Alcohol use in Boise State residence halls may violate university policy, but students and housing staff say knowing the rules does not always stop students from drinking, leaving resident assistants and student conduct officials to balance enforcement with safety and education.
Boise State’s campus crime log shows alcohol violations were reported across several residence halls during the 2025-26 school year, with some involving multiple students. During the spring semester, one January incident at Sawtooth Hall resulted in 11 alcohol violation referrals, while another at Syringa Hall resulted in eight.
Brooke Greninger, a Boise State resident assistant in Taylor Hall, said students are informed about the university’s alcohol policy during a mandatory residence hall meeting. However, she said students hear little about the policy afterwards.
“They know it’s the under 21 policy, and that’s not allowed in any of our buildings,” Greninger said. “But I think [residence hall meetings] are like the extent to which it’s really the only time you hear about it.”
Sophomore Graphic Design student Owen Gingrich believes students understand what is and is not allowed when it comes to alcohol. Even with that understanding, he said students ultimately make their own decisions.
“We all understand very clear,” Gingrich said. “Just everyone [is] grown [and will] make their [own] decisions.”
Greninger said that according to university policy, RAs cannot simply search a student’s room when they suspect alcohol is present. Students can refuse requests to open doors, cabinets or refrigerators. When an RA observes a violation, they document what happened in an incident report rather than investigate the case themselves.
Those limitations can make it difficult for RAs to know when students are drinking behind closed doors.
Greinger told The Arbiter she believes this policy “encourages you to be smart about hiding [drinking],” but doesn’t necessarily discourage it.
Megan Ceragioli, a recent graduate who worked in residence life during her time at Boise State, said she also saw alcohol as a familiar part of the residence hall environment.
“Drinking in the residence halls has become extremely normalized,” Ceragioli said. “Students know that RAs check the rooms, but I don’t think that necessarily stops them from drinking.”
Once an incident is documented, the case can move beyond the residence hall.
Jon Maldonado, senior student conduct process coordinator, said he reviews incident reports from across campus and determines what follow-up may be necessary. Depending on the situation, a student may meet with a residence director or another conduct official.
Ryan Vilfer, associate director of Residence Life, said the university evaluates each case individually instead of assigning the same consequence for every alcohol violation.
“We look at each situation on an individual basis,” Vilfer said, adding that officials consider the impact on the student, the community and whether there is a pattern of behavior.
Possible sanctions include educational requirements. One of these requirements assigns students an 800-word reflection paper asking them to reevaluate their drinking habits, review the university’s alcohol policy and consider how their actions align with Boise State’s shared values. Students are also asked to explain how they would make different choices in the future.
Separate from the conduct process, Boise State has an amnesty policy designed to encourage students to seek help during alcohol or drug-related medical emergencies called Broncos Act.
The policy is designed to encourage students to seek help without making potential punishment their first concern.
The policy instructs students to call 911 when someone shows signs of alcohol poisoning, including vomiting while unconscious, being unresponsive, irregular breathing or blue, cold or clammy skin.
Broncos Act may apply when a student seeks help for themselves or another person and remains with them until help arrives. It does not apply in every circumstance, including some cases involving driving under the influence, drug distribution or situations where authorities were already responding.
Maldonado said the purpose is to prevent students from hesitating when someone may be in danger.
“We want them to reach out, and we don’t want them to worry about consequences,” Maldonado said.
For RAs, the challenge remains enforcing university policy when much of the behavior can happen outside their view. For student conduct officials, the process continues after an incident is reported, with consequences determined individually while policies such as Broncos Act prioritize getting students help when alcohol use becomes dangerous.
