the
safe and supportive learning environment at UMD, and we thank you for helping
us educate students about the dangers of behaviors that put them at risk and
that detract from their academic achievements.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Chancellor
