The 2023 Annual Security Report revealed new data about rising liquor violations on campus creeping up to pre-pandemic numbers.

According to the report, in 2022 there were 92 liquor law violations referred for disciplinary action. This is up by nearly 23% compared to 2021. There was also one liquor law arrest made in 2022. There were also 5 drug law violations referred for disciplinary action and two drug law arrests, both exactly 2 cases higher than the previous year but within a normal range.

“I think it shows that we have a high profile, high dependency on alcohol on campus. It is kind of a measure of what might need to culturally change some of that behavior if we see that it’s causing a trend upwards of too many alcohol overdoses where people are having to be transported to the hospital,” said Rob Browne, Director of the Department of Safety and Security.

Looking at the data historically, this year’s increase does not seem as alarming. “The liquor law violations, thankfully, are still trending at about half of what the college used to see up until COVID because we used to see about 200 to 220 a year. It’s probably going to trend up a little bit more each year and get, unfortunately, back to that average,” he said.

There were 34 liquor violations in 2020, the year of the pandemic, and 75 in 2021. These numbers are far lower than the pre-pandemic average, so the increase in liquor violations can be correlated to lifted restrictions and return to normal student activity. 

“Comparatively speaking, I would prefer to see the numbers of the past two years rather than a return to historical levels – or to even see them drop,” said Alicia Finn, Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students.

Browne also noted that the annual numbers may vary greatly, as often one event can result in multiple liquor violations. “We’ve had two or three cases already this year where there’s been upwards of 20 people in a freshman room in a residence hall and they get documented with alcohol… So the difference could really just be one less room that residential life wasn’t alerted to,” he said.

Diego Benites ’25, Vice President of the Student Government Association, says the increased liquor violations are concerning but it is an issue every college faces. 

“There is a significant number of students that are above the age of 21 and are legally allowed to drink. It is the responsibility of the college and the SGA to ensure that our students are aware of responsible drinking. This is an issue that the college and SGA can keep working on to ensure the safety and welfare of our students,” said Benites.

The annual Clery report also provides insight into the number of cases of sexual assault, dating violence, and more.

The number of rape instances decreased by 75%. There were 16 cases reported in 2021 and 4 cases reported in 2022. It is important to note that this category refers to sexual assault, which includes and is not limited to rape. 

However, it does not include statutory rape, which concerns cases where a person is under that statutory age of consent. In New Hampshire, the age of consent is 16. There were zero cases of statutory rape reported in the last three years.

There were 2 instances of fondling, 2 instances of dating violence, and 3 cases of stalking in 2022.

“Any incident of sexual misconduct is one incident too many; at the same time, I am aware that sexual misconduct is underreported in general and I believe that principle holds true on our campus,” said Title IX Coordinator Marcie Vaughn.

“My goal is to build trust with the campus community to encourage individuals who experience sexual misconduct to come forward, to seek help, and to allow the college to correct and remediate the harm caused. As I build a reporting program that is tailored to our community’s needs, I anticipate that the number of reported incidents will increase for a period of time,” she said. 

Dean Finn echoed Vaughn’s message that one instance of assault is too many. “Regarding the cases of rapes being reported on campus, the numbers listed for 2022 were more typical and the 2021 spike had more to do with reporting mechanisms and the number of mandatory reporters,” she said.

Browne also addressed potential discrepancies and yearly fluctuations in the data reported on sexual assault can result from duplicate reports. “We have a number of mandatory reporters on campus. When they hear of an incident of sexual assault or crying or Cleary crime, they’re required to report it. They may not know that a report has already been filed by another mandatory reporter, so we may end up having repetitive instances that we’re not able to flesh out,” he explained.

The Title IX office and The Harbor, led by Nicole Kipphut, continue their efforts to create a campus community that stands by survivors and aims to prevent sexual assault. “Overall, and often in partnership with Nicole, I have conducted 16 training programs so far this semester for student groups, athletics, faculty, and staff. I’m invigorated by the reception we’ve received – and any student, staff, or faculty group can request individualized training by contacting me at [email protected] or Nicole at [email protected],” Vaughn said.

Dean Finn commended the partnership of the Title IX Office and The Harbor as a valuable support system for those impacted by any type of sexual assault or violence. “That we have cases at all grieves me, and yet with reporting, we know that a student will receive the important support that is needed,” she said.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is mandated by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. It was enacted by Congress in 1990 to establish a nationwide system of reporting crime on college campuses. 

Browne views the Clery Act as a sort of consumer protection measure for current and prospective students, faculty, and investors. “This is the mechanism by which we let them know from a transparency aspect as to what’s going on,” he said.

“We personally believe that knowledge is power. With that being said, this year we want to work to increase transparency between the student body and SGA and help students be more aware of the actions of the SGA and the college,” Benites said. 

To learn more about the Clery Act, all are welcome to attend the student senate meeting on Oct. 30 where Rob Browne and Scott Dunn, the assistant Director of the Department of Safety and Security, will be giving a presentation on this year’s report. Students are also encouraged to attend an SGA town hall on Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Perini Lecture hall to voice their concerns and learn about what SGA will do this year.

A culture of respect and protection can only be achieved through the combined efforts of students, faculty, and staff. As always, members of the college community are reminded that if they see something, they should say something.