Alcohol Policy

http://web.mit.edu/policies/9.3.html

MIT observes all laws and regulations governing the sale, purchase, and serving of alcoholic beverages by all members of its community and expects these laws will be adhered to at all events associated with the Institute. This includes activities on the MIT campus, in MIT independent living groups, and at off-campus functions sponsored and supported by MIT or any of its affiliated groups.

The Institute does not intend through its guidelines or policies to restrict the responsible use of alcohol by members of the MIT community who are at or above the legal drinking age of 21. However, efforts to observe existing laws and regulations in an environment where the majority of the undergraduate student body is not of legal drinking age will impose some constraints on those who are of legal drinking age.

Where Alcohol May Be Possessed, Served, or Consumed

Alcoholic beverages may only be possessed by, served to, or consumed by, persons of legal drinking age:

1. at events that have been registered with, or approved by, MIT, as described below;
2. in areas of the MIT campus that are licensed to serve alcohol (for example, the Muddy Charles Pub, the Thirsty Ear Pub, the R&D Pub, and the MIT Faculty Club);
3. in faculty or staff on-campus residences; and
4. for students of legal drinking age, in individual student dormitory rooms.

Possessing, serving, or consuming alcohol is prohibited under all other circumstances on the MIT campus.

Student-Sponsored Events

All student-sponsored events at which alcohol will be served must be authorized by a member of the Academic Council or an appropriate designee. In addition, undergraduate students or organizations must register events where alcohol will be served with the Student Activities Office; the Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups Office; or the Residential Life Programs Office, and graduate students or organizations must register events where alcohol will be served with the Office of Graduate Education or a designee of the Vice-Chancellor and Dean for Graduate Education.

In general, student organizations may not use Institute funds, including “house taxes” and student activities fees to purchase alcohol, though such funds may be used to hire bonded bartenders and/or party monitors. However, for events hosted by graduate student dormitory governments or by housemasters in graduate student housing, MIT funds may be used to purchase alcohol where no one under the age of 21 will be present, and provided the event has been appropriately registered.

For the complete policies associated with alcohol and other drugs, see: http://web.mit.edu/policies/9.3.html.

Student groups planning events in which alcohol will be served are required to follow registration and other Student Life Programs policies and guidelines found at the Risk Management and Alcohol site [http://web.mit.edu/slp/groups/alcohol.shtml] and the Events with Alcohol site [http://web.mit.edu/slp/events/alcohol.shtml].

According to Massachusetts State Law, the following is prohibited:

• Purchase of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21 [Chapter 138 §34A]
• Falsification of an identification used as proof of age, with the intent to purchase alcohol [Chapter 138 §34A]
• Sale of alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 [Chapter 138 §34]
• Sale of alcohol to an intoxicated person [Chapter 138 §69]
• Public possession of an open container of alcohol [Chapter 272 §59] Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws

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