Alcohol & Other Drug Response Plan

Several new initiatives have been developed to improve the effectiveness of meeting the goal to address misperceptions about alcohol use, curb underage drinking, reduce the hazards of alcohol misuse, and promote responsible alternatives. The Alcohol & Other Drug Task Force at St. Edward's University has prepared a response plan to achieve the goal over the next three to five years with five targeted outcomes:  

• a 5% increase in student awareness of alcohol-related issues
• a 5% reduction in on-campus alcohol and other drug-related citations
• a 5% reduction in the number of underage students drinking
• a 5% reduction in the number of students binge drinking
• a 5% increase in the number of faculty and staff involved in efforts t o prevent alcohol and other drug-use problems

These objectives were developed using the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Task Force on College Drinking research-based recommendations to college and university presidents. Its findings were published in April 2002 in A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges . The report strongly reinforces the environmental management approach and provided a list of effective and promising approaches that serve as the standard for crafting a comprehensive prevention program. The NIAAA report organizes programming and policy development activities into four tiers:

• Tier 1 – Evidence of effectiveness among college students : Programs in this category are limited to educational and intervention programs that target students who are alcohol-dependent or problem drinkers (i.e., alcohol skills training, motivational interviewing)
• Tier 2 – Evidence of success with general populations : Several environmental change strategies for reducing alcohol-related problems that have not yet been tested with college students nevertheless have been used successfully with the general population (i.e., i ncreased minimum legal drinking age enforcement and implementation and enforcement of other laws to reduce alcohol-impaired driving)
• Tier 3 – Evidence of promise : Additional program and policy ideas that make sense intuitively or seem theoretically sound but so far lack strong research-based support (i.e., social norms marketing, alcohol-free options, restrict marketing and promotion of alcoholic beverages)
• Tier 4 – Evidence of ineffectiveness : Programs listed consistently have been found to be ineffective when used in isolation.

Taking into account the aforementioned recommendations, the Alcohol & Other Drug Education Response Plan organizes proposals into two phases of implementation. Phase I responds to immediate or short-term initiatives while Phase II focuses on long-term proposals to effectively meet the aforemetnioned goal.  

Phase I (2007 – 2008) proposed activitives are summarized below:  

1. Population Level Prevention (Tier 1)
   • AlcoholEdu for College, an online alcohol-prevention program
   • Designed as a primary intervention for entering first-year students
   • Provided both for individuals meeting the criteria of drinkers at three levels—high risk, moderate, and low-risk—and of abstainers.
   • Included AlcoholEdu for Parents, designed to aid parents in having discussions with their students about alcohol and the substance-use decisions they face in college
2. Judicial Resources (Tier 1)
   • Phase I (1 st Alcohol Policy Violation)– Peer educators lead alcohol skills training along with other educational resources utilizing online alcohol and marijuana education resources
   • Phase II (2 nd Alcohol Policy Violation) – Individual assessment including a battery of inventory with feedback to identify problem areas and make possible referrals
3. Law Enforcement and Campus Policy Review (Tier 2)
   • UPD consistently enforces zero-tolerance local and state laws prohibiting underage drinking and providing referrals to judicial office
   • Review and revise arrest protocol for alcohol-related offenses
   • Research benchmark institutions for alcohol & other drug policy review
   • Provide resources and be consultant to follow national and local trends
   • Incorporate risk and environmental management strategies to reduce hazardous and underage drinking behavior among all students
   • Continue policy to provide alcohol-free events on campus for student focused programs
   • Implement Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty Policies
   • Publicize guidelines for sanctions for alcohol-related violations
4. Social Norms Media Campaign (Tier 3)
   • BARF (Be A Responsible Friend) Campaign focuses on community accountability among students using social norms data.
   • Posters (11 x 17) are placed across campus in resident halls and key centers
   • Advertise social norms in Hilltop Views promoting healthy living and accountability
5. Educational Programming (Tier 3)
   • Peer educators will provide alcohol awareness programs on various public health issues
   • Resource to students, faculty and staff providing group presentations
   • Promote college health awareness through a number of national public health campaigns
   • Act as resource to Residence Life's Resident Advisor to alcohol-related programming
   • Promote use of public transportation (i.e., taxi, bus) and designated drivers

Phase II (2008 – 2009) – Building on services previously provided

1. Clicker System (Tier 1)
   • Find an additional method to engage and communicate with the students
   • Make use of cutting edge technology, reinforcing the poster messages, and demonstrating healthy and safe lifestyles
   • Lead piloting program to introduce an audience response technology system
   • Incorporate into the bystander behavior, alcohol skills training, and other alcohol-related trainings infusing the social norms marketing campaign
2. Men & Women's Forum on Leadership, Gender, Health, & Spirituality (Tier 1 & 3)
   • Summer orientation has not thoroughly covered college health issuesProvide two-day seminar will be presented to first-year students and student leaders
   • Create noticeable change by increasing awareness and skills in negotiating the impact of alcohol on students' health, gender, spirituality, and leadership development
   • Provide interactive seminars using various resources on campus
3. Bystander Behavior (Tier 1)
   • Confront challenge of reaching underage students who are in the presence of alcohol with no evidence to suggest that they were actually consuming alcohol
   • Provide bystander behavior seminar to encourage students to support the university alcohol policy, exercise options to act on their core values, and intervene in problematic situations.
   • Offer an all-day seminar with Alan Berkowitz , Ph.D., an independent consultant for BACCHUS peer educators and other student leaders and professionals
   • Trained student leaders and professionals will provide bystander behavior trainings
   • Education program will be an option for students violating provisions of the alcohol policy, class instruction, residence hall programming, and student-leadership training
4. Faculty Resource Training (Tier 1)
   • Provide more opportunities to be involved with alcohol abuse prevention
   • Present curriculum infusion strategies with alcohol education
   • Integrate substance-abuse content into courses across the curriculum
   • Involve co-curricular activities that bring together students, faculty, and staff
   • Integrate alcohol education in many disciplines challenges students to evaluate their beliefs about alcohol use and assess their use habits
   • Consult with professional to provide annual training for faculty and staff interested in developing curricular and co-curricular opportunities
5. Law Enforcement & Campus Policy Review (Tier 2)
   • Implement arrest protocol for alcohol-related offenses
   • Execute three-strike policy for alcohol and other drug related on campus violations
   • Incorporate parental notification into sanctions to clearly identify when used in guidelines
6. Social norms materials (Tier 3)
   • Include social norms materials, online education programs links on DVD to be distributed to incoming first-year students and throughout the year
   • Project BACCHUS Designated Driver Kits – educational and social norms materials
   • Target off-campus drinking behavior by promoting alternatives to high-risk behavior
   • Promote Campus Re-entry Materials and 21 st Birthday Planning to encourage safe and healthy behavior to plan a responsible alcohol-free experience
   • Promote use of ReadyRide program to encourage safe transportation home
7. Wellness/Substance-Free Living-Learning Community (Tier 3)
   • Provide substance-free housing for students interested in wellness focused community
   • Participate in co-curricular activities through Peer Education/Peer Theatre course
   • Volunteer in BACCHUS Peer Education Group to facilitate programs and plan events
   • Provide resources to peers related to alcohol and other wellness issues