Alcohol Policy

This  policy  sets  forth  regulations  regarding  the  service,  consumption,  and  distribution  of alcoholic beverages to all members of the University of St. Thomas community and their guests.  The University strictly adheres to all city, state, and federal laws governing the distribution and consumption of alcohol.  The University is committed to the safety and well-being of its community and to the national initiative of preventing alcohol abuse. 

The general policies of the University concerning the consumption, serving or sale of alcohol are:

1. The University will not fund, directly or indirectly, the purchase of alcoholic beverages for off campus events, other than for official events sponsored by the Office of Institutional Advancement and/or Office of the President.
2. If alcohol is to be served at an event on campus, the sponsoring student organization or administrative department/organization must identify a faculty, staff, or administrative sponsor for the event. In addition, student organizations sponsoring an event must identify a student representative who serves as the primary student contact for the event and identify him/her on the alcohol permit. 
3. In addition to the named sponsor, the event must have as many security personnel from a UST approved security organization as are deemed necessary by the VPSA or designee present for the entire event.  The sponsoring organization will pay for the security personnel. Organizations may not provide their own security.  (For faculty and staff events only, with fewer than 50 attendees, where no students are present, no security personnel will be required.)
4. An alcohol use form must be completed for all events in which alcohol will be served.  The alcohol use form is available in the University Police Department. 
5. TABC-certified servers must be used and can only be contracted through Dining Services.  (For faculty and staff events only, with fewer than 50 attendees, where no students are present, no TABC server will be required.)
6. Advertising for the event must adhere to the following guidelines:
   1. The main purpose of the event shall not be the consumption of alcohol.
   2. Posters or flyers shall not mention the presence of alcoholic beverages to be served, nor shall free alcoholic beverages be the subject of any advertising.
   3. Alcoholic beverage consumption contests are strictly forbidden.
   4. Encouragement or reinforcement of irresponsible drinking behavior shall be avoided in any advertising, and during the event.
7. A drink limit will be determined by the VPSA or designee for each event which students will be present, based on the duration of the event.  The standard drink limit will be up to one drink per hour, not to exceed three drinks per person. The University is not responsible for the actions of persons violating the policies and restriction set forth by this policy and the alcohol use form.
8. Alcohol products are limited to beer (kegs only for student events) and wine only.  Dispensation and consumption of hard liquor are strictly prohibited, except for specific events sponsored by the Office of Institutional Advancement and/or the Office of the President.  Only those alcoholic beverages designated and purchased for the event prior to the event may be served and consumed during the course of the event.  Additional alcoholic beverages may not be purchased, served, or consumed during the event.  “Beer runs” are strictly prohibited and are grounds for closing the event.
9. The named sponsor is responsible for ensuring that every attendee at the event shows proof of legal drinking age (21 or older) prior to being served any alcoholic beverage.  The only acceptable forms of identification are driver licenses, state issued identification cards or a passport issued by a governmental entity.  Consumption of alcoholic beverages by any person under the legal drinking age will result in disciplinary action against that person as well as against the person(s) who provided the alcoholic beverage.
10. All events providing alcohol must have set start and end times.  The named sponsor and student contact must remain present at the event for the entirety of the event. 
11. Alcohol may not be served before 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and not before 12:00 noon, Saturday or Sunday, except for specific events sponsored by the Office of Institutional Advancement and/or Office of the President.  Last call for alcohol will be one hour prior to advertised ending time.
12. The named sponsor and student contact are also responsible for making sure that the rights and privileges of the attendees are respected and that all other University policies are upheld.
13. Non-alcoholic beverages other than water must be available for those who choose not to drink alcoholic beverages and must be free of charge if the alcohol is free.  Additionally, a sufficient quantity of food/snacks to feed the number of people in attendance must be available.
14. Charging for the alcohol served at the event in any manner, including a cover charge for the event or through donation, must be approved by the VPSA, and a Temporary Wine and Beer Retailer’s Permit must be obtained from the TABC by the event sponsors at their sole expense and effort, unless sponsored by the Office of Institutional Advancement and/or Office of the President.
15. Event sponsors may be liable for loss, damage or theft of institutional, contractor or personal property occurring as a result of the event.  If it appears that individual students or student groups may have violated the student code of conduct, they will be referred to the VPSA for disciplinary actions under the code of conduct.
16. Violation of any provision of University policy will result in a review of the event.  Penalties may include possible revocation of event privileges for the sponsoring organization and individuals for a period of 6 months to 2 years.
17. Additional limitations or regulations may be imposed at the discretion of the VPSA or designee.