Photo by Emily Kinsolving

Celebration of Recovery meetings are held in a classroom in the School of Social Work building.

In October, State District Judge John Dietz ordered Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity to pay $16.2 million to the parents of a University of Texas at Austin freshman pledge Tyler Cross, 18. Cross fell from his fifth-story balcony at University Towers apartments after a hazing incident that involved binge drinking in 2006. It was one of three UT student alcohol-related tragedies in the past five years, according to the Dean of Students Office. The judgment affects both the national and UT fraternity chapters.

The Interfraternity Council came to the University in September during National Hazing Prevention Week — which takes place every last week in September — to speak with University fraternities and sororities about the dangers of binge drinking and hazing.

Three years ago, underage alcohol consumption cost the state of Texas $5.2 billion and the United States $60.3 billion in pain and suffering, medical treatment and work lost according to the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Today the Center for Students in Recovery (CSR) on campus offers help to students seeking to quit excessive drinking and illicit drug use.

Program Coordinator Laura Jones-Swann said in a recent CSR proposal that people with a chemical dependency make up 10% to 20% of the general population. She estimates that anywhere from 6% to 10% of the students on campus have a dependency problem.

“There’s probably anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 students on campus who have a dependency problem,” Jones-Swann said.

But space issues and lack of fiscal support make it hard to provide a safe haven for those affected here. In fact, although UT recently granted permission for CSR to move from cramped quarters into the basement of the School of Social Work, the Center now must raise their own funds to make the space useable — an estimated $250,000. However, by December,  Red McCombs and Tex Moncrief had each donated $100,000.

“It’s really unfortunate that [UT’s] not taking the problem of addiction serious enough to support it (the Center),” said Janet Ihne, a parent to a Center participant. “It should really be a higher priority than what they’re making it.

The Center promotes addiction awareness and gives assistance to students in recovery. But the present constraints make CSR unable to help many of those who could benefit from the program. The Center is particularly needed given the campus social environment.  Jones-Swann said that the University’s reputation as the No. 8 party school, according to Princeton Review, might contribute to students’ troubles. The Princeton Review also ranked UT No. 12 and No. 14 respectively for the amounts of hard liquor and beer consumed. These high volumes and their effects reverberate in state statistics.

Travis County, ranked fourth in Texas for alcohol-related crash fatalities in 2007, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Ninety-four crash deaths were reported for the county of 1,292 alcohol-related fatalities for the state last year.  Next door, Harris County, where the much larger city of Houston is located reported 339 fatalities. Nevertheless, in Texas, only three percent of all college students received counseling or treatment for an alcohol or drug related problems since starting college, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services “2005 Texas Survey of Substance Use Among College Students.” 

CSR encourages participants to remain accountable for their academic achievements, support others in the program and maintain their own recovery. Founded in fall 2004, with only seven students, the dedication of its only staff member led to a program growth of 53.

The Center also tallies real accomplishments — a retention rate of 90%, a relapse rate less than 15% and a 100% graduation rate among those who stay in the program, said Jones-Swann. Also, the average length of sobriety for participants is approximately 2.4 years.

This program is one of several similar successful services on campuses throughout the nation. According to the Association of Recovery Schools—an organization that promotes the expansion of secondary and post-secondary recovery programs—there are 11 at the college level in nine states: Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

A common misconception about college student drug and/or alcohol use involves scholastic standing. The “2005 Texas Survey” states 50.4% of students ages 18-20 and 49.6% of students ages 21-26 have abused alcohol and/or drugs. Of those students, a third held a grade point average of 3.67-4.0 (A) and almost half had an average of 2.67-3.33 (B). In comparison, only 2.7% held an average lower than 1.67 (C-). With their high grades students are less apt to recognize their drinking or addiction as a problem.

Most CSR participants also maintain a GPA between 3.37 to 3.52. But some do seek help when grades fall.

Photo by Emily Kinsolving

Chris Hubbert waits in the School of Social Work building for a "Celebration of Recovery" meeting to begin.

Chris Hubbert, 24, a studio art and radio-television-film major at UT suffered an addiction to alcohol, Adderall, Vicodin and other opiates for nearly five years. He enrolled at UT in fall 2003 and began using prescription drugs to keep up with schoolwork during the spring semester.

“Whenever I was heavily abusing Adderall and Vicodin I would remain very isolated,” he said. “Things were starting to fall apart in my life. I failed four classes my fifth senior year. I would take Adderall and would end up being up for multiple days at a time. I was very scared for my life [because] I actually had to take a Vicodin to act normal.” After speaking with University Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Leigh Sebera, he joined the CSR program in fall 2008.

As a private addict, Hubbert’s parents, Janet Ihne and Richard Hubbert, were shocked when he told them the truth.

“He didn’t want to disappoint us,” Ihne said. “This (his addiction) is certainly not something we thought would happen, and I’m so grateful he has a place to get the support he needs.”

CSR participants attend weekly meetings and enroll in Social Work 360 or 395k Principles of Recovery and Relapse Prevention. The class decreases the chance of relapse and provides students skills necessary to become a positive member of society, according to the CSR Web site.

“I think [CSR] is a wonderful asset for my recovery,” Hubbert said. “My education I’ve been working really hard to finish, I could lose that; so it’s definitely great to have that fellowship of students who face the same thing. The CSR meetings are so beneficial because of that tight-knit group and because of Laura [Jones-Swann].”

Another student, who wishes to remain anonymous, battled an eating disorder when she joined last April for the added support CSR provides. Triggered by a relative’s death and other family issues, her disorder began in high school. She said her eating disorder developed as a coping mechanism and she used it to help control her environment. Now she promotes eating disorder awareness to support others.

“I was kind of hesitant to join because I didn’t know how my addiction would be perceived,” she said. “Everybody was completely supportive, and it really goes hand and hand with all the other students’ addictions. The support from other young addicts in recovery … and hearing everything they’ve gone through has inspired me to continue to work.”

The Center operated on a budget of approximately $68,000 in 2007-‘08. Money and support derives mostly from fundraising, — like the annual Fun Fun Sober Run, which generated $17,000 last year — foundation grants and individual donations. Jones-Swann raises all of the Center’s funds, including her own salary. When she receives funding, she notifies the Development Office and the funds go to the Office of Accounting before they are deposited in the CSR account.

The Center also receives UT “in kind” assistance — office space, supplies and administrative support, said Jones-Swann. She estimates the University provides 30% of the CSR budget.

Kevin Prince, program coordinator for the Alcohol & Other Drug Education Program (AODEP) said University Health Services is searching for a solution to provide additional support to the Center.

“We are looking for student and community support to provide for the long-term sustainability of the program,” he said in a recent email. “The process can take a number of years to locate funding, space and personnel needed to help the program flourish. At present, we are in the process of identifying ways for the University to provide resources through fund raising, support staff and … integrating a training program and incorporating it all into a continuum of services provided through the [AODEP].”

CSR’s cannot fully meet program needs because they have only one office in the Student Services Building, said Jones-Swann. To date she is the only staff member serving the 53 student participants.

“With only one program coordinator it’s really difficult,” she said. “It’s gotten close to this past year to being unmanageable with only one person running the program. I think it’s very limiting because as the students [clients] grow at CSR, it’s very difficult for the program to grow too because there’s no funding for that.”

Ihne agrees UT should look closer at how the Center could help the students. “When you’re going through something as serious as addiction, it’s for the rest of your life,” she said. “For students who can get the help they need when they’re young … the quality of life they will have will be so much greater. I’ve seen so many lives lost … young people in their 30s and 40s dying in a hospice … it is a very serious addiction. I really pray and hope the University will take a closer look at the Center and the funding.”

Jones-Swann said limited University funding makes it impossible to advertise, so students, including the estimated 3,000 to 5,000 who need help, may not know about Center services. The limited resources also cannot effectively meet the unexpected needs of students in crisis.

Photo by Emily Kinsolving

The basement of the School of Social Work building may be the new location for "Celebration of Recovery" meetings.

“We’ve definitely hit a point where we’re going to have to make some decisions,” Jones-Swann said. “If the University wants to keep the program, do they want to start funding it or do they want to start doing something. I have no question that the need is there, we just need to step up the efforts in terms of how we support the students.”

The three fatalities at UT in the past five years may be just the most visible consequences.

CSR holds an open 12-step all addiction support group meeting — Celebration of Recovery — at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday evenings in SSW 2.112, which recently offered its basement for CSR program needs.

“I would like [the program] to be for everyone who has a substance abuse problem or any kind of addiction,” Hubbert said. “I don’t want to be involved in [one] that is in any way exclusive because we don’t have funds and are closing the doors on them.”