U of I Officials Defend Alcohol Abuse Programs On Campus

(CHAMPAIGN/URBANA)---The University of Illinois is standing up to claims that it's doing nothing about alcohol abuse on campus. A judge made that comment during former Basketball player Rich McBride's D.U.I sentencing Tuesday where he got two years probation and was fined a thousand dollars. He'll also have to do 250 hours of community service. The University agrees with the judge that it's not just him but many students who are abusing alcohol. U of I officials say they can't ignore alcohol problems on campus. In fact 1,200 students a year go through its discipline program. for alcohol violations. University officials say that number is about the same with other schools its size but the dean of students says the U of I has a significant number of programs in dealing with a problem like this. The school even just got a grant for a mandatory educational program for students with alcohol violations. In some cases it requires counseling and alcohol courses. Part of those courses include informational DVD's and CD-ROMs on alcohol abuse and awareness.