Alumni back responsible celebrations

By Meg Torbert, UNH Alumni Association

A resolution endorsing the actions by the University of New Hampshire administration to promote responsible student celebrations was passed unanimously by the Alumni Association’s board of directors Saturday, Jan. 17, at its winter meeting.

Elibet Moore Chase, a 1981 graduate of UNH and president of the UNH Alumni Association board of directors, notes that the association’s position is “an important part of the unified response to these events coming from all leadership segments of the university. If the participants in the riots get a single unified message, they will begin to understand that there is no room for negotiation on this issue.”

In the statement, the board noted that the alumni association advocates for UNH and its alumni, and helps to promote the university’s historic land-grant mission of teaching, research and public service. As a result, the association and its board of directors are “dedicated to protecting and preserving the ideals and reputation which have made our alma mater one of the country’s top public institutions of higher learning.”

The board expressed its concern that “the student disturbances from last spring and again last fall bring great discredit to our university.” The resolution continues, “This behavior is not in keeping with the traditional ideals of a college learning and social environment and this behavior grossly violates our status as a good neighbor with the surrounding community.

“ Therefore, be it resolved that the UNH Alumni Association Board of Directors endorses the actions taken by the university administration to promote, through prevention and intervention strategies, responsible behavior by members of the UNH community,” the resolution concludes.

The resolution is in response to the riots last spring and fall by UNH students and nonstudents in downtown Durham. Last fall, UNH students leaders organized the first-ever student-led summit promoting responsible celebrations. Actions taken by the UNH administration to curb further misconduct by UNH students include suspensions, fines and other sanctions; a revision to student rules extending the purview of the student conduct process to crimes committed in the downtown area; letters to students and parents urging good citizenship and reiterating the consequences of illegal behavior; and planning university-sponsored activities around campus during high-visibility weekends.