Dear Parents of Members of the
Class of 2010:
As the parent of two college-age daughters, a freshman and a
senior, I suspect we share many joys and anxieties at this
stage of our lives. This is a time of great transition for
our families—both for our students and for us as
parents! I write to address candidly some serious subjects
about college life for your consideration and reflection,
with the hope that you, in turn, will invest some time this
summer engaging your student in conversation about joining
the Elon University community.
Drinking on Campus
The Elon University campus is a transformative
place. It is a constant thrill to watch students grow
intellectually, spiritually, artistically, athletically,
emotionally, and in many other ways. The university
experience offers wonderful opportunities for students to
continue to discover their talents and their places in the
world. In this context of witnessing students develop to
their full potential, it is heartbreaking to see a young life
take a sudden, dramatic, and tragic turn. Almost always, the
abuse of alcohol—binge drinking—plays a major
role in such a life-changing event.
I ask you to address or re-address these key points with
your son or daughter this summer:
-
Drinking a large quantity of alcohol in a short period of
time can lead to hospitalization or even death. Nearly
every college campus in the nation, including Elon, has
faced situations in which students have been rushed to the
emergency room with life-threatening blood alcohol levels.
Drinking shots of alcohol in a short span of time is
extraordinarily dangerous.
-
The combination of alcohol abuse and sex is especially
dangerous territory for young people and can result in
emotional trauma, sexually transmitted diseases, and
unwanted pregnancy. Alcohol is often associated with sexual
assault and acquaintance rape, but it is never an excuse
for such acts of violence. Please talk with your son or
daughter about how excessive alcohol use can lead to
incidents that might change the course of his or her
future.
-
Your student will be responsible for budgeting 168 hours
each week. Because alcohol consumption is negatively
correlated with academic success, the more time your
student spends using alcohol, the less likely he or she is
to achieve his or her academic goals. Together, we want to
stress that students must give first attention to their
academic work at Elon and then plan to use additional time
engaged in constructive and enjoyable campus activities.
-
I believe that unlimited discretionary spending is harmful
to young people and to the campus environment as a whole.
If you support your student’s entertainment and
social expenses, please set a reasonable budget and ask
your son or daughter to live within it.
-
Your son or daughter will soon be joining a very special
community at Elon. You are influential adults in their
lives, and I ask your help in communicating a basic tenet
of citizenship—that the individual actions of each
Elon student, both in the classroom and in personal
relationships, affect many other members of the community.
Encourage your son or daughter to be a builder of community
at Elon through constructive actions and behaviors.
Upholding Values in the Internet Age
During the upcoming academic year, we will place a
great deal of emphasis on the Elon academic and social honor
codes, including a ceremony in early September for the entire
Class of 2010 that will speak to the values that are
foundational to our community. We will engage our students in
conversations on how these values apply not only in
traditional settings such as the classroom, residence halls,
and social interactions, but also in the use of technology.
Technology is ubiquitous in the lives of young people today
and presents marvelous new opportunities for communication,
community building, information management, and for enhancing
teaching and learning. Well over half our first year students
are already getting to know their roommates and classmates
through Facebook, MySpace, or other online social networks.
Unfortunately, all colleges and universities, including Elon,
have experienced instances where students have been unaware
of the consequences of posting personal information in the
public domain or have misused technology in ways that violate
the values and honor codes of the university.
With regard to emphasizing ethics and personal
responsibility in the use of technology , Elon will emphasize
four values with the Class of 2010
-
Safety. Students must be careful to guard their own safety
and privacy and that of others in the Elon community,
particularly in on-line communities such as Facebook.
-
Caretaking. Students are afforded a great privilege to
share the technological resources of the University and
must not engage in activities that leave these resources
vulnerable to abuse or disruption.
-
Originality. A university community values the originality
of thought and ideas and giving proper credit when using
the work of others, including all digital texts and images.
-
Civility. Students should be courteous and respectful in
all communications and conversations, electronic or
otherwise.
Your support as parents in reinforcing these values and
principles will help us maintain a safe and healthy campus
environment, which is essential to learning and to personal
growth. I urge you to discuss the contents of this letter
with your son or daughter in the weeks leading up to the
transition to campus.
I look forward to greeting you personally in August at the
New Student Convocation, the next step in your
student’s journey to adult independence.
Sincerely,
Leo M. Lambert
President
