Collegiate Drinking and GPA - A Negative Correlation, But Not a Slam Dunk

The negative correlation between “number of drinks consumed per week” and “grade point average” is well know, but somewhat deceiving. Although it is clear that this correlation exists, we cannot infer that drinking more will result in lower grades—or the inverse, that drinking less will increase grades. Although both outcomes are possible—even likely—we have to be careful when looking at academic probation as being a potential access point to engage high risk drinkers.

This is not to suggest that such screening not be done—personally, if we could afford it, I would recommend screening all students if not providing them with the chance to complete BASICS (brief alcohol screening and intervention for college students). What I do suggest, however, is that this screening not result in an automatic assumption that drinking is: (1) the reason for the academic difficulties if the student indicates use or (2) that reducing drinking for high-risk and dangerous drinkers is all that needs be done to enhance academic performance.

Just as faculty and administrators who neglect to consider alcohol or other drug use as a mitigating factor in academic or other collegiate life problems may seem naïve if not truculent if they refuse to do so, those of us who know collegiate drinking is a major public health problem for contemporary collegians need to be careful that we are not so myopic as to view reducing it as the panacea for all contemporary student problems. As with so many things in life, reality exists somewhere between the extremes.

Knowing as we do, however, that the negative correlation between collegiate drinking and grade point averages is a strong as it is suggests that remedial efforts to address such risk factors are warranted. Just as we know that certain collegiate sub-populations are at higher risk—first-year students, athletes, Greek-letter associations—so do we now know that there are other high-risk populations on campus, e.g., those in academic distress. And just as we know that all first-year students, athletes, and Greeks are not high-risk and dangerous drinkers, so do we need to be mindful that neither are all students in academic distress.

That said, any S-BIRT (Screening-Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) that can be done with any higher risk population, e.g., academic probation, is warranted.

Robert