Center for College Health and Safety: College and University Drinking and Driving Prevention Awards Program

College and University Drinking and Driving Prevention Awards Program

Winners 2004-2005

$5000 Grand Prize Winner:

University of New Mexico
Established Project TARGET (Targeting At-Risk Groups with Environmental and Theory-based strategies). The program used a “3-in-1 Framework” to comprehensively address: individual needs of students exhibiting symptoms of dependence, campus-wide student norms, and environmental campus/community issues. The program:

Administered a brief web-based motivational intervention entitled E-CHUG (Electronic CHeck-Up to Go) in three identified target groups (first-year students, Greeks and student athletes). Evaluated the program using a randomized, controlled experimental design.
Created a social norms marketing campaign.
Developed community initiatives with neighborhood associations, Albuquerque PD, students, and alcohol merchants to reduce off-campus binge and underage drinking. These initiatives included a neighborhood-based, information campaign regarding alcohol laws and safe party strategies; signed Partnering Agreements with 26 local alcohol merchants; and policy/enforcement changes that significantly reduced alcohol abuse and its associated problems during UNM football tailgating events.

A detailed summary of Project TARGET is available in Microsoft Word format.

$1000 State Prize Winners:

University of California, San Diego (California)
Believing that alcohol information/education classes for student violators do not have demonstrated effectiveness, UCSD developed the SAFE (Substance/Alcohol Feedback and Education) program, a comprehensive, stepped care approach with increasing intervention intensities for problems of different severity levels. SAFE employs a model of care with strong empirical support – brief, motivationally enhanced feedback to students – and combines it with a novel service delivery modality – one to one peer educator facilitation. A randomized experimental research design demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach in reducing harmful alcohol use. SAFE services include:

SAFE Outreach: On National Alcohol Screening Day and a UCSD Alcohol Awareness week, over 600 students completed screening questionnaires. Screening and brief motivational interviewing was provided to over 100 high-risk scoring students by SAFE peer educators and Professional staff.
Web SAFE: Students complete an on-line, alcohol risk assessment. Student responses are transformed into a user-friendly feedback sheet.
Peer SAFE (the core intervention): Students mandated for alcohol policy violations are referred by Deans to undergraduate peer educators trained in Motivational Interviewing. These peer educators review the alcohol risk assessment individually with each referred student via a Motivational Interviewing protocol and provide referrals.
SAFE Forum: Regular, professionally led drop-in groups for mandated or voluntary students wishing to attend and deal with alcohol or other substance problems.
Professional SAFE: Senior staff assess and follow-up with mandated and voluntary students who have been seen through Peer SAFE or have significant co-morbid (attendant) psychological and substance use problems.

A detailed summary of the SAFE program is available in Microsoft Word format.

San Diego State University (California)
Multi-department, comprehensive strategy including programming to: alter student motivations and attitudes about AOD use; provide behavioral alternatives; and reduce access to AOD. Individually-focused programs were:

ASPIRE (Alcohol and other Substance abuse Prevention Intervention Re-directive Effort), which was developed for students cited for alcohol violations. Students undergo Motivational Interviewing and a one to three session treatment plan.
Assessments are conducted with eCHUG (Electronic CHeck Up to Go), which is available online and provides immediate feedback, including comparisons to other drinkers. Researchers evaluated eCHUG and found it effective in a randomized, controlled research trial.
CHOICES, which provides peer counselor facilitated groups using a motivational, cognitive skills-based, harm reduction model allowing students to “try on” strategies to reduce risk.

Behaviorally-centered programs included Safe Rides, offered on weekend nights through a taxi service, and a gym/recreation center, offered every night for a fee. Programs to reduce access included DUI checkpoints, minor-in-possession enforcement, shoulder-tap enforcement, and CAPP (College Area Party Plan). CAPP enforces noise and disturbance laws.

A detailed summary of the San Diego State University program is available in Microsoft Word format.

Sam Houston State University (Texas)
Hosted a Save A Life Tour! Drunk Driving Simulator, a state-of-the-art, interactive device allowing people to experience how alcohol affects driving skills. 150 students took part. Developed a Bacchus & Gamma norms campaign titled “Seize the Keys.” (with a slogan “Carpe Key-em.”) Worked with the Recreational Sports department and a newly formed Alcohol Abuse Initiative Committee to host National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week. Used fatal vision goggles, hosted a popular guest speaker, and added a Health Programming Coordinator to its staff.

A detailed summary of the Sam Houston State University program is available in Microsoft Word format.

Texas A&M University (Texas)
Used MeetingNet® registered software and wireless keypads to develop an immediate feedback/response system for use in interactive presentations to groups on campus. Students were able to immediately see and compare how they and their peers answered various questions. The software has been used in more than 100 presentations since 2002 (to over 11,000 students annually), including presentations to fraternities and, for three years, to all the Fish Camps (supplemental orientation events annually attended by 4,500 freshmen). Goals of the program were to increase the perception that most students choose not to drink and drive or drive under the influence.

A detailed summary of the Texas A&M University program is available in Microsoft Word format.