Responsible Community @ Columbia

Responsible Community @ Columbia (RC@C) provides alcohol and other drug-related information, resources, and support year-round to all students. As part of this initiative, Columbia Health offers RC@C related workshops and Responsible Event Host trainings.  

Undergraduate Student Life also partners with Columbia Health for many RC@C programs. This includes RC@C Mini-Grants, community-specific trainings, and the new student orientation programming, R.O.A.R. (Responsible. Optimal. Authentic. Resilient.). Led by Orientation Leaders, these sessions allow for an honest dialogue about alcohol and other drugs. They help create social norms and build a community of smart, safe, and responsible decision-making. 

Being a Responsible Member of the Columbia Community 

Members of the Columbia community take care of each other. Remember that alcohol use has an impact on the broader community. Here are some ways you can help to make Columbia smarter, safer, and more responsible: 

  • Pay attention to how much the people around you are drinking and watch for cues that indicate that they may be drinking too much.
  • Recognize the factors that will impact blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
  • Intervene early to help avoid problems and to help people stop or slow down their drinking.
  • When having social events that include alcohol, offer choices other than alcohol: food, nonalcoholic beverages, and activities.
  • Set an example by consuming alcoholic beverages responsibly or not at all.
  • Discourage the misuse of alcohol, such as competitive drinking.
  • Get help when a situation is beyond your control, or someone needs medical attention. If on or near campus, call Columbia Emergency Medical Services at 212-854-5555; if off campus, call 911.
  • Want more information? Request a CU Step UP! bystander intervention training for your student group or floor. 

If you’d like more information about how to use alcohol in a lower risk manner, you may want to review the Alcohol: Lowering Risk fact sheet on Go Ask Alice!.  

Alcohol and Sexual Assault

Research shows that the use of alcohol is associated with 50 to 72 percent of all campus sexual assaults (e.g., Abbey 2002, Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, 2001). Alcohol does not cause sexual assault but is used to facilitate sexual violence. Research shows that many perpetrators of sexual violence use alcohol as a weapon to facilitate sexual violence (Kanin, 1985). This means that some perpetrators of sexual violence get another person drunk or high to impair their judgment or cause them to black out to engage in sex. Getting someone intoxicated to have sex with them is considered sexual assault. 

Bystanders play a critical role in intervening in these instances. If you see someone supplying a person with more alcohol after they're clearly intoxicated while attempting to become physically intimate with them (i.e., kissing, groping), you can step up and intervene in the situation. 

For more information about bystander intervention, visit Step Up! Bystander Intervention. Additionally, if you're ever in a situation where you or the person you’re with has been drinking alcohol, it’s best to wait to have sex until everyone is sober to ask for or give consent. 

For more information on Columbia’s definition of sexual assault and consent, visit the Sexual Respect website. 

Get Involved 

Request a Workshop 

Alice! Health Promotion can facilitate alcohol workshops and Responsible Event Host trainings for your student group or residence hall floor. You can also request a CU Step UP! bystander intervention training for your student group or floor. 

Join us! 

Interested in facilitating R.O.A.R.? Visit the Orientation Leadership  page to learn how. 

How to Support a Friend with Substance Use Concerns 

Being part of the Columbia community may include supporting others as they understand their relationship with substances. Some resources available to help you may include:  

If you’d like to speak about your concerns related to a friend or peer, you can also attend a Health Education Visit to discuss them in more detail.  

Campus Guidelines and Policies 

Columbia has enacted policies regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs. These promote the health and well-being of its students while also complying with federal, state, and city laws.  

Columbia Health follows the guidelines and policies on alcohol and other drug use set forth in Essential Policies. Please also take note of information found in Columbia Housing’s Guide to Living and the Responsible Community Action Policy, along with the laws and policies regarding hazing. 

Guidelines and policies may vary by school, so check with your school for more information. 

All students, faculty, and staff are expected to comply with these policies. 

Medical Marijuana in New York 

Though marijuana is legal in New York for recreational and medical purposes, University policy maintains that students are not allowed to possess or use marijuana on Columbia University property to align with federal laws.  

If you are interested in medical marijuana, please reach out to your healthcare provider, as this is prescribed under careful supervision.