OXFORD, Miss. — The university’s Alcohol Task Force plans
to reconvene Tuesday (Sept. 4) to hear reports from
university and community officials on efforts to curb
abusive and illegal drinking.
The meeting, set for 3 p.m. in the Yerby Conference Center
on campus, is open to the public. The session is to include
presentations by Oxford Mayor Richard Howorth, UM Attorney
Lee Tyner and Dean of Students Sparky Reardon.
“The university and city have taken the proverbial baton
and swiftly moved to implement most of the Alcohol Task
Force recommendations,” said Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez,
dean of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a
co-chair of the task force. “If we look at both the city
and university accomplishments, we will be amazed at the
depth and breadth of the measures to ensure the safety and
education of our mutual constituents.”
The task force, chartered in October 2006, includes UM
faculty, staff and students, as well as representatives
from the Oxford community. The group is chaired by former
American Medical Association president Dr. J. Edward Hill
of Tupelo, and also includes Barbara Collier, director of
Student Health Services; and Roun McNeal, former Associated
Student Body president, as co-chairs.
The group gathered data from previous surveys of UM
students, national studies of alcohol use among teens and
young adults, and experiences from other universities. Its
final report, issued in January, recommended that the
university make its “two-strike” policy permanent, pursue
stricter enforcement of alcohol laws and require alcohol
education for all freshmen, among other efforts. It also
recommended a stronger partnership between the university,
city and county to combat alcohol abuse.
This summer, the university has developed a comprehensive
education and communications strategy for its alcohol
policy. As part of the effort, the university has mailed
informational postcards to 95,000 alumni and supporters,
and included similar cards in all football ticket orders.
Newspaper, radio and Internet ads also are being rolled out
this week.
The city of Oxford has strengthened ordinances governing
alcohol sales and server training and has stepped up
enforcement of alcohol regulations.
For more information in the universitys efforts to combat
abusive and illegal drinking, go to