Campus police officials from two of the colleges listed as top party schools by the Princeton Review question the accuracy of the annual student survey, and provide Campus Safety magazine with an overview of their alcohol-enforcement efforts.

Stephen Shelow, the Pennsylvania State University police chief, says he doesn’t feel stigmatized that his school was ranked as the top party school in the nation by the education-services company that publishes “The Best 371 Colleges” book each year.

“They have zero scientific or empirical value,” Shelow says. “These things are really the equivalent of a popularity contest … I’m not sure this institution is reacting in a strategic way to this survey. It has generated a certain amount of interest, but I’m not sure we’ll do anything differently than we’ve been doing tirelessly for the past years.”

The Penn State University Police Department wrote 762 citations for student alcohol violations on campus or at Penn State events in 2007, according to Clery Act reporting. The crux of the school’s challenge, he says, occurs at student parties in off-campus houses and apartments.

Shelow secured a $50,000 grant from the state’s alcohol control board to focus on the source of underage drinking. With the initiative, called Source Investigation Project (or SIP), Shelow’s officers conduct follow-up interviews with students who’ve been cited to determine where they procured the alcohol.

The university has also cultivated a partnership with the local law enforcement agency, the State College Borough Police. The agencies share information via a co-owned records management system and jointly use an 800 MHz radio communications system.

Shelow also says his university has reigned in fraternity and sorority parties, an initiative that has also begun at West Virginia University, which ranked No. 6 on the list of top party schools, says Lt. Robin Levelle, associate director/major with the West Virginia University Police Department.

“The university is getting more involved in the Greek system,” Levelle says. “You’re always going to have a certain percentage of students who are going to abuse alcohol … I’m a firm believer that you can always write more citations.”

West Virginia University police issued 891 alcohol-related citations in 2007, according to Clery Act reporting.

The “top party schools”” list is one of 62 rankings that are based on online surveys of 122,000 students at the 371 schools in the book during the 2008-09 year and previous two school years. The 80-question survey asks students about their school’s academics, administration and campus life.

Princeton Review’s Top 10 Party Schools
1. Penn State University, State College, Pa.
2. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
3. University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
4. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
5. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
6. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
7. University of Texas, Austin, Texas
8. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
9. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
10. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.

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