The Commission hosted 16 meetings with constituent groups from Fall 2012 – Summer 2013. We invited testimony from stakeholders in the MSU and Bozeman communities, including students, university staff, MSU and Bozeman community leaders, law enforcement, and local and national experts in substance abuse prevention. We sought to learn about current trends and information regarding substance abuse prevention and to engage a wide-variety of stakeholders about their perspectives on the issue. These interviews included: 

MSU Health Promotions

Jenny Haubenreiser, Director of Health Promotions, and Douglas Fulp, Health Education Specialist at MSU, presented current data and trends about substance use among college students, comparing national data with institutional-level data. They also discussed the Health Promotions’ Alcohol Edu program, a web-based alcohol and drug education program for incoming students (new and transfers). In addition to serving as an educational tool for students, Alcohol Edu collects institutional data about alcohol and drug use.

MSU Student Conduct Programs

Tammie Brown, Chief Housing Officer and Director of Residence Life, and Terra Shewmaker, Student Conduct Coordinator, presented information about the student conduct program at MSU. Because alcohol and drug violations are some of the most common types of student conduct infractions, they also described the internal process for adjudication in those situations.

Law Enforcement

Rich McLane, Assistant Chief of Police from the City of Bozeman, Mark Lachapelle, former Assistant Chief of University Police, and Lt. Jake Wagner of the Missouri River Drug Task Force discussed in particular law enforcement challenges related to large house parties and MSU tailgating.  Wagner described the ever evolving world of synthetic drugs and their growth in popularity, especially among young people. 

MSU Students who throw house parties

An underage student described in depth the pros and cons associated with throwing and attending housing parties off-campus.  He described a “rite of passage” when his roommate’s parents helped to set up a bar in their off-campus rental house, even though all roommates are under the age of 21 years old. 

Local Tavern Owners

Mike Hope (Rock’n R) and Cameron Danforth (Bar IX) discussed substance abuse as it relates to downtown bars and taverns. Topics of interest included drink special offers, and the need for more frequent Streamline Bus route stops downtown.  Note:  Chad Yurashak (Bar IX owner) was invited but could not attend due to a scheduling conflict. 

MSU Football Tailgate Concerns 

Drew Ingraham, Assistant Director of Athletics, Duane Morris, Director of Event Services, and Curt Erpenbach, representing the Great Falls Alumni Tailgate, discussed perceived behaviors and substance use issues connected to tailgating at football games. The issue of substance use/abuse at games extends beyond the behavior of students. The modeling of high-risk drinking behaviors by community members is common at these events.

MSU Fraternity Parties 

Erin Macdonald, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Alex Chiapetta, former Inter Fraternity Council president, along with eight (8) members of the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community, discussed the steps their community has taken to mitigate and reduce substance abuse at fraternity parties. This included information about policies at MSU, the policies set by their national organization, and the expectations they have for each other as FSL members.

Good Neighbor Program

Allyson Brekke & Chelsea Schmidt, from the Good Neighbor Program, a partnership between MSU and the City of Bozeman, discussed their activities to provide educational outreach to students and community members. The Good Neighbor Program aims to help students and community members to build positive neighborhood relationships, especially as students transition to off-campus living arrangements.

Insight Program

Rick Winking, MSU Insight Director, offered information about current services and educational classes offered by the Insight program.  This program works in close collaboration with court mandated services through the City of Bozeman, although the classes are separate. 

Students from the MSU Exponent

Derek Brouwer (editor in chief) offered insights into the current advertising policies that address taverns or alcohol. 

Students in Recovery

Arguable one of the most compelling interview was offered by Tanner Moe, a non-traditional student who has struggled for over a decade as an alcoholic.  Tanner has created a new student organization (MSU Students in Recovery) and currently has 20+ students who attend his meetings. The Commission discussed the importance of supporting this group and trying to locate space on campus for their meetings. 

Staff from Bozeman High School

Laura St. John is currently the student assistance coordinator at Bozeman High School.  She described her work with students as young as middle school with alcohol and substance abuse issues. 

Dr. Jeff Linkenbach

Dr. Linkenbach is an expert in working with college campuses to address alcohol and substance abuse issues.  He spent an hour describing the importance of leadership from top University officials, along with the need to have an integrated framework that addresses the multiple levels of abuse on campus and in the community. 

Neighborhood Bozeman Residents

Emily Hooker (33 year Bozeman resident – lives 3 blocks from campus) and Elizabeth Healy (25 year Bozeman Resident) described their “love/hate” relationship with MSU students.  While they love the energy that students bring to Bozeman, they struggle routinely with students screaming at all hours while under the influence of alcohol.  One even described how students routinely urinate in her yard while walking home from a late night of drinking.