What a Parent Needs from a University

We are continuing to pose the question: "What can campuses do to engage parents in alcohol abuse prevention?"

Here is Kate Connors' response, of Holliston, MA:

I was impressed by an outreach from my son’s university during his freshman year of college. The Office of Student Affairs sent a series of emails directed to parents about the kinds of things students need from parents in one of the most critical times of their lives. These occasional bulletins alerted me to things that students need reminding  about—I especially appreciated the content of one of the bulletins; students are homesick at about the six-week mark, but many may not articulate it. Like most young men,  my son is not the type to ask for our support or help.

Considering how much I valued these reminders, I believe that other schools, parents, and students, would benefit as well. With content on alcohol use, abuse, prevention, and policy, parents would be reminded about the things they may forget or feel uncomfortable about as their student goes off to college. I get the feeling he no longer expects input from us about these topics; it would benefit me as a parent to have a strong foundation in issues around alcohol and how it’s related to his specific campus.

As a parent I would like to know about…

1. Alcohol-related incidents on or around campus

2. How to tell if my student is abusing alcohol; this could include a list of warning signs

3. How to talk to my college student about these issues in general. Conversation starters or some key facts to help frame a discussion with my student

4. Information on how to walk the fine line of discouraging illegal drinking while being realistic about keeping kids who drink safe; “talking tips” or facts would be helpful

5. How to handle drinking at home or on vacation

I understand that there is a lot more research, data, and philosophy about what works with college students (in preventing unsafe behavior) than parents usually have access to. Many of us are understandably focused on the children remaining at home, and sometimes don’t realize our input is still needed for our college students.

A Parent's Perspective

Parents can play a vital role in the way a campus addresses alcohol prevention and education with their students. It becomes a matter of how the campus communicates with the parent and in turn - how the parent communicates with the institution. For the next couple of weeks we are focusing on the question: "What should campuses be doing to engage parents in alcohol education?" And, who better to answer the question than parents themselves.

This week we asked parent Cheryl Wooley, of Indiana, to respond.

Educate parents on the environment-

As a parent my point of reference for alcohol use on campus is to remember how things were when I was in school.  I have fond memories of spending evenings in the pubs with my friends.  Drinking beer was our primary form of socialization and release at the end of the week or after a long day on campus.  So, first tell me what has changed.  Why should I be overly concerned about my children doing the same things I did?  What new dangers are students facing today?  Why is alcohol abuse getting so much worse? Tell me specifically what is happening on my student’s campus, not just general trends around the country.

Tell me what alcohol information is being provided to my student -

I would like to know what kind of alcohol education is taking place.  Where is the information coming from?  A freshman living in campus housing has different needs than an upperclassman in an independent living arrangement.  How does the university interact with the diverse backgrounds and ages of the students, some are just “children” right out of high school with newfound freedoms and not yet of legal drinking age.  Some are young adults who are well over the age of 21. Their needs and perspectives are quite different. 

Tell me what services are available for my student –

Are there transport services available for the student who has had too much to drink and needs a way home?  Is there an emergency number to call if a friend has had too much to drink? Are there professional counseling services for the student who has an alcohol problem and recognizes the need for help?  Are there peer counseling groups similar to AA?  What are the signs that a student is in trouble?

Establish a forum where parents can get up to date and ongoing information –

The schools that my children have attended have all sent an informative letter to parents at the beginning of the school year about alcohol use on campus but there has been no ongoing communication or forum for parents to gather more information.  A web site with a parent forum/support system would be helpful, especially for a parent who has determined that their student is facing difficulty with alcohol use.

Help me interact with my student on the topic of alcohol use–

I no longer have daily face-to-face contact with my student.  Our contact is via email, text messaging, a couple of phone calls a week and perhaps a visit once a month.  I want to discuss alcohol related issues with my student in a mature, positive and helpful way.  Resources to help me with that message would be very helpful.

Cheryl Wooley is a Purdue University graduate and earned her MBA from Butler University. She has three grown daughters - one currently attends Purdue University, one is a graduate of Purdue University and currently attends Harvard University and one is a graduate of the College of Charleston and Emory University. While her daughters were in high school, Cheryl worked in the Guidance office and also coordinated the parent volunteer committee that hosted an annual Post Prom party. This all-night event provided a safe, alcohol-free environment for the students to celebrate after the Prom.

The Alcohol Prevention Coalition's Annual Research Summit

The 2011 Annual Research Summit is less than a week away. Our Partner Education team has finally compiled all of their data and research to present some of the most interesting findings and engaging material to date. We are excited to meet with nearly 100 registrants from institutions all across the country - some new faces, and some old.

Check out our video from last year's Summit - describing why this event is unique in the field of alcohol prevention.

AlcoholEdu Competition Winners Announced!

We are very excited to announce this year's winner and runner-up for the 2011 AlcoholEdu for High School Media Compeition! 

Outside The Classroom invited high school students across the country to create a billboard or video that show the reasons why students choose not to drink. Students were asked to focus on the positive things: that most students don’t drink, and why it’s actually the better and “cooler” decision not to drink.

Watch the winning video on YouTube, created by students at Howell High School in Howell, MI, and view the runner-up's poster from students at St. Agnes Academy in Memphis, TN, here: http://www.outsidetheclassroom.com/solutions/high-school/high-school-media-competition.aspx

 

Diversifying Funding for Alcohol Prevention

By Karen Hughes, PartySafe@Cal - Tang Center, UC Berkeley

On large campuses like ours there can be numerous, but uncoordinated and non-cost-effective alcohol prevention programs in action.

While our campus collaborations are growing and using more evidence-based strategies, our traditional “siloed” funding streams rarely recognize or support the ongoing costs of successful collaboration. 

Recognizing our alcohol prevention collaboration as risk management has helped partially overcome this challenge. We proposed and received a two-year grant from the University of California Office of the President to:

• Establish campus-wide alcohol risk management strategic programming to target high risk drinking
• Identify and provide annual training/support for campus-wide project team
• Support and deliver high quality communications, training and education to the campus community.

In addition to the funding support, other benefits from this step include:

• Campus-wide positioning (think “sustainability model”) – Risk Management is a campus-wide priority because reducing liability appeals to senior administrators. The staff think “big picture” and are comfortable working at highest administrative level for the benefit of the whole campus.
• Natural allies – Risk managers know a lot from their own work about alcohol-related costs and liabilities across campus populations and settings. Meet them for lunch and just listen to what it looks like from their vantage point.
• Same concepts, different terms and tools, make us a good match – Risk managers, though skeptical, actually enjoy talking about alcohol-related risk and taking concrete steps to lower it. “Risk management” and “Environmental prevention” have more in common than not. Our relationships with students as well as our people, programming and outreach skills complement their policy, analysis, and numbers orientation.

Financial Literacy Month coming to a close

By Outside The Classroom

Organizations or rather "causes," have claimed April as their month. Among many, it's Jazz Appreciation Month, Alcohol Awareness Month, Autism Awareness Month, Grilled Cheese Month, National Poetry Month, and it's also Financial Literacy Month. Although these may seem like separate issues on the surface, there is a solid connection between two of them.

When it comes to attrition rates at universities and colleges, the effects of alcohol use and financial issues are two of the top reasons why a student drops out of school. As students go through school, they are bombarded with loans, credit cards, rental fees, all while trying to complete school and possibly work a full or part-time job. Budgeting and saving becomes difficult when a student reviews their loan repayment plan, and now loan default rates are at a high.  

Substance abuse and finacial problems also directly go hand in hand before students even reach college. A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted a study that showed that high school students were more likely to engage in substance use "where community colleges are relatively expensive." We could interpret this as students feeling threatened by the expense, and turn to substances to deal with the stress and prospect of school.

Colleges and universities are beginning to feel accountable, helping students with their financial situation. For example, Tidewater Community College will not let students take out federal student loans until they complete a personal budget worksheet. Other schools are looking to use scalable and effective online education.

Outside The Classroom is now part of EverFi, Inc., which is launching Buttonwood, a new online financial literacy course for students in higher education. It's designed to cover hundreds of topics in a cutting-edge format, to help students build a solid financial plan for their future. If your institution is interested in addressing this critical issue on your campus, please contact us to learn more.

More insight from new professionals in alcohol prevention

Last week we heard two attendees of the Certificate in Alcohol Prevention Leadership Program, posing the question "What can new professionals teach veterans in the field?" This week we'll hear from Joshua Fegley:

By Joshua Fegley, Coordinator, Health Promotion and Prevention Services, Project Director- CONNECT High-Risk Drinking Prevention Program, Adjunct Instructor - Department of Health Science, The College at Brockport, State University of New York

As a new professional in the field of high-risk drinking prevention, I quickly learned that to impact campus culture a comprehensive, evidence-based ecological approach to high-risk drinking prevention is essential.

This is mighty feat and is something that cannot be tackled by a single health promotion, wellness or prevention office. As we developed The College at Brockport’s comprehensive program high-risk drinking prevention program something outstanding happened – a number of campus “champions” emerged.

When I think about the “champions” of high-risk drinking prevention on our campus I think of those faculty, staff and students who are able to see the value that prevention efforts can have on student success, those who think critically about these efforts can be woven into the institutional fabric and those who understand that high-risk drinking is something that all members of the campus community should be concerned with. Another defining characteristic of a “champion” is passion. While each of our campus’ “champions” might not specifically have that same passion for high-risk drinking prevention that I do, they do have a passion for working with students and helping students to realize their potential both inside and outside the classroom.

Some partnerships with our “champions” developed naturally while others developed through a process of exploring how efforts can be combined to achieve shared goals (retention, safety, student involvement and success), sustain programs and develop traditions, and enhance current programs.

As am I am writing this, The College at Brockport is wrapping up its first of 5 summer orientations sessions and I am excited to say that our prevention efforts have become a tradition experienced by new students. This program is coordinated by one of our high-risk drinking prevention “champions” – Andrea Newman, Coordinator of the First Year Experience. Prevention programming is not in Andrea’s job description but she is one of the reasons why we were able to develop our comprehensive prevention program and why we have seen significant decreases in binge drinking rates, negative consequences experienced by students and violations of the College’s alcohol policy. Andrea is a “champion” who has integrated peer theater that introduces positive social norms, harm reduction education and bystander interventions. She is a major player in developing late-night alternative programs that are linked to other campus initiatives including required summer reading for first-year students. She ensures that Health Promotion and Prevention staff are guests in each First Year Experience course. Andrea provides us multiple points of contact with first-year students and understands of how our goals of high-risk drinking prevention, her goals of student retention and out shared goal of student success go hand-in-hand.

Andrea has helped me achieve many of my high-risk drinking prevention dreams – including an intentional and comprehensive prevention program focused on first-year students that includes summer orientation sessions, social norms campaigns, psycho-educational groups, alternative social programming and alcohol screenings/motivational interviewing sessions.

High-risk drinking prevention is a big job. I encourage you to find the “champions” – the Andrea Newmans – on your campus and build those powerful partnerships that link prevention to other campus initiatives, create opportunities for sustainable and comprehensive programs and help to ensure the success of your students.

Renaming Alcohol Awareness Month

April is Alcohol Awareness Month—a calendar event that AOD Coordinators and Student Affairs professionals organize on college campuses, high schools, and in communities across the nation. The most interesting part about this month, which is meant to focus on the material we dedicate our entire year to, is…

…it just doesn’t work. There isn’t one piece of academic literature that demonstrates the efficacy behind Alcohol Awareness Month when it comes to changing alcohol-related behavior. Typical activities included in Alcohol Awareness Month are invited guest speakers, mocktail parties, mock DUI activities, and Fatal Vision goggles, which all may seem fun to a student, but aren’t making a difference when we refer to their behavior. As professionals, if our intention is to change behavior then we should re-think where we expend our resources and concentrate on strategies that do work.

Maybe we should change the name to Alcohol Prevention Month – because alcohol prevention has been shown to change behaviors and most importantly reduce the negative consequences associated with risky and underage drinking – Alcohol Awareness hasn’t.  There are many things that have been shown to produce results, such as engaging students in alcohol-free activities and using online alcohol prevention programs. Let’s start to focus on these during the month of April, and hopefully these evidence-based programs and activities will also carry throughout the rest of the year.

Tell us what your doing!

What can we learn from new professionals?

Last week we heard from an attendee of the Certificate in Alcohol Prevention Leadership Program, posing the question "What can new professionals teach veterans in the field?" This week we'll hear from Kelsey Bratcher:

By Kelsey N. Bratcher, Associate Director of Student Activities, Risk Education, Alcohol and Drug Programs, The University of Texas at San Antonio

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”  Henry Ford

So what can veterans in alcohol prevention learn from new professionals? 

According to Henry Ford, we all need to learn from each other.  Each person has experiences and resources they are able to share with others that enable learning and the creation of new ideas.  So with that, I will share a few tips that may help all of us continue learning and teaching each other.

Stay Fresh.

Here were are nearing the end of our spring semester, hopefully working on the events for the fall semester.  What do you have on your calendar as far as events, activities, publicity and assessment?  Are they the same things you have had for five years?  Yes, some things just happen to work for our campus and our students, but have you looked outside your office windows lately?  Do your programs, publicity, trainings and assessments reflect the students on your campus today?  Our students are walking billboards of what is hip and cool.  This may mean letting go of your favorite prevention program, or adding a new twist to make it more appealing to the students. 

Think Outside the Box.

It’s all about being creative.  For some it comes rather easy, while others have to let it process for a while.  Don’t let the processing take too long.  Keep a working list of ideas you have and a file of ads, brochures, program outlines, etc. at your desk in an easy-to-access place.  Review your ideas and thoughts on a regular basis…they will eventually turn on that light bulb!  It also helps to have others around to bounce around ideas.  A few small ideas could turn into just what you were looking for!

Get Involved.

There are so many different conferences, institutes, workshops, professional networks, and resources available to professionals in Alcohol Prevention.  As professionals we need to be involved in our field.  It may even mean stepping out and finding involvement in other areas where we could collaborate and learn.  Find a variety of resources, conferences and professional networks in order to continue learning from others.  This also serves as a venue to promote alcohol prevention in other areas.  We cannot do this alone.  If we are able to connect our prevention messages with other areas on our campuses and in the community, we only become stronger.  Being involved also keeps you armed with knowledge vital to your profession. 

Be Fearless.

In a day of uncertainty, have no fear.  Try whatever it is you want to try.  Be daring and trust yourself.  When you are too comfortable, you probably aren’t growing and learning.  Decide today to submit a proposal for a conference, write an article for the campus paper, or plan an informative talk to a group on campus or in the community that does not know much about your mission.  What’s the worst that can happen? 

At least you tried!

In a nutshell, continue to learn.  Learn from everything and everyone around you…including the students.  In order to be stronger professionals, we must continue to challenge ourselves. 

A Fresh Perspective in Alcohol Prevention

We asked an attendee of the Certificate in Alcohol Prevention Leadership Program, Brandon Tsubaki, about working in alcohol education and prevention...specifically posing the question "What can new professionals teach veterans in the field?"

Professional Development Institute attendees are the perfect individudals to respond to a question like this, bringing a fresh perspective in this sometimes arduous profession. Here's what Brandon had to say:

By Brandon Tsubaki, Program Coordinator, Fraternity and Sorority Life, UC Berkeley

While alcohol remains a relevant topic to campuses across the country, it seems as if many institutions have been using the same mentality, if not the same interventions, as decades ago. Admittedly as a “millennial,” I see issues coming to the foreground that I never saw less than five years ago as an undergraduate. As a newer professional, here are a few thoughts when it comes to working with today’s college student and addressing alcohol issues:

1. Calling today’s college student a “millennial” is problematic on multiple levels. First, many students we work with aren’t, by definition, millennials. Second, those who do fit the bill often times don’t like being called “millennials.” Categorizing these students is counter to what many of them have been told their entire childhood; they are unique and should be treated that way.

2. Defer judgment. It’s easy to get caught up in what behaviors students are participating in, but why they’re doing it is often more important. The reasons why students are participating in high-risk alcohol consumption look different than they used to; it’s our responsibility to try to understand them.

3. Let’s throw our own logic out the window and listen. Sure, it doesn’t always make sense, but listen to their words, and more importantly hear they’re trying to say.

4. We need to be clear between what we want students to hear (about alcohol or any other topic) and what students truly need to hear. I have found that students are very knowledgeable about some areas regarding alcohol while misinformed or uninformed about others. 

5. Act your age. I remember being told this as a kid and now, in a different way, as an adult. Recognizing that we’re not college students is important. We cannot connect with students as peers through the way we dress, speak, or act. We all know that person that tries to be the exception. Students will most respect our messafe when we act our age.

6. Know the issues. Don’t forget that alcohol abuse is typically a symptom of a larger issue. With greater access to higher education (financially, disability support, the use of technology, etc.), students attending our institutions are dealing with issues that institutions haven’t dealt with before.

Although I comment on the collective, I emphasize the importance of the individual. While I, too, fall in the category of the “millennial,” I don’t embrace all the characteristics that the research has attributed to my generation and many other students don’t either. As we continue to move forward, let’s remember that we’re not working against alcohol, but for and with students.