Using a Public Health and Quality Improvement Approach to Address High-Risk Drinking with 32 Colleges and Universities: White Paper

High-risk drinking (typified by four to five or more drinks in a sitting) is a dangerous and harmful behavior on college campuses that has continued relatively unabated at a rate of 40 percent over the past two decades. While the rate has remained stable, the levels of extreme drinking have intensified, with students eager to experience what they believe to be their expected rite of passage upon college matriculation. Recent studies corroborate the fact that only a third of colleges and universities have a systematic approach to reducing and preventing high-risk drinking by their students or using evidence-based strategies already known to reduce student drinking. 

 

To address this complex, age-old issue plaguing college campuses, 32 IHEs implemented a collaborative improvement model, a new approach, between 2011-2013 and achieved promising early results. The newly-released white paper and associated appendices document results from the National College Health Improvement Program Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking.

College and University Prevention Accreditation Program

 

The American Association of Suicidology recently launched their College and University Suicide Prevention Accreditation Program.  This professional development program is designed to help psychologists, social workers, counselors, and those dedicated to reducing the incidence of suicide and suicidal behaviors among today's college-age youth to build their knowledge and/or competencies to design and implement effective suicide prevention practices. Training topics include: best and evidence-based suicide prevention practices, risk factors and warning signs for college and university students, how to reintegrate a student after a suicide attempt, and more.  Participants can earn up to 10 continuing education credits.  For more information and to sign up click here.

 

Community-Campus Readiness: Approaches to Disaster Preparedness

  

The NYMAPS (New York Metro Area Partnership for Service-Learning) just released a report as a follow-up to its 5th Annual Symposium focused on Community-Campus Readiness: Approaches to Disaster Preparedness. The symposium was held on April 12, 2013 at Barnard College where over fifty participants convened to examine how to best empower community partners to be a strong voice in the planning process, mobilize campus resources, identify discipline-specific strategies for engaging students through service-learning courses, and support and supervise general student involvement. The report includes five selections that document campus responses to disaster throughout the eastern region of the United States, down to New Orleans, and as far as New Zealand.

 

National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE) Newsletter

 

NSSE eNews is a free periodic electronic newsletter created to keep NSSE users and others informed about current project activities. The May 2014 issue includes the following topics:

• New on NSSE Web Site: Scoring and Properties of Engagement Indicators and High-Impact Practices
• New Comparison Data for Report Customization across Two Years
  High Praise from Change for Article from NSSE
• Boston University's NSSE Promotion Yields High Response Rate
• Holy Family University: Lunch-and-Learn Sessions Communicate NSSE Results
• Share Your NSSE Story
• Research in Brief
• Announcements

Surveying the Literature on Acculturation and Alcohol Use among Hispanic College Students: We're Not All on the Same Page  Zamboanga, B.L., Toamso, C.C., Kondo, K.K. & Schwartz, S.J. (June 2014) Substance Use and Misuse

 

Correlates to Over-the-Counter Drug Use among College Students
Vidourek, R.A., King, K.A. & Burbage, M.L. (April 2014) Journal of Substance Use

 

 

A Research Update on Correlates of Heavy Episodic Drinking Among Undergraduate College Students

Montauti, S.B. & Bulmer, S.M. (May 2014) American Journal of Health Education

 

Diary Study of Sexual Risk Taking, Alcohol Use, and Strategies for Reducing Negative Affect in Female College Students

Howells, N.L. & Orcutt, H.K. (May 2014) Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

 

Flourishing: Exploring Predictors of Mental Health Within the College Environment                        

Fink, J.E. (April 2014) Journal of American College Health

 

Marijuana-Using Drivers, Alcohol-Using Drivers, and Their Passengers Prevalence and Risk Factors Among Underage College Students

Whitehill, J.M., Rivara, F.P. & Moreno, M.A. (May 2014) JAMA Pediatrics

 

The Representation of Alcohol Consumption in the Indiana Daily Students Coverage of the Little 500

Amick, R.I., Donaldson, C.L., Krause, A.K., Myers, J.M. & Thomas, J.C. (May 2014)

Webinars

 

The Digital Age: Leveraging Data Sources to Address Underage Drinking

May 22, 2014, 3-4 PM EDT

 

In a time when people of all ages are living in the electronic age, this presentation will share how to use social networking platforms to both gather data and use that data and information to develop strategies that can reduce youth access to alcohol. This discussion sponsored by Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center (UDETC) will identify different sources of relevant data that can assist participants in identifying trends and developing effective environmental strategies. It will also look at examples of what different states and organizations are doing to educate the public with regard to the latest data and trends. Learn more about this webinar.

 

Conferences

 

American Public Health Association 2014 Annual Meeting and Exposition: Healthography: How Where You Live Affects Your Health and Well-Being

November 15-19, 2014, New Orleans, LA

  

APHA's Annual Meeting & Exposition serves as the home for public health professionals to convene, learn, network and engage with peers. The purpose of the meeting is to strengthen the profession of public health, share the latest research and information, promote best practices and advocate for public health issues and policies grounded in research. Registration and housing for the 2014 Annual Meeting will open on June 3. Register by August 28 for maximum savings. Learn more about the meeting.

 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2014 Town Hall Meetings Higher Education Initiative

May 22, 2014, 12-2:30 PM EDT, Tallahassee, FL

 

Exhibit hall starts at noon, Town Hall begins at 1pm until 2:30pm. Exhibits include interactive demonstrations, as well as picture booths and t-shirts for participants. Young people are involved in the event planning. Our very own HBCU star, Ms. Jazmyne Simmons, will be the MC of this Town Hall rally event. Sponsored by FAMU Institute of Public Health. For more information, please email: ivette.lopez@famu.edu.

 

CRUSADA (Puerto Rico Región Higher Education Network)

June 19, 2014, 9 AM -3 PM ADT and  

June 20, 2014, 9 AM - Noon ADT, Isla Verde Carolina, PR

 

Participants from 30 universities will address underage alcohol use and prevention and how the universities can get involved. Speakers will include Julia Delgado, PR Anti-Addiction and Mental Health Administration. Moderator: Rosie Torres de Calderón, PR & Virgin Island regional director, The Network Addressing Collegiate Alcohol and Other Drug Issues. For more information, please email: rosie.torres@upr.edu

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The Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. It is operated by the American Institutes for Research in collaboration with Child Trends; Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning; EMT Associates; the Silver Gate Group; and Vision Training Associates.

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