Over the course of the four summer Colonial Inauguration sessions, one incoming freshman received an alcohol violation during the three-day-orientation period, said Tara Pereira, assistant dean of students and director of Student Judicial Services.
Another incoming freshman was taken by EMeRG to GW Hospital while staying with a friend before her CI began, said Robert Chernak, senior vice president for Student and Academic Support Services.
“The Class of 2013 has had two students found to have violated the alcohol policy and their admission has been rescinded or deferred,” Pereira said in an e-mail. “One of these two incidents occurred at CI.”
Getting caught drinking at CI is not taken lightly by the University, and each specific case is reviewed in detail before a decision to rescind a student’s admission is made, Pereira said.
“If an offer of admission is rescinded or deferred it is because we are truly concerned about that student’s readiness for college and the ability to successfully transition to GW and make sound decisions about their own alcohol use,” Pereira said.
Chernak said that despite these two incidents, the students who attended the four summer CI sessions were mature and well behaved.
“We’ve had minimal problems,” Chernak said. “This has probably been the best behaved class that has come through CI since I’ve been here.”
Major changes were made to CI this year, including reducing the number of summer CI sessions from five to four. Chernak said despite the larger class of incoming freshmen this year – more than 2,500 students registered for CI – the smaller number of CI sessions worked out well.
“Of all of the years that we’ve had summer orientation, this one [alcohol] situation is the fewest I’ve ever, ever been aware of,” Chernak said, adding that on a percentage basis the small number of alcohol violations is even more dramatic.
“I’ve been very impressed with this group of young people,” Chernak said. “They are a terrific young group of people. They are very mature, they are communicative, they are bright and they’re engaging in conversation.”
University President Steven Knapp did not speak at the first three sessions of Colonial Inauguration, instead greeting freshman with a pre-recorded video. This is Knapp’s first ever CI after taking over as president in August 2007. University Spokesperson Adela de la Torre said Knapp, who had scheduling conflicts for the previous sessions, intends to give the traditional address to the incoming class at CI 4, beginning on Monday, and CI 5 on July 5.