Amethyst Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Amethyst Initiative is an organization made up of U.S. college presidents and chancellors that in July 2008 launched a movement calling for the reconsideration of U.S. drinking age laws, particularly the minimum age of 21 as established nationally by the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which required all states to raise their minimum age for purchase and public possession of alcohol
to 21 or face a reduction in highway funds under the Federal-Aid Highway Act
. The Amethyst Initiative was initiated by John McCardell, founder of Choose Responsibility
and a professor of history at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, and is currently supported by 135 college presidents who signed a statement proclaiming, "It’s time to rethink the drinking age".
According to Greek and Roman legend, amethysts protected their owners from drunkenness
.
as the only legal option has not resulted in significant constructive behavioral change among our students," and therefore they urge lawmakers "to invite new ideas about the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol".
Gustavus Adolphus College
President Jack R. Ohle said in a statement that the initiative is not about lowering the drinking age, but to open a debate on alcohol policies that affect young people and their choices about alcohol use.
(MADD). Joining MADD's criticism are other groups, including the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
, the American Medical Association
, and the National Transportation Safety Board
.
A spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association
told the Washington Post that university leaders "are really just punting on the issue and leaving the high school principals to deal with it." However, Amethyst Initiative's parent organization, Choose Responsibility, proposes that only high school graduates should be eligible.
In a press release, MADD argues that lowering the drinking age would result in greater numbers of fatal automobile accidents, and that the presidents are "looking for an easy way out of an inconvenient problem" and "misrepresenting science." MADD cited former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala
statement that "maintaining the legal drinking age at 21 is a socially and medically sound policy that helps parents, schools and law enforcement protect our youth from the potentially life-threatening effects of underage drinking."
Choose Responsibility argues that scientific evidence supports the Amethyst Initiative's views and goals. and refutes some of MADD's past claims.
In November 2008, the Student Senate at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse rejected a proposal to urge that university's chancellor to sign the Amethyst Initiative." Supposedly the first such attempt by a student body to ask a president or chancellor to sign on, the measure at UW–L was defeated 14-19 after three weeks' debate. Chancellor Joe Gow said this vote, "certainly defies the 'conventional wisdom' regarding young people being eager to lower the drinking age." "
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
to 21 or face a reduction in highway funds under the Federal-Aid Highway Act
Federal-Aid Highway Act
The following bills and Acts of Congress in the United States have been known as the Federal-Aid Highway Act or similar names:*Federal Aid Road Act of 1916: July 11, 1916, ch...
. The Amethyst Initiative was initiated by John McCardell, founder of Choose Responsibility
Choose Responsibility
Choose Responsibility is a non-profit organization in the United States that promotes public awareness of the dangers of excessive and reckless alcohol consumption by young adults. The main goal is to lower the minimum drinking age by educating the public. It was founded and is directed by Dr...
and a professor of history at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, and is currently supported by 135 college presidents who signed a statement proclaiming, "It’s time to rethink the drinking age".
According to Greek and Roman legend, amethysts protected their owners from drunkenness
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
.
Purpose
The Amethyst Initiative states that, in their experience as university presidents, they have observed, "Alcohol education that mandates abstinenceAbstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
as the only legal option has not resulted in significant constructive behavioral change among our students," and therefore they urge lawmakers "to invite new ideas about the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol".
Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. A coeducational, four-year, residential institution, it was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans. To this day the school is firmly...
President Jack R. Ohle said in a statement that the initiative is not about lowering the drinking age, but to open a debate on alcohol policies that affect young people and their choices about alcohol use.
Statement
The Amethyst Initiative states the following:Signatories
Signatories of the initiative include:- President Vincent Maniaci, American International CollegeAmerican International CollegeAmerican International College is a private, co-educational liberal-arts college located in the Mason Square neighborhood of Springfield, Massachusetts.-History:...
- President Jerry M. Greiner, Arcadia UniversityArcadia UniversityArcadia University is a private university located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. A master's university by Carnegie Classification, the university has a co-educational student population of more than 4,000. The university was ranked 25th in the master's universities in...
- President Ronald Slepitza, Avila UniversityAvila UniversityAvila University is a private university in Kansas City, Missouri sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. It offers Bachelor's degrees in thirty-six majors and Master's degrees: Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, Master of Science in Counseling Psychology/Art Therapy, Master...
- President Elizabeth Coleman, Bennington CollegeBennington CollegeBennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
- President Scott D. Miller, Bethany CollegeBethany CollegeBethany College may refer to a number of Bible schools, Bethany is the name of a Biblical village.* Bethany Bible College, New Brunswick, Canada* Bethany College , United States* Bethany College , Canada...
- President Bobby Fong, Butler UniversityButler UniversityButler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
- President David Wolk, Castleton State CollegeCastleton State CollegeCastleton State College is a public liberal arts college located in Castleton in the U.S. state of Vermont. Castleton has an enrollment of 2000 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate programs as well as master’s degrees in education...
- President Mark J. Tierno, Cazenovia CollegeCazenovia CollegeCazenovia College is a small, independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college, located in Cazenovia, New York. Cazenovia offers a comprehensive liberal arts education with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their professional fields. Cazenovia College has been...
- President Carmen Twillie Ambar, Cedar Crest CollegeCedar Crest CollegeCedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. During the 2006-2007 academic year, the college had 1,000 full-time and 800 part-time undergraduates and 85 graduate students...
- President James L. Doti, Chapman UniversityChapman UniversityChapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California affiliated with the Christian Church . Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media...
- President Esther L. Barazzone, Chatham University
- Interim President Frank G. Pogue, Chicago State UniversityChicago State UniversityChicago State University is a state university of the U.S. state of Illinois, located in Chicago.-History:Cook County Normal School was founded in 1867, largely through the initiative of John F. Eberhart, the Commissioner of Schools for Cook County...
- President John Bassett, Clark UniversityClark UniversityClark University is a private research university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts.Founded in 1887, it is the oldest educational institution founded as an all-graduate university. Clark now also educates undergraduates...
- President Anthony G. Collins, Clarkson UniversityClarkson University-The Clarkson School:The Clarkson School, a special division of Clarkson University, was founded in 1978 as a unique educational opportunity. The School offers students an early entrance opportunity into college, replacing the typical senior year of high school with a year of college...
- President James R. Phifer, Coe CollegeCoe CollegeCoe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
- President Rebecca S. Chopp, Colgate UniversityColgate UniversityColgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
- President Robert Hoover, College of Idaho
- President Mary Pat Seurkamp, College of Notre Dame of MarylandCollege of Notre Dame of MarylandNotre Dame of Maryland University is an independent, Catholic-affiliated, liberal arts college located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, that primarily serves female students.-History:...
- President Frank Miglorie, College of St. JosephCollege of St. JosephThe College of St. Joseph is a private, residential, liberal arts Catholic college. Located on 117 wooded acres in Rutland, Vermont, it is located 15 minutes from the Killington Ski Resort and other outdoor recreational facilities and activities. The College's president is Frank G. Miglorie.-...
- President Richard F. Celeste, Colorado CollegeColorado CollegeThe Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
- President Dennison W. Griffith, Columbus College of Art & Design
- President James E. Wright, Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth CollegeDartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
- President G.T. Smith, Davis and Elkins CollegeDavis and Elkins CollegeDavis & Elkins College, also known as D&E, is a small residential liberal arts college located in Elkins, West Virginia, United States. The school was founded in 1904 and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. It was named for Henry G. Davis and his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins who were both...
- President Brian W. Casey, DePauw UniversityDePauw UniversityDePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
- President William G. Durden, Dickinson CollegeDickinson CollegeDickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
- President Joseph R. Fink, Dominican University of CaliforniaDominican University of CaliforniaDominican University of California is a four year, accredited, private, Catholic-heritage, and co-educational institution located in San Rafael, California. Founded in 1890 as Dominican College, Dominican is one of the oldest universities in California. The U.S. News and World Report ranks...
- President Richard Brodhead, Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
- President Donald R. Eastman III, Eckerd CollegeEckerd CollegeEckerd College is a private 4-year coeducational liberal arts college at the southernmost tip of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.- Campus :...
- President Theodore Long, Elizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown College is a small comprehensive college located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. The school was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren...
- President Thomas Meier, Elmira CollegeElmira CollegeElmira College is a coeducational private liberal arts college located in Elmira, in New York State's Southern Tier region.The college is noted as the oldest college still in existence which granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men...
- President Jacqueline Liebergott, Emerson CollegeEmerson CollegeEmerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
- President Richard E. Wylie, Endicott CollegeEndicott College- History :Endicott was founded in 1939 by Eleanor Tupper and her husband, George O. Bierkoe, as a two-year women’s college. The college was issued its first charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in that year and graduated its first class in 1941. In 1944, it was approved by the state for...
- President Jeffrey Von Arx, Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
- President Judith L. Kuipers, Fielding Institute
- President Janet Morgan Riggs, Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg CollegeGettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
- President Mark Scheinberg, Goodwin CollegeGoodwin CollegeGoodwin College is a private, nonprofit, four year institution located on One Riverside Drive, East Hartford, Connecticut. The college offers a variety of certificate and associate degree programs along with bachelor degree programs in child study, health science, organizational studies, and...
- President Sanford J. Ungar, Goucher CollegeGoucher CollegeGoucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
- President Jack Ohle, Gustavus Adolphus CollegeGustavus Adolphus CollegeGustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. A coeducational, four-year, residential institution, it was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans. To this day the school is firmly...
- President Joan Hinde StewartJoan Hinde StewartJoan Hinde Stewart is the 19th president of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, Summa Cum Laude, from St. Joseph's College in 1965, Stewart earned a Ph.D...
, Hamilton College - President Walter M. Bortz, Hampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney CollegeHampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
- President Ralph J. Hexter, Hampshire CollegeHampshire CollegeHampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
- President Susan DeWine, Hanover CollegeHanover CollegeHanover College is a private liberal arts college, located in Hanover, Indiana, near the banks of the Ohio River. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . The college was founded in 1827 by the Rev. John Finley Crowe, making it the oldest private college in Indiana. The Hanover...
- President Nancy O. Gray, Hollins UniversityHollins UniversityHollins University is a four-year institution of higher education, a private university located on a campus on the border of Roanoke County, Virginia and Botetourt County, Virginia...
- President Richard Gilman, C.S.C., Holy Cross CollegeHoly Cross CollegeHoly Cross College may refer to:*Holy Cross College , Bangladesh*Holy Cross College , in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States*Holy Cross College , Western Province, Sri Lanka*Holy Cross College...
- President William Brody, Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
- President John J. Bowen, Johnson & Wales UniversityJohnson & Wales UniversityJohnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, co-educational, career-oriented university with four campuses located throughout the United States. Providence, Rhode Island, USA, is home to JWU's first and largest of four currently operating campuses. Founded as a business school in 1914, by...
- President Barbara Murphy, Johnson State CollegeJohnson State CollegeJohnson State College is a small public liberal arts college, founded in 1828 by John Chesamore at Johnson in the U.S. state of Vermont. Johnson's president is Barbara E. Murphy and its board chair is Gary M. Moore.- History and governance :...
- Chancellor Leon Richards, Kapiolani Community CollegeKapiolani Community CollegeKapiolani Community College, formerly Kapiolani Technical School, is a public, co-educational commuter college in Honolulu, Hawaii situated on the slopes of Diamond Head in Waikīkī...
- President S. Georgia Nugent, Kenyon CollegeKenyon CollegeKenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
- President Rev. Thomas J. O'HaraThomas J. O'HaraRev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., Ph.D., a native of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was named the eighth president of King's College in Wilkes-Barre in February 1999 and assumed office the following July...
, King's College - President Daniel H. Weiss, Lafayette CollegeLafayette CollegeLafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
- President Stephen D. Schutt, Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest CollegeLake Forest College, founded in 1857, is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois. The college has 1,500 students representing 47 states and 78 countries....
- President Thomas J. Hochstettler, Lewis & Clark CollegeLewis & Clark CollegeLewis & Clark College is a private institution of higher learning located in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Law, and a Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Lewis & Clark is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges with athletic...
- President James E. Collins, Loras CollegeLoras CollegeLoras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
- President Carol Moore, Lyndon State CollegeLyndon State CollegeLyndon State College is a public liberal arts college located at Lyndon Center in Lyndon, Caledonia County in the U.S. state of Vermont. In addition to a range of Bachelor's Degree programs, the college offers a Master's Degree program in Education...
- President Leonard Tyler, Maine Maritime Academy
- President Thomas J. Scanlan, F.S.C., Manhattan CollegeManhattan CollegeManhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
- President Richard Berman, Manhattanville CollegeManhattanville CollegeManhattanville College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, located in Purchase, New York. Founded in 1841 it was known initially as Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart...
- President Ghazi Darkazalli, Marian Court CollegeMarian Court CollegeMarian Court College is a two-year college in Swampscott in the North Shore region of Massachusetts. Marian Court College is a Roman Catholic institution founded in 1964 and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy....
- President Tim Foster, Mesa State CollegeMesa State CollegeColorado Mesa University is a public comprehensive university in Grand Junction, Colorado. The university has its primary campus in central Grand Junction. The university also has other campuses as well; Bishop Campus, which houses Western Colorado Community College in northwestern Grand Junction...
- President Stephen M. Jordan, Metropolitan State College of DenverMetropolitan State College of DenverThe Metropolitan State College of Denver is a four-year college and now offers certain Graduate programs located in Denver, Colorado, United States. As of 2009, Metro State had the second-largest enrollment of undergraduates of any college in Colorado...
- President Ronald Liebowitz, Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury CollegeMiddlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
- President Frances Lucas, Millsaps CollegeMillsaps CollegeMillsaps College is a private liberal arts college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Founded in 1890, the college is recognized as one of the country's best private colleges dedicated to undergraduate teaching and educating the whole individual. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Millsaps...
- President Mary Ellen Jukoski, Mitchell CollegeMitchell CollegeFor the North Carolina college formerly known as Mitchell College, see Mitchell Community College.Mitchell College is a liberal arts college located on the banks of the Thames River, in New London, Connecticut, USA...
- President Susan Cole, Montclair State UniversityMontclair State UniversityMontclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
- President Christopher Thomforde, Moravian CollegeMoravian CollegeMoravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...
- President John Reynders, Morningside CollegeMorningside CollegeMorningside College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside College is a private, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution. Morningside has 21 buildings on a ...
- President Joanne V. Creighton, Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
- President Peyton R. Helm, Muhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
- President Randy Dunn, Murray State UniversityMurray State UniversityMurray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
- President Thomas B. Coburn, Naropa UniversityNaropa UniversityNaropa University is a private American liberal arts university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher and Oxford University scholar Chögyam Trungpa, it is named for the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, an abbot of Nalanda.Naropa describes itself as...
- President Fran Voigt, New England Culinary InstituteNew England Culinary InstituteThe New England Culinary Institute is a career oriented, culinary college located in Montpelier, Vermont, founded on June 15, 1980, by Fran Voigt and John Dranow. The first NECI class, conducted by Chef Michel LeBorgne, had just seven students . A second campus was operated in Essex, Vermont,...
- President Debra Townsley, Nichols CollegeNichols CollegeNichols College is a private, co-educational, four-year institution of higher learning that is located in Dudley, Massachusetts.Nichols has many diverse majors that mainly focus on business and liberal arts. The school also offers an MBA program for graduate students.Nichols College athletics...
- President Robert A. Skotheim, Occidental CollegeOccidental CollegeOccidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
- President Lawrence Schall, Oglethorpe UniversityOglethorpe UniversityOglethorpe University is a private liberal arts college in Brookhaven, Georgia, an inner suburb of Atlanta. It was chartered in 1835 and named after James Edward Oglethorpe, the state's founder.-History:...
- President E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
- President Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson, Oregon College of Art & CraftOregon College of Art & CraftOregon College of Art & Craft is a college in Portland, Oregon, United States that grants Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and certificates in book arts, ceramics, drawing and painting, fibers, metals, photography and wood. The college also offers an Artist-in-Residence program and provides...
- President Loren J. Anderson, Pacific Lutheran UniversityPacific Lutheran UniversityPacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty...
- President Phil Creighton, Pacific UniversityPacific UniversityPacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
- President John Mills, Paul Smith's CollegePaul Smith's CollegePaul Smith's College is a private college and is the only four year institution of higher education located within the boundary of the Adirondack State Park in Upstate New York...
- President David W. Oxtoby, Pomona CollegePomona CollegePomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
- President Robert A. Gervasi, Quincy UniversityQuincy UniversityQuincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...
- President Robert R. Lindgren, Randolph-Macon CollegeRandolph-Macon CollegeRandolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
- President William E. Troutt, Rhodes CollegeRhodes CollegeRhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Originally founded by freemasons in 1848, Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855. Rhodes enrolls approximately 1,700 students pursuing bachelor's and master's...
- President David C. Joyce, Ripon CollegeRipon CollegeRipon College can refer to:*Ripon College - US college*Ripon College, North Yorkshire - secondary school*Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire - theological college...
- President Gregory Dell'Omo, Robert Morris UniversityRobert Morris UniversityRobert Morris University is a private, coeducational university in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1921, the school was named for Robert Morris, who signed the Declaration of Independence, and helped finance the ensuing war with the British.-History:Robert Morris...
- President Charles R. Middleton, Roosevelt UniversityRoosevelt UniversityRoosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
- President Eric R. Gilbertson, Saginaw Valley State UniversitySaginaw Valley State UniversitySaginaw Valley State University, commonly known as SVSU, is a state university in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the middle of Michigan's lower peninsula in the Saginaw Valley region. The university is located in Kochville Township, Saginaw County...
- President Timothy R. Lannon, Saint Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
(PA) - President Arthur F. Kirk, Saint Leo UniversitySaint Leo UniversitySaint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa. The University is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery...
- President Patricia Maguire Meservey, Salem State CollegeSalem State CollegeSalem State University is a four-year public institution of higher learning located in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State University, established in 1854 as Salem Normal School, is located approximately fifteen miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and...
- President Paul L. Locatelli, S.J., Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara UniversitySanta Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
- President Joel L. Cunningham, Sewanee: University of the South
- President Carol T. Christ, Smith CollegeSmith CollegeSmith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
- President Paul LeBlanc, Southern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire University, also known as SNHU, is a private university in Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire. The university is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and also has numerous specialized...
- President Beverly Daniel Tatum, Spelman CollegeSpelman CollegeSpelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
- President Robert E. Ritschel, Spoon River CollegeSpoon River CollegeSpoon River College , located in Canton, Illinois, is one of 48 two-year, open-admission colleges of the Illinois Community College System , organized under the Illinois Public Community College Act...
- President Pamela Trotman Reid, St. Joseph College
- President Daniel F. Sullivan, St. Lawrence UniversitySt. Lawrence UniversitySt. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
- President Harold J. Raveche, Stevens Institute of TechnologyStevens Institute of TechnologyStevens Institute of Technology is a technological university located on a campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – founded in 1870 with an 1868 bequest from Edwin A. Stevens. It is known for its engineering, science, and technological management curricula.The institute has produced leading...
- President Thomas Schwarz, SUNY College at Purchase
- President L. Jay Lemons, Susquehanna UniversitySusquehanna UniversitySusquehanna University is a liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States, north of the state capital, Harrisburg.-Academics:...
- President Elisabeth S. Muhlenfeld, Sweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar College is a liberal arts women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, about north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The school's Latin motto translates as: "She who has earned the rose may bear it."...
- Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Syracuse UniversitySyracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
- President J. Patrick O'Brien, Texas A&M University, West Texas
- President Robert Caret, Towson UniversityTowson UniversityTowson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
- President James F. Jones, Jr.James F. JonesJames F. Jones, Jr., is the 21st president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Jones is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He and his wife, Jan, have three children.- Education :...
, Trinity College - President John M. Stamm, Trinity Lutheran College
- President Lawrence S. Bacow, Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
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- President Jennifer Hunter-Cevera, University of Maryland Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of Maryland Biotechnology InstituteFormed in 1985, the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute is part of the University System of Maryland. It was created to provide a unified focus for Maryland's biotechnology research and education.-About UMBI:...
- President C.D. Mote Jr., University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
- President Jack M. Wilson, University of MassachusettsUniversity of MassachusettsThis article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
- Chancellor Robert C. Holub, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- President George M. Dennison, University of Montana, Missoula
- President Steven H. Kaplan, University of New HavenUniversity of New HavenThe University of New Haven is a private university that combines a liberal arts education with professional training. The university comprises five colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the Tagliatela College of Engineering, the Henry C...
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- Chancellor John P. Keating, University of Wisconsin, Parkside
- Chancellor William E. Kirwan, University System of MarylandUniversity System of MarylandThe University System of Maryland is a public corporation and charter school system comprising 12 Maryland institutions of higher education. It is the 12th-largest university system in the United States, with over 125,000 undergraduate, 43,000 graduate and roughly 13,000 combined full-time and...
- President Geoffrey Shields, Vermont Law SchoolVermont Law SchoolVermont Law School is a private, American Bar Association accredited law school located in South Royalton, Vermont . The Law School has one of the United States' leading programs in environmental law, and the Law School is currently ranked #1 in Environmental Law by U.S...
- Chancellor Robert Clarke, Vermont State CollegesVermont State CollegesThe Vermont State Colleges is the U.S. state of Vermont's system of public colleges. It functions as a governance organization, and was created by act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1961...
- President Ty J. Handy, Vermont Technical CollegeVermont Technical CollegeVermont Technical College is a public technical college with two main campuses located in Randolph Center and Williston, Vermont. The College also has nursing campuses in other locations throughout the state...
- President Charles W. Steger, Virginia Tech
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- President William E. Hamm, Wartburg CollegeWartburg CollegeWartburg College is a selective four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Waverly, Iowa. Wartburg West is in Denver, Colorado....
- President Tori Haring-SmithTori Haring-Smith-Education:Dr. Haring-Smith received a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and doctoral and master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an undergraduate, she received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to study abroad.-Academic career:...
, Washington & Jefferson CollegeWashington & Jefferson CollegeWashington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh... - President Kenneth P. Ruscio, Washington & Lee University
- President L. Baird Tipson, Washington CollegeWashington CollegeWashington College is a private, independent liberal arts college located on a campus in Chestertown, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782...
- President Michael Bassis, Westminster College of Salt Lake City
- President Ronald A. Crutcher, Wheaton CollegeWheaton CollegeWheaton College may refer to:* Wheaton College , private Christian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois* Wheaton College , private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Norton, Massachusetts...
(MA) - President Sharon D. Herzberger, Whittier CollegeWhittier CollegeWhittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
- President James T. Harris, Widener UniversityWidener UniversityWidener University is a private, coeducational university located in Chester, Pennsylvania.Its main campus sits on 108 acres , just southwest of Philadelphia...
- President M. Lee Pelton, Willamette UniversityWillamette UniversityWillamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
- President Lorna Duphiney Edmundson, Wilson CollegeWilson CollegeWilson College can refer to:* Wilson College , Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, USA* Warren Wilson College, Asheville, North Carolina, USA* Lindsey Wilson College, Kentucky, USA* Wilson College, Princeton University, New Jersey, USA...
Criticism
The initiative has been criticized by several groups and government and industry officials, including Mothers Against Drunk DrivingMothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
(MADD). Joining MADD's criticism are other groups, including the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a U.S. non-profit organization funded by auto insurers, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, and the rate of injuries and amount of property damage in the crashes that...
, the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
, and the National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
.
A spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association
Governors highway safety association
GHSA, the Governors Highway Safety Association is a non-profit organization located in Washington, DC. Its members are the state highway safety offices of the 50 states, U.S. territories, and the Indian Nations. These offices administer federal funding for behavioral highway safety programs...
told the Washington Post that university leaders "are really just punting on the issue and leaving the high school principals to deal with it." However, Amethyst Initiative's parent organization, Choose Responsibility, proposes that only high school graduates should be eligible.
In a press release, MADD argues that lowering the drinking age would result in greater numbers of fatal automobile accidents, and that the presidents are "looking for an easy way out of an inconvenient problem" and "misrepresenting science." MADD cited former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala
Donna Shalala
Donna Edna Shalala served for eight years as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton and has been president of the University of Miami, a private university in Coral Gables, Florida, since 2001. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest...
statement that "maintaining the legal drinking age at 21 is a socially and medically sound policy that helps parents, schools and law enforcement protect our youth from the potentially life-threatening effects of underage drinking."
Choose Responsibility argues that scientific evidence supports the Amethyst Initiative's views and goals. and refutes some of MADD's past claims.
In November 2008, the Student Senate at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse rejected a proposal to urge that university's chancellor to sign the Amethyst Initiative." Supposedly the first such attempt by a student body to ask a president or chancellor to sign on, the measure at UW–L was defeated 14-19 after three weeks' debate. Chancellor Joe Gow said this vote, "certainly defies the 'conventional wisdom' regarding young people being eager to lower the drinking age." "
See also
- Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States
- Legal drinking ageLegal drinking ageLaws about the legal drinking age cover a wide range of issues and behaviours, addressing when and where alcohol can be consumed. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different to the age when it can be purchased. These laws vary among different countries and many laws have...
- Choose ResponsibilityChoose ResponsibilityChoose Responsibility is a non-profit organization in the United States that promotes public awareness of the dangers of excessive and reckless alcohol consumption by young adults. The main goal is to lower the minimum drinking age by educating the public. It was founded and is directed by Dr...
External links
- Official Amethyst Initiative website
- List of Signatories
- "Amethyst Initiative unites educators in quest to lower drinking age", Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, August 22, 2008 - "BSU not interested in age 18 alcohol sales", Indianapolis Star, August 20, 2008
- "UNC system waiting to decide on Amethyst Initiative", The Technician, August 22, 2008
- "2 Withdraw From Petition to Rethink Drinking Age", New York Times, August 21, 2008
- "College leaders hope to renew debate on a lower drinking age", Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, August 20, 2008 - "Bid to reconsider drinking age taps unlikely source", Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2008