Rocked by the local death of a former student and a car accident involving another fatality that police believe was alcohol-related, Minnesota State University Mankato officials are developing a plan to combat underage and high-risk drinking, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on Nov. 28. 

Minnesota State University Mankato's athletic department will no longer accept advertising and sponsorships from liquor stores and beer distributorships. Also, penalties for alcohol use in residence halls will be increased, and officials are contemplating not allowing alcohol anywhere on campus.

"We need to have a very, very tough policy, something that's even tougher than anything we've seen in this state," said Minnesota State University Mankato President Richard Davenport. "Somebody has got to help wake these students up."

Students caught with alcohol in the residence halls are put on probation, fined and required to complete alcohol education, even on a first offense. A third offense gets a student booted from the residence halls.

"As a president, I'm not going to tolerate a continued misuse of alcohol and the high-risk drinking," said Davenport. "We're going to toughen up. We think we have the toughest policies already, but I think we've got to be even tougher."

In addition, The Free Press (Minn.) reported Nov. 27 that the Mankato City Council has approved an ordinance that will not permit establishments to offer all-you-can-drink specials after 11 p.m.