Weekly Briefing: Sober students are everywhere. How can colleges help?

More students aren't drinking. Colleges need to accommodate them. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. More students are choosing not to drink. What can colleges do to help? It may not seem like it, but student drinking has trended downward for the last four decades. In 1981, 82 percent of students reported drinking in the previous 30 days. In 2021, that figure was less than 60 percent, according to the 2022 [Monitoring the Future survey](. high-risk binge drinking remains a problem on campuses, many students have shifted their attitudes toward alcohol, and those who opt out are facing less social stigma and judgment than in past years. For about 40 years, colleges have invested millions in alcohol-education programs, health-promotion centers, and collegiate recovery communities, and they’ve hired the staff to oversee that work. Binge drinking has slowed, but it’s still a major concern for college leaders. Students have many reasons to stay sober. Confluent forces, like a stronger safety net for those struggling with addiction, a more-inclusive society, and skepticism toward alcohol, have made it easier to be a college student who doesn’t drink. While students have gradually reduced their drinking, colleges have felt increasing pressure to [offer full services]( for students. Students expect their institutions will provide academics, housing, food, medical care, security services, and mental-health support. Alcohol-recovery programs have also emerged on campuses across the United States. Sometimes the programs offer sober housing, social events, and connections to other services. For example, on St. Patrick’s Day, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor’s Collegiate Recovery Program co-hosted a Sober Skate event (pictured above) with the Washtenaw Recovery Advocacy Project. Not all attendees identified as sober, but they all chose to abstain from alcohol, on a holiday known for excessive drinking, while ice-skating with their peers. Many colleges are still playing catch-up on creating sober spaces for students. Campus-sponsored events usually end before weekend parties begin. In part, that’s because alcohol consumption has a strong hold on the imagination of college life. Institutions attract students by promising them flourishing academic and social lives. But the groups that ultimately engage students are Greek-life organizations or other clubs where drinking is often a social value. Colleges can reap those benefits. A 2021 [Gallup poll]( commissioned by the National Panhellenic Conference and the North American Interfraternity Conference found that fraternity and sorority members were much more likely than unaffiliated alumni to report donating to their alma mater. Many experts are optimistic about trends that point to safer or reduced alcohol use. Instead of embracing expectations to drink, some college students are paving their own way forward. [Read our Kate Hidalgo Bellows’s full story](. ADVERTISEMENT NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. Lagniappe - Read. For fans of the HBO Max series Succession, here’s a story about the real family that rivals its televised drama. Rupert Murdoch, the conservative media executive, is facing a $1.6-billion lawsuit that could hobble Fox News. 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