But he said that the increase could be due to students' increasing willingness to bring their friends in, not to an increase in drinking on campus.

"My hope is that this is a good-news story, not a bad-news story," Rosenthal said.

At least one clarification of the policy surprised the students in the audience, judging from their follow-up questions.

If a Harvard student is admitted to the emergency room at area hospitals, Rosenthal said, UHS requests to be notified by those hospitals. He said the policy was implemented after students were discharged from area hospitals without the means to get back to campus.

The administrators stressed that their involvement continues after a student's discharge from hospitals.

Drummond said she usually e-mails students after they leave UHS--for any ailment--to ask the student to meet with her.

The meeting is voluntary, and students have no obligation to tell her why they were treated, she said.

"I must reassure you all...the matter will begin and end with a conversation," she said.