Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Since
her appointment as president of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 1994,
Dr. Jessica Kozloff has actively and visibly supported alcohol prevention
on her campus. She has heightened education on the effects of high-risk alcohol
use and enforcement of underage drinking laws. Under Kozloff’s direction,
the University adopted strict policies regarding alcohol violations on campus,
particularly for those who provide alcohol to minors. The policy states that
if a student provides alcohol to someone who is underaged, or if a student
is found guilty through the campus judicial process of selling alcohol, he
or she will be suspended for one semester minimum, even if it is a first time
offense. In an effort to openly address high risk alcohol use, President Kozloff
consistently raises the issue each year in freshman convocation speeches and
has facilitated multiple open forums with students to discuss alcohol policies.
President Kozloff has also worked closely with Alcohol and Other Drug specialist
Dr. Barry Jackson on the DAWN (Drug, Alcohol and Wellness Network) program,
which has worked to raise awareness on campus as well as in local middle schools.
In addition to establishing high standards of policy enforcement and student behavior on campus, President Kozloff has worked with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to help create a campus community coalition, the "Bloomsburg Initiative." The exemplary alliance was initiated by funding from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and has allowed for a partnership between the university, the town council of Bloomsburg, the police, and local businesses.
In an effort to raise the visibility of the issue outside of her own community, President Kozloff served on a panel with President Frank Cassell of University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg at a NIAAA report briefing event in Pennsylvania.
Although she initially faced opposition from students for her prevention efforts, she has stayed the course and has gained support and involvement from student leadership on the issue. Through her visible, persistent, and creative dedication to addressing and curbing high risk drinking on her campus, President Kozloff continues to set a high standard for university presidents seeking to reduce alcohol abuse among students and improve the on-campus quality of life.