The latest survey of drug and alcohol use by North Dakota State University students found that fewer students drank alcohol, but more of those who did were binge drinking.
In this year's survey, 67.1 percent of students under the age of 21 reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days, compared with 75.3 percent in the 2003 survey.
Overall, 87.1 percent of students reported drinking during the school year. That's 2 percent lower than in 2003.
However, of those students who drank, 55.8 percent said they engaged in binge drinking in the two weeks before the survey, compared with 52.3 percent in 2003. Binge drinking was defined as "five or more standard drinks in one sitting."
The random survey sampled 1,056 students, with all ethnic backgrounds, colleges, classes and genders equally represented.
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NDSU's office of orientation and student success and department of criminal justice and political science have administered the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey every other year since 2001.
The university uses the survey data when planning efforts to prevent underage and high-risk drinking.
Bus shelter planned
In yet another survey at NDSU, the university is asking students, faculty and staff for input on a new bus shelter that will replace one outside the Memorial Union, near Old Main.
The state Board of Higher Education gave NDSU permission last week to build two "transit centers" on campus to accommodate the greater use of public transportation as the university's enrollment grows and the campus parking crunch worsens.
NDSU's Small Urban & Rural Transit Center sponsored a competition in fall 2003 for third-year architecture students to design the center.
The designs had to include capacity for 15 to 20 people, heating and cooling, the ability to be moved to another location and an electronic message board, among other features.
Students Jennifer Burke and Mark Schlanser submitted the winning design for the shelter being built this summer.
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A second shelter will be built in summer 2006. NDSU will spend about $98,000 in federal grant funds on each shelter.
To view the shelter designed by Burke and Schlanser, visit www.surtc.org/shelter/
NDSCS names dean
The arts, science and business division at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton has a new but familiar dean.
Ken Kompelien, who has served as interim associate dean for the past year, was appointed dean on Monday.
Kompelien has been an academic counselor in the division since 1996. He also has taught as an adjunct faculty member in the department of social and behavioral sciences.
He replaces longtime dean Harvey Link, who was appointed vice president for institutional advancement and government relations at NDSCS last September.
Kompelien has a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in counseling from the University of North Dakota.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528
