Among my experiences as a college president is the all-too-frequent phone call in the night that begins: “One of your students is in the hospital with alcohol poisoning (酒精中毒).” The whole country got a similar wake-up call in June when it was reported that alcohol abuse on college campuses is on the rise, especially for women, and that college students drink far more than nonstudents. One statistic showed that college students spend more money on alcohol while in college than on books. Alcohol abuse, although tragic, is but one symptom of a larger campus crisis. Students use alcohol as an escape. It’s used as an excuse for bad behavior: campus violence, eating disorders, property damage and cheating. It is happening because the generation now entering college has experienced few real connections with adults in its lifetime. I call this the “Culture of Neglect,” and we – parents, teachers, professors and administrators—are the primary architects. It begins at home, where social and economic factors—such as rising prices and declining wages requiring longer work hours—result in less family time. Young people have been allowed to or must take part-time jobs rather than spending time in school, on homework or with their families. More children are being brought up with television as their only supervisor (监督者), and there is little expectation that they learn personal responsibility. Colleges and universities must also accept some responsibility for the culture of neglect, for we have given in to the lower standards of the larger culture. Teachers and administrators have lowered their expectation. Academic demands placed on college students are less than they need or are capable of handling. Yet, despite low expectations and standards, fewer than half of all students who enter college ever graduate, and those who do increasingly are seen by employers as having learned too little. A nation of individuals who cannot read or write well, who cannot think critically, and who are unable to act responsibly, will be ill equipped to compete. A culture of neglect demands little. ⑤A culture of responsibility demands more from all of us but holds the promise of far greater rewards.