Earlier this month, Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price announced the formation of the Penn Commission on Student Safety, Alcohol and Campus Life. The Commission will review the status of student social life at the University with a primary focus on the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, and the consequences for student conduct. It will pay particular attention to the potential for sexual violence and other forms of injurious behavior that can result from excessive alcohol consumption.

The Commission will be chaired by Charles O’Brien, director of the Center for Studies of Addiction in the Perelman School of Medicine. Joann Mitchell, vice president for institutional affairs, will serve as vice chair. 

In carrying out its charge, the Commission will consult broadly both across campus and beyond. The Commission is expected to present a report of its findings and recommendations by the end of 2013.