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Division of Student AffairsAlcohol Foundation Plan
Alcohol use by college students has been the focus of attention in campus communities throughout the history of higher education in America. Perhaps at no other time, however, have the negative consequences of alcohol abuse by students been more obvious or more pervasive. At the College of William and Mary many students use beverage alcohol legally, and the majority do so responsibly. Never-theless, there are still those in our community whose use of alcohol is illegal and/or results in injury, damage to personal health, diminished personal and academic achievement, or other actions harmful to the user and, on occasion, to the community. William and Mary has been a leader in developing a comprehensive and focused approach to the issues which accompany the inappropriate use of alcohol in the college setting. In the past decade the College has consistently achieved State and national recognition for its efforts. These achievements notwithstanding, irresponsible and illegal use of alcohol remains both a concern and a challenge and suggests the need for a renewed and sustained effort. FACING THE CHALLENGE is designed to create a campus community whose climate discourages the illegal use of alcohol and one where the decision to use alcohol is accompanied by a commitment to personal safety, responsibility and respect for others. While the plan is largely the result of the dedicated efforts of the College's Alcohol and Substance Abuse Task Force, the plan also relies heavily on the work and recommendations of the Attorney General's Task Force on Drinking By College Students. The activities of the Attorney General's Task Force have served an important function in raising public awareness of the issues related to the use of alcohol by college students. Its recommendations have also inspired a reexamination of the College's policies, programs and services, and they have served as the basis for many of the proposed initiatives contained in the plan which follows. The report of the Attorney General's Task on Drinking by College Students presents 65 recommendations for addressing the issues related to illegal and abusive drinking behaviors by the student population. A distinguishing feature of the report is its implicit acknowledgment of the complexity of the problem and the extent to which a comprehensive, broad-based approach is essential to the success of efforts to change a culture in which alcohol has come to be such a prominent feature. That understanding has been and will continue to be central to William and Mary's approach and to its future efforts. FACING THE CHALLENGE, therefore, combines proactive and reactive components in support of the College's goals to:
Faculty, staff and student collaboration have already produced award-winning programs and services. The College of William and Mary's Alcohol Awareness Week activities have three times (1989, 1992 and 1997) been chosen as the outstanding program in the nation by the National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week Campaign. In the eleven years the Campaign has given awards for this activity the College has received some form of national recognition in every year. The College's Alcohol and Substance Abuse Task Force received a Governor's Award for its awareness campaign in 1993 and a Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program award for its drinking and driving prevention efforts in 1996. The second edition (1997) of Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies lists William and Mary among those institutions that have, according to the criteria of the authors, a model program. The College's Substance Abuse Educator received an award in 1996 from Health Communications, Inc. for training hundreds of students in the T.I.P.S. (Training Intervention Procedures for Servers of Alcohol) curriculum. Another demonstration of confidence in William and Mary's program and training abilities came from the State Council for Higher Education, which awarded the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences a Funds for Excellence Grant to expand programming on critical student life issues, including those related to alcohol and substance abuse. Most recently the College applied for and was one of only two Virginia institutions to receive both the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control's College Conference Mini-Grant and one of its Social Marketing Grants. Finally, College staff have served as consultants and been invited to present papers and programs to other colleges and universities and to participants in state, regional and national conferences. Recognition for creative and committed activity related to alcohol use by its students is one measure by which the College's efforts can be assessed. On that scale there is much to be celebrated, and efforts such as those which have led to recognition by others should be encouraged and continued. In spite of such success, issues related to student use of alcohol persist at William and Mary as they do elsewhere. Creative programming and educational activities are but two components of a broader effort which is necessary if the College of William and Mary is to achieve the goals identified above. A comprehensive program is already in place. Its elements are:
An analysis of each of these elements reveals the level of current activity and commitment and identifies recommendations for continued and/or new initiatives. Understanding the epidemiology of alcohol and substance use on campus is a vital part of our present plan. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey, sponsored by FIPSE (the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education), has been administered at William and Mary for several years to survey student attitudes and prevalence patterns. The College also developed and has implemented its own Faculty Survey for the past five years. Both the Core and Faculty surveys will be administered again in the Spring of 1999. Less formal evaluative information is gathered through Campus Police reports, student staff incident reports, analysis of judicial actions, and statistics compiled by staff in the Student Health Center and the Counseling Center. Results of these surveys are used throughout the community to understand use patterns, to guide programming, to identify strengths in outreach methodology, and to evaluate effectiveness and impact. Recommendations:
The College employs a variety of awareness and information strategies and programs with a special focus on high-risk populations. These include: 1. Education for the Parents of Entering Students - In a summer mailing to the parents of entering students, the Vice President for Student Affairs includes information about the issue of alcohol in the campus setting along with a pamphlet designed to assist parents in talking with the college-aged student about alcohol. The Parent's Handbook contains a section on the alcohol policies, programs and services of the College. A copy is sent to the parents of all entering students in late July of each year and to parents of students who transfer in January. During Freshman Orientation, the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Dean of Students conduct specific orientation programs for parents with alcohol as one of the topics. 2. Intercollegiate Athlete Education - Student athletes receive special education concerning alcohol/drugs through a grant provided by the NCAA. The grant provides guest speakers to meet with athletic teams. In addition the Substance Abuse Educator provides training to four teams a year training through the national curriculum of O.C.T.A.A. (On Campus Talking About Alcohol). 5. Outreach Education - Educational programs about alcohol and other substances are offered systematically to groups on campus. Examples of outreach education include programming for fraternity/sorority members; yearly presentations by Health Center and Counseling Center staff to a wide array of student groups; Substance Abuse Educator talks with sorority and fraternity pledge groups and athletic teams; residence hall programs presented by Substance Abuse Educator, the Health Educator, and peer presenters; the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Task Force programs to incoming students; programming by the Campus Police Crime Prevention Officer; as well as passive programming activities. The passive programming initiatives use four permanent display sites and two temporary sites around campus -- the University's Health Center, the Campus Center, the athletic training room, Swem Library, the Law School, and the School of Education. At each of these locations, students find literature, poster material, handouts, and referral telephone numbers. On-campus residents are targeted by posted material and bulletin board kits provided by the Substance Abuse Educator for use by Residence Life staff members in building displays in each residence hall. Throughout the year educational displays are created in strategic locations around campus and hundreds of pieces of literature and posters are distributed. The annual Safe Spring Break Campaign focuses on providing students who will travel during the spring break period with information concerning alcohol laws and reminders about the need to remain safe during the holiday period. 6. O.C.T.A.A. Training - O.C.T.A.A. is a nationally-developed program taught at William and Mary by the Substance Abuse Educator. O.C.T.A.A. addresses differences between perceived and real behavior around alcohol, and it uses persuasive communication techniques proven most effective in changing attitudes and behaviors, especially attitudes and behaviors within groups that may be rebellious or resistant to change in drinking behavior. Each O.C.T.A.A. session consists of three one-and-one-half-hour programs with an individual follow-up consultation for each student. O.C.T.A.A. training is available to any individual who wants to know more about alcohol, but is used primarily with students who have violated College alcohol policies. 7. The F.I.S.H. Bowl - The F.I.S.H. Bowl (Free Information on Student Health) is a student-run resource center funded by the Health Center and coordinated by the Substance Abuse Educator. It is located in a high-traffic area in the Campus Center and contains materials such as books, videos, posters, pamphlets, and journals on critical issues for students. Twenty-five (25) trained student volunteers staff the F.I.S.H. Bowl each semester. They answer questions, make referrals, assist with academic research, and dispense or check out materials. The F.I.S.H. Bowl serves hundreds of students and faculty each academic year. Examples of F.I.S.H. Bowl outreach efforts include: a question/answer series entitled "Fishing for Answers" in the student newspaper (The Flat Hat); bulletin board kits which resident assistants can turn into bulletin board displays (the kits promote F.I.S.H. Bowl and other health education activities); promotional magnets distributed to each faculty member and each freshman; and a prepared residence hall program entitled "F.I.S.H. Bowling." 9. P.A.R.T.Y. Healthy Brochure - Each year the College publishes and distributes a brochure detailing the risks associated with alcohol consumption what to do in emergencies, alcohol and sex, and the many resources available on campus and in the local community. Called P.A.R.T.Y Healthy (Promoting Alcohol Responsibility Through You), this brochure outlines the effects and consequences of consumption by Blood Alcohol Level and gives students advice on how to help a friend whose drinking has become a concern. 11. Alcohol 101 - Alcohol 101 is an interactive CD-ROM educational program. A copy is provided at the FISH Bowl, the Athletic Department, the Counseling Center and other sites for use in programming by student organizations or for use by individual students. Recommendations:
The College of William and Mary has one alcohol policy for the entire campus community which is revised yearly with input from students, administrators, staff, and faculty. The policy is included in the Student Handbook and is reprinted in a separate pamphlet which is distributed at trainings, mailed to faculty and staff, and distributed by the Scheduling Office to anyone scheduling space on campus. A number of different offices on campus enforce the alcohol policies, including the Office of Residence Life, Campus Police, and building supervisors in the University's student unions. The College also has a collaborative relationship with local Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents who cooperate with the Office of the Dean of Students by reporting student violators of ABC laws to the Dean of Students for action, much in the same way Campus Police and College staff do. College policies make the misuse of alcohol a violation of College regulations, in addition to its being a violation of the laws of the Commonwealth. University sanctions are regularly assigned for violation of alcohol policies, as is mandatory counseling/education activity. Typical sanctions include: First Offense for illegal
possession or consumption: Second Offense for illegal
possession or consumption: Third Offense for illegal
possession or consumption or violation of probation: College alcohol policies are explicitly written both to control individual use of alcohol and to govern events at which alcohol might be present. No student group may hold an event with alcohol unless prior permission has been granted by the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and application must be made on a standard form (Event Scheduling Form). A prerequisite for all such activities is the presence of a party manager who has successfully completed the college-sponsored training, T.I.P.S. (Training Intervention Procedures for Servers of Alcohol). T.I.P.S. training is a responsibility shared by the Substance Abuse Educator, the Campus Police Crime Prevention Officer and the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Where individual students are concerned, the College also has in place a modified parental notification policy which in a number of cases results in the parents' being notified that an alcohol violation has taken place. In addition, the College routinely notifies parents in those cases where a student's involvement with alcohol appears to pose a serious risk to the student's health or safety. In 1998, the College successfully implemented a program of "spot-checking" approved events which included alcohol. Each week, staff members from Student Affairs randomly attend scheduled events and complete a comprehensive two-page check list. When less-serious violations of the alcohol policy are discovered, the infraction is immediately corrected and documentation is submitted to the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Further sanctioning may then be imposed. When more serious violations are discovered, the event is terminated and the organization is referred to the administration for formal judicial action. For large, open events, the presence of Campus Police or paid outside security (at the discretion of the Campus Police) is required for the duration of the activity. If there are violations of College policy, the Officer is empowered to shut down the event, to modify the activity and/or to exercise arrest power as necessary. In addition, the William and Mary Honor Code makes it a violation of the Code for a student to use false identification to secure alcohol in any situation on campus or at an activity sponsored by the College or College-affiliated groups or in any other situation when the person ". . . actively presents himself/herself as a student at the College." Such conduct is considered lying under the Honor Code and is adjudicated by the appropriate Honor Council. Recommendations:
SUPPORT AND INTERVENTION SERVICES The College makes available a variety of professional staff whose responsibilities in whole or in part include providing intervention and support services for students with problems related to alcohol use (either their own or that of other students). Among these are the following: 1. The Substance Abuse Educator is trained to identify students with alcohol problems and is skilled at facilitating their involvement in appropriate educational or therapeutic activities. The Educator is also responsible for providing O.C.T.A.A. and T.I.P.S. training as well as for overseeing all educational activity related to alcohol and other substances. 2. The student and professional staff of the Office of Residence Life receive special training in working with students with alcohol-related problems and referring them to campus-based resources. 4. The Student Health Center is staffed by four physicians and is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and from Noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays (A twenty-four hour a day on-call system is also in effect at the Health Center). The Center houses two sites for patient education, complete with computer alcohol tests, a video room, and literature. Health Center physicians regularly team with Counseling Center staff in designing an appropriate treatment response for student clients. Staff members from the Health and Counseling Centers maintain a list of referral options both locally and elsewhere for students whose needs exceed those which can be met reasonably through College resources. Recommendations:
PROGRAMMING AND PEER-BASED INITIATIVES William and Mary uses model peer initiatives including Peer Health Educators and F.I.S.H. Bowl volunteers. Peer Health Educators are student volunteers who are trained and certified in the BACCHUS model (a national student organization dedicated to alcohol awareness and safe practices related to alcohol use). They participate in the alcohol awareness campaigns and deliver more than 25 programs a year in the residence halls and elsewhere on campus. All Peer Health Educators are trained to infuse alcohol information into each program topic. The F.I.S.H. Bowl volunteers receive training in peer helping and referrals. They serve as positive role models in the F.I.S.H. Bowl center, field questions, make referrals, and provide resource materials. F.I.S.H. Bowl volunteers assist their peers by working at the resource center and at informational tables during Awareness campaigns, by answering peer inquiries submitted via the Internet, by responding to private E-mail questions, and through a student newspaper series entitled "Fishing for Answers" which volunteers write. Approximately twenty-five (25) student volunteers staff the F.I.S.H. Bowl. The Council on Fraternity Affairs (CFA) and the Inter-Sorority Council (ISC) have joined together to form a GAMMA (Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol) chapter at William and Mary. While still in the formative stages, this effort should prove successful in addressing issues of alcohol with a population not always associated with the responsible use of alcohol. Several other alcohol-related initiatives also utilize student leadership in a prevention, promotion, or educational manner. These include the University Center Activities Board which promotes alcohol free entertainment in the College's student centers, Meridian Coffee House which offers a continuous alcohol and tobacco free service, and the Residence Hall Association which sponsors many activities throughout the year. The Student Assembly has vigorously worked to plan and publicize alcohol-free events that have attracted diverse and large numbers of students. Student volunteers plan these programs but they are supervised by trained staff. Additionally, Residence Life staff coordinate weekend alcohol-free social activities open to all students. Alcohol use on a College campus is most often understood in the context of the social climate for students. Important to the effort to curb the misuse of alcohol is a diverse, vibrant social atmosphere which permits students to use alcohol legally when it is their choice but which is not dependent for its energy, vitality, or enjoyment on alcohol. While an institution can certainly support and even empower a dynamic social climate, it cannot create or will it to occur. Such initiative and creativity must come from the student's themselves. Residential universities in modest-sized communities face a special challenge -- oftentimes the local community surrounding the campus does not provide the array or quality of social options students desire. In such instances campus-based activity faces increased expectations and pressure from students. Such is the case at William and Mary. While the greater Williamsburg area offers many interesting, attractive and even distinct options, its primary focus is not that of a college town. As a result, for many years the students of the College have created their own social options, primarily on the campus itself. The following are primary venues and sponsors of student-initiated social activity: 1. The Student Assembly, including the four undergraduate classes, has vigorously worked to plan and publicize alcohol-free events as well as those with alcohol. Some of these activities have attracted large numbers of students and one, the Busch Gardens Party, appears to be on its way to becoming a campus tradition, along with its annual King and Queen Ball. 2. The University Centers Activities Board promotes alcohol-free programming in the College's two student centers, the University Center and the Campus Center, and occasionally elsewhere on the campus. Because the College believes that students 21-years of age and older who wish to drink should have locations available to them where they may drink and socialize in a responsible manner, the College does serve beer in Lodge 1, a student social facility in the University Center. In addition, students operate the Meridian Coffee House, an alcohol and tobacco-free gathering place located in a College-owned house on North Boundary Street. 4. The College recognizes almost 300 student organizations which serve important social as well as other functions for students. Some of the activities of these organizations, Arabian Nights and A Taste of Asia being good examples, attract hundreds of student participants. Finally, while the residence halls have traditionally sponsored social programs, the Residence Hall Association has become especially active within the past year in the sponsorship of successful, large-scale alcohol-free social events. A common feature accompanies all student programming it is student initiated, student planned, and student managed and supervised. While college staff reserve the right to spot-check any student function at which alcohol is being served and professional staff manage the Lodge 1 facility, for the most part student activity is "student run." Recommendations:
At present the College provides training related to alcohol in several areas. With a substantial proportion of William and Mary students residing in College-owned residence halls and houses, the students and professional staff who manage those facilities receive training in intervention strategies, program planning, and referral to other resources as part of their job preparation each year. Campus Police staff, through the Crime Prevention Officer of the Campus Police Department, assist with T.I.P.S. training. (T.I.P.S. [Training Intervention Procedures for Servers of Alcohol] is a nationally-recognized two-hour training for those registering a party with alcohol on campus. Classes are offered to student party/bar managers and also to the University's food service employees. The College's alcohol policy mandates training before any activity may be held at which alcohol might be available to students. The training includes extensive information on personal identification card checks according to State law and College policy. Six classes are offered to students and employees each semester. The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Task Force has also collaborated with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to offer T.I.P.S. training to off-campus vendors who hold a State ABC license and who regularly serve students.) Until this past semester the Campus Police also provided training for student volunteers who operated a program, Steer Clear, which provided transportation for students who, finding themselves in a situation where they should not or could not drive, needed transportation back to their residence. When elected, new Fraternity and Sorority presidents are supplied with a President's Manual that includes information on State laws and College policies related to alcohol. The Assistant Director of Student Activities meets regularly with these students and other chapter officers. In the course of these meetings she reviews and reinforces the laws of the Commonwealth, the policies of the College, and the bylaws of the national Greek-letter social organizations. Recommendations:
A variety of College staff are involved in the implementation of aspects of the College's comprehensive approach to alcohol, and one professional, the Substance Abuse Educator, works full time on the issue. Whether their responsibilities for the College's approach to alcohol require all or only a portion of their time, as a group the staff has been and will continue to be the central element in William and Mary's plan. Their work gives the plan its guidance and insures its consistency and they provide the array of services required to insure that the plan its breadth and depth. The College's investment of staff to this activity includes: 1. The Substance Abuse Officer is responsible for implementation of the College's Foundation Plan for Alcohol. The President of the College has assigned this role to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Through collaboration with the President and Vice President for Management and Budget, through supervision of the Division of Student Affairs, and by working with students and their organizations, the Vice President for Student Affairs provides leadership, direction and oversight of all policies and programs related to the College's proactive and reactive response to issues surrounding use and abuse of alcohol. 2. The Alcohol and Substance Task Force consists of students, faculty and staff (including College Health and Counseling staff members, Campus Police, Greek Life and Student Activities, Residence Life staff and others) appointed annually by the Vice President for Student Affairs to provide guidance, oversight and balance on issues related to alcohol and other drugs' use and abuse. This committee and its members meet regularly to discuss alcohol use on campus, to evaluate and make recommendations concerning policy, and to plan outreach strategies. The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Task Force has six major goals: 3. The Substance Abuse Educator is a full-time professional position. The Educator offers alcohol and other drug prevention, intervention, and treatment services. The prevention and education services include providing programs in the residence halls and fraternity/sorority groups and classroom lectures under the "Guest Lecturer" or "Don't Cancel That Class" options. The Educator also plans and carries out the annual campus-wide campaigns such as Alcohol Awareness Week, Safe Spring Break, Freshmen Orientation, Training for Party Managers in the T.I.P.S. program and consults with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, provides passive programming for the campus, and coordinates the activities and the student volunteers of the F.I.S.H. Bowl. The Educator offers approximately six O.C.T.A.A. courses per semester, provides individual counseling to students referred for an alcohol sanction, and consults with students who are concerned about their friend's alcohol or other drug use. 4. The Health Educator is a full-time employee of the Student Health Center and coordinates and/or presents numerous programs throughout the year on a wide range of health-related issues including alcohol. She coordinates the Awareness Campaigns and the Peer Health Educators Program. 5. The Crime Prevention Officer is a full-time education/investigative position. The officer delivers residence hall programs, serves on many College committees, coordinates mock arrests, and special displays during Alcohol Awareness Week and other major alcohol-related educational activities, and delivers information concerning fake identification cards and party checks activity as part of the T.I.P.S. training. 6. The Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs is responsible for insuring that students and student organizations understand the College's alcoholic beverage policies and procedures. Events which include the serving or consumption of alcohol must be approved by the Assistant Vice President before they may occur. The Assistant Vice President serves on the T.I.P.S. training team. 7. The Assistant Director of Student Activities for Greek Affairs is a full-time staff member who provides direction and support to the College's fraternities and sororities. The Assistant Director works closely with fraternity and sorority National organizations in addressing issues and concerns related to William and Mary chapters. She also provides clarification regarding the College policy and works closely with the organizations to provide information on legal liabilities. 8. The Sport Psychologist is a part-time staff member working jointly with the Athletic Department and the Counseling Center. She provides a variety of services including information and counseling to student athletes and advice and consultation to coaches regarding issues of alcohol use. Recommendations:
The College of William and Mary should continue to provide a comprehensive and broad-based program aimed at curbing illegal and high-risk behaviors related to alcohol use among its students. While a significant program is already in place, more can and should be done. Because the misuses of alcohol can have such negative consequences for individuals and the community, achieving our goals becomes all the more critical. The recommendations in FACING THE CHALLENGE will contribute to a healthier and safer environment where alcohol is concerned and represent a reaffirmation of the College's commitment to:
Assessment
Awareness and Information
Policies and Enforcement
Support and Intervention Services
Training
Staff Resources
Published Spring Semester 1999 |
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