Communicate Your Expectations

Most Cal students make safe choices about drinking and parties. Most don't experience harmful academic, physical, or social consequences due to their drinking. However, our campus works year-round with our community partners to create an alcohol environment that is as low risk as possible for all who live, study, work and recreate around campus.

Parents play an extremely important and unique role in this effort. Make it a top priority to communicate your expectations to your student before arriving at campus. Students are influenced by your expectations and by the desire to avoid the consequences of failing to meet them. Use the information on this website to learn about college drinking and help you clarify and effectively communicate your expectations and possible consequences for your student.

Academics. What clear and realistic expectations do you have about their:

• Maintenance of a minimum GPA?
• Attendance at class & discussion sections/labs?
• Assertion of their right to a study environment that supports their intellectual growth - Are they having their sleep and study disrupted by other students' drinking? Are the "quiet hours" in their building or neighborhood being respected?
• Prioritization of academics to extra-curricular activities, i.e. community service, social activities, exercise, or family obligations?
• Other related factors?

Drinking and Parties. What clear and realistic expectations do you have about their:

• Drinking - no alcohol; some alcohol; unlimited alcohol; drinking only with meals; BAC < .06; Beverages with alcohol content > 6%; only beer; no more than two standard drinks per day; once a month, etc.?
• Awareness of the campus and community alcohol laws & penalties?
• Knowledge of actual college drinking patterns and harm to self and others?
• Responsibility for using alcohol & party risk management strategies whether they are host, guest or neighbor?
• Duty to notice and assume personal responsibility for helping with possible emergency behavior or situations?
• Confidence that if they turn to you (or campus resources) if drinking or parties is diminishing their academics, health or safety, they will receive understanding and support for their situation and steps to improve it?

Your Consequences. What clear and realistic consequences will you instigate if your expectations are not met? Possibilities include:

• Completion of any campus sanctions; Tutoring; Counseling; Change in residence, organization memberships, weekend activities; Suspension of vacation, auto, financial or other privileges, etc.

Follow through. You've set the stage by communicating your expectations. What clear and realistic expectations do you have about :

• Exchanging information about/monitoring their academics, drinking and parties regularly in the future?
• Their belief that their health, safety, and quality of life is your top priority?
• Instigating consequences for not meeting your expectations?

Share Your Story. What did you do? How'd it go? Email a short summary to partysafe@berkeley.edu. We'll add it to our website so that we can all learn and grow.