It has been a turbulent time for student associations in Groningen lately. Vindicat in particular made the headlines during the last couple of years because of alcohol abuse, molestation and misconduct. The University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences withdrew the association’s administrative grants, and the municipality threatened to shut them down.

High time for a culture change, according to Groningen mayor Peter den Oudsten, among others. On his initiative, the parties sat down at the table to think about responsible alcohol consumption. Yesterday, they signed a covenant with twenty concrete measures.

Measuring cup

According to the agreements set down in the covenant, the bar volunteers and every member of the association need to follow an alcohol training within six months. It will take students fifteen minutes to take this online test, which consists of twenty multiple choice questions. The test for the bar staff is slightly more difficult because they have to take the so-called IVA course face to face. The municipality will compensate 12 euros per participant, and the student association will pay 6.75 euros. The association will also have to invest more time in educating its members on responsible alcohol consumption.

In order to prevent glasses from being filled to the brim, it is no longer allowed for the bar staff to pour strong liquor directly from the bottle or with the wrist. Bartenders are obliged to use measuring cups from now on. A soft drink may never cost more than an alcoholic beverage. Moreover, associations always need to have alcohol-free beer on offer. No one shall be forced to drink alcohol.

Sober

The associations will also have more responsibilities towards their members. When someone is too drunk to get home safely, despite of all the measures, the association needs to organize help. People who misbehave must be dealt with actively. The board always has the authority to deny members entry or to send them home. There has to be at least one sober person present to take up these responsibilities.

The signing of the covenant is not without obligations. The agreements are part of the accreditation requirements. If the associations fail to comply with these rules, the university or institute of higher vocational education could withdraw their administrative grants. It could also exclude the associations from official occasions. The parties involved will meet twice a year to discuss the situation, and an evaluation will follow after three years.

Weakness

The covenant’s weakness is that the agreements only apply within the walls of the association’s building. Clubs, fraternities and student houses are beyond the direct influence of the boards. The covenant was signed by the major student associations in Groningen: Albertus Magnus, Bernlef, Cleopatra, Dizkartes, Reformed Students Association GSV, Navigators, Unitas and Vindicat.