10 Common Myths About High-Risk Drinking Programs and Why Unions Should Ignore Them Linda Major 2009 ACUI Annual Conference April 6, 2009

Student Involvement Student Involvement Infrastructure -Administrative Support -Information Strategies Gender Programs/Women’s Center Student Organizations University Program Council East Campus Programs and Services Leadership Development Service Learning and Volunteer Services and Midwest Consortium for Service Learning in Higher Education LGBTQ and Ally Programs and Services

Motivating Factors Several high profile deaths at colleges and universities around the country College Alcohol Study receives national attention Data supports need for intervention Pressure from surrounding neighborhoods Fairly recent high profile alcohol-related injury on campus

1.Nothing works – high-risk drinking is part of the college experience. 2.Lowering the legal drinking age will solve the problem. 3.Employing a comprehensive approach means an increased workload for already stretched staff. 4.Visibly addressing the problem is bad PR for the university or college. 5.Visibly addressing the problem will impact recruitment. 6.Alcohol can no longer be served at university functions. 7.Impacted stakeholders will never reach consensus. 8.The problem is “owned” by one or two primary stakeholders. 9.What works on one campus works for all. 10.There is an absence of student support for increased alcohol policy and enforcement. Common Myths

“A Matter of Degree” $700, five-year grant funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; $500, four-year extension Administered by the American Medical Association University of Nebraska-Lincoln one of 10 universities selected nationwide to pilot new strategies Evaluated by the Harvard School of Public Health Directed by a campus-community coalition Environmental approach Visible and vocal campus and community leadership

Coalition Philosophy Focus efforts toward reducing high-risk alcohol consumption across undergraduate population, with a special emphasis on the first and second year View high-risk drinking as a shared responsibility Utilize an inclusive process, student participation essential Adopt a comprehensive approach incorporating both individual and environmental strategies

Resources Guiding Transformative Process Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within, Robert E Quinn (1996) Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change, Quinn (2004) Change the World: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Results, Quinn (2000) The Speed of Trust, Stephen Covey (2007) The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Gap Between People and Possibilities, Jim Haudan (2008)

Level 3: The Participating Strategy Level 2: The Forcing Strategy Level 1: The Telling Strategy Level 4: The Transforming Strategy Robert Quinn’s Model of Four Change Strategies (2000) Rational persuasion; emphasis on facts Leveraging behavior; emphasis on authority Open dialogue; emphasis on relationship Transcend self; emphasis on emergent reality

Strategies in Action: Traditional AOD Prevention Alcohol & other drug education programs Peer education Epidemiology-driven reports Social norms marketing Level 1: The Telling Strategy

Strategies in Action: Traditional AOD Prevention Substance prohibition/control Zero tolerance policies Hospitality beverage control Increased enforcement efforts Adjudicating AOD-related behaviors Level 2: The Forcing Strategy

Emerging Strategies: AODV Prevention Campus-Community task forces and coalitions Public forums on AODV Broad stakeholder involvement in addressing issues Level 3: The Participating Strategy

A process where stakeholders are educated around a set of data and perspectives about a problem Perspective sharing broadens understanding for all stakeholders All stakeholders participate in collaborative problem-solving with new understanding of the issues Informed Deliberation

First step to transforming a community is transforming my own thinking as a leader Fundamental paradigm shift about the community and its issues –My understanding of the problem from multiple stakeholder perspectives –My vision and beliefs about the outcome of change –My collaboration with a broad range of others by identifying the talents, skills and interests they bring to the table –My comfort with chaos –A matter of integrity: clarifying my motivations and my own perspectives The Transformational Perspective

The Participating Strategy The Forcing Strategy The Telling Strategy TRANSCENDING FRAME Employing Quinn’s Perspectives to Create A Model of Community Organizing for AODV Environmental Change All three Strategy choices are viable when appropriate to the situation and objective The transcending frame enables members to think broadly about collaborating between interests, recognizing the needs and concerns of others, and operating from a vision of abundant opportunity

Data Driven Strategic Planning Process Data driven planning process -Behavioral, attitudinal and environmental scan Explored best practices and theoretical models from national AOD literature Organized four workgroups based on identified goals -Policy and Enforcement, Social Environment, Neighborhood Relations, and Educatio n Adopted a set of measurable objectives impacting individuals, the campus, the community and the state Workgroups charged with task of monitoring progress and revising when necessary Communications strategic plan developed to support coalition goals and objectives

Using the Power of Data Police Reports/GIS Maps Student Self-Report Data Neighborhood Complaints Focus Groups Market Trends Student Retention Data Last Drink Data Anecdotes and Stories

ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION POLICY Codifying community standards Consistent consequences when community standards are violated Building knowledge and efficacy of community standards Strategy Development Model

Self-Reported Drinking by Location

Campus Prevention Initiatives Revised University Approved Housing Agreement Adopted Good Samaritan Policy (student government) Radical Shift in Law Enforcement Philosophy and Sophistication –Private Security Contract with Greek Living Units –Continuing Education and Training Program –Turnover in UNLPD Leadership –Cooperative Agreement among Enforcement Agencies –Increased Use of Sophisticated Technology Back to School Welcome Event (Student Involvement)

Campus Prevention Initiatives Implemented research-based, developmentally appropriate alcohol education –Alcohol Skills Training Program –BASICS Implied mandate online alcohol education policy for first year students –Three curriculums to be assessed including one with a sexual assault prevention module Collaborative research with counseling psychology faculty Intensive initiative involving Greek community (leadership development) Increased parent and new student education about alcohol policies Campus Night Life Program (student programming council) Social Norms Campaign (information strategies)

Problem Students and Student Groups Revised sanctions for violating policy Increased consistency of sanctions and consequences Aggressive enforcement of policies Adopted a Parental Notification Policy Use of more intense alcohol and other drug services when appropriate including evaluation

Game Day

Response to Alcohol-Related Problems on Game Day Student sponsored tailgate (student organizations) Loss of season ticket for chronic problems Special Designated Licenses limited on game day Obvious violations prosecuted Intoxicated fans barred from entry into stadium or ejected Tailgate Campaign e.g. mailing, parking lot promotions, signage

2007 Wild Party Density

2007 Wild Party Dispatches by Day of Week

2007 Wild Party Dispatches by Time of Day

2007 Wild Party Dispatches by Month of the Year

Prevention Initiatives Resident Roundtable Project Conflict mediation Tenant education including social host responsibilities Revised Tenant/Landlord Contracts Landlord access to web-based police information Community-based service (service learning) We Agree Campaign (student government)

Problem Tenants and Landlords Student Code of Conduct –Maintaining a disorderly house –Selling alcohol without a license –Procuring for minors Parental Notification Policy Wild Party Patrol –Identify locations –Process, policies and procedures –Reporting the results Fines/Consequences Social Host Legislation Maintaining a disorderly house citation to problem landlords Contact between landlords, law enforcement and city officials Contact with the city’s Internal Liquor Committee Voluntary landlord intervention initiative

Disorderly House Citations

Liquor License Density Liquor Licenses are geo coded Calls for Service Direct to on line report

Hotspot of assaults and cluster of bars near campus

Downtown Area Hotspots of Violent Crime

College Bars N Haymarket

Number of Admissions Percent of Total Average BAC License A9316%.169 License B499%.183 License C438%.160 License D438%.160 License E336%.159 License F326%.169 License G315%.181 License H234%.165 License J224%.163 License K193%.179 Total (403)388/56969%.169 Last Drink Data

Prevention Initiatives RHC, Community Forums, Community Covenant for Responsible Beverage Service Mandatory Manager Training Internal Liquor Committee Web-based Seller/Server Education Program Practical Guide to Responsible Hospitality Bar walks Option to apply additional conditions to licenses in high density areas

Underage Access and Availability Badges in Bars Local ordinance – presenting false identification State policy – digital driver’s license system Voluntary Compliance Check Program (service learning and student organizations) LPD sponsored compliance checks Parental Notification – law enforcement

Problem Locations Citations to commercial landlords Contest SDL applications submitted by problem establishments Conditions for high-risk establishments Citations, sanctions and revocation Increased Attention from Law Enforcement

Level of UNL Student Drinking:

Level of Student Drinking by Binge/No Binge: 1997 – 2008

Primary Effects: 1997 – 2008

Secondary Effects: 1997 – 2008

High School to College Drinking Behavior: 1997 – 2003

The Campus-Community Environment: What is Different? Student Involvement – Engaged through active coalition participation, project leadership, curricular assignments, research and early intervention with peers Education – Developmentally appropriate programs based on current research and best practices, increasing in intensity meeting the individual needs of students University Approved Housing – Living environments more conducive to sleep and study, decrease in vandalism and damage, fraternities no longer serve as on-campus party houses Policy and Enforcement – Behavioral expectations codified and communicated to students prior to arrival, consistent enforcement, timely consequences for policy violation

Campus-Community Environment: What is Different? Neighborhoods – Improved quality of life, significant decrease in wild party complaints, established collaboration with area colleges and universities Game Day Activities – Stadium alcohol policies clearly stated and enforced, meaningful consequences for all ticket holders who violate policy, tailgating activities no longer blatantly visible Downtown Entertainment District – Bars actively engaged in improving police relations, eliminating drink specials and high-risk promotions, training staff and using data to improve practices

1.Nothing works – high-risk drinking is part of the college experience. 2.Lowering the legal drinking age will solve the problem. 3.Employing a comprehensive approach means an increased workload for already stretched staff. 4.Visibly addressing the problem is bad PR for the university or college. 5.Visibly addressing the problem will impact recruitment. 6.Alcohol can no longer be served at university functions. 7.Impacted stakeholders will never reach consensus. 8.The problem is “owned” by one or two primary stakeholders. 9.What works on one campus works for all. 10.There is an absence of student support for increased alcohol policy and enforcement. Common Myths

Resources NIAAA Task Force Report – “A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges” s/TaskForce/TaskForce_TOC.aspxhttp:// s/TaskForce/TaskForce_TOC.aspx Harvard School of Public Health – College Alcohol Study and “A Matter of Degree” Program Experiences in Effective Prevention: The U.S. Department of Education’s Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models on College Campuses Grants U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention NU Directions Campus/Community Coalition

NU Directions Linda Major, Project Director Student Involvement NE Union, Suite 200 Lincoln, NE /