Miami University

Drug-Free Schools grant targets first-years

Miami will receive $300,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to implement its proposal over the next two years.

The 14 funded programs were selected from a pool of 159 proposals. The University of Arizona, Gonzaga and Harvard universities were among institutions funded.

Miami’s division of student affairs — specifically its offices of judicial affairs, health education, orientation and residence life — will work with the department of physical education, health and sport studies to implement the proposed initiatives. Project director is Karen Murray, director of health education; co-directors are Susan Vaughn, director of judicial affairs, and Keith Zullig (physical education, health and sport studies).

Miami’s office of health education has worked with the Coalition for a Healthy Community for six years to design and support nondrinking alternatives for students and to encourage them through a social norms campaign to make wise decisions about drinking. This project’s goal is to reduce high-risk drinking specifically among first-year students.

The evaluation design includes considering changes in individual-level knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviors; decreases in overall quantity and frequency of high-risk drinking; and changes in the number of alcohol-related incidents/problems reported to the office of judicial affairs.

The project design specifies strategies for first-year students and other students and organizations that make alcohol accessible to first-year students. In addition, plans are in place to provide parents with alcohol education materials during move-in and Parents Weekend and to involve parents in the reduction of high-risk alcohol use and other health issues.

Date Published: 10/30/2003
Volume: 23   Number: 13