The Center for College Health and Safety (CCHS) secured a five–year, $11.4 million contract from the U.S. Department of Education to continue to operate the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention, previously known as the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention.

With the renewed contract, the addition of "Violence" is officially added to the Higher Education Center’s name. This new inclusion affirms the U.S. Department of Education’s and CCHS’s commitment not only to address substance abuse by college students, but also to recognize the importance of preventing violence on college campuses.

"By awarding CCHS the contract to continue running the Higher Education Center, the Department of Education has given us a great honor and a great responsibility," remarked newly appointed Director of the Higher Education Center Virginia Mackay–Smith. "We look forward to the next five years of carrying out the Department’s mission by working with the dedicated staff, students, and faculty across the country to prevent substance abuse and violence in their campuses and communities."

For the last three and a half years, Mackay–Smith has held the title of Managing Director of the Higher Education Center. Under the new contract, she will serve as Center Director. William DeJong, previous director of the Higher Education Center, will continue to be part of the Higher Education Center team, serving as Senior Center Advisor.

The Higher Education Center was first established by the U.S. Department of Education in 1993. Since that time, the primary focus of the Higher Education Center’s services has been to support campus– and community–based prevention practitioners with their alcohol and other drug prevention efforts. More recently, the Higher Education Center’s services broadened to assist campus personnel with their violence prevention efforts, a move that is now reflected in the Higher Education Center’s name.

The Higher Education Center’s approach focuses on changing campus and community environments, as well as efforts directed towards individual students to change their behavior.

The Higher Education Center offers several products and services, including training, technical assistance, publications, and evaluation. Each of these services builds the capacity of prevention personnel to plan, implement, and evaluate programs and policies to address substance abuse and violence on campus.