EUGENE, Ore. -- (Sept. 18, 2012) – As students prepare to begin or return to the University of Oregon, university leaders are using a variety of online tools to influence the positive choices they make regarding alcohol use and behavior on and off campus.
For the second year, all incoming first-year and transfer students under the age of 21 at the University of Oregon are required to complete AlcoholEdu for College. This program has been used by more than 500 colleges and universities in the U.S. to inform students about responsible alcohol behaviors and sexual assault issues. The UO’s goal in adopting the education program is to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol misuse and abuse on campus and reduce the incidents of unwanted sexual behavior.
“Our students have found AlcoholEdu to be straightforward and have offered positive feedback,” said Jennifer Summers, UO’s director of substance abuse prevention and student success. “Our findings indicate that this course can be a useful component of an overall strategy that combines campus-wide and environmental interventions to prevent harmful drinking by college students.”
Findings based on self-reported data obtained from 2,962 first-year UO students (freshmen and transfer under the age of 21 years old) last fall indicated that after completing AlcoholEdu, UO students reported an increase in several positive behavioral intentions including: setting a limit, avoiding drinking games, pacing drinks, alternating drink types, reducing frequency and the number of drinks consumed.
AlcoholEdu complements existing educational programming, including the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition’s initiatives, assessments and proactive prevention programs for students.
For returning students, many of whom reside off-campus in near-neighborhood houses and apartments, the Office of the Dean of Students works closely with UO Government and Community Relations, UO Department of Public Safety, the City of Eugene’s Neighborhood Services and Eugene Police Department to address livability issues.
This fall, a video is being communicated via social media to educate students about how to be good neighbors and value the positive contributions to the Eugene/Springfield area.
“For many students, living on their own is a new experience and they want to learn how to be responsible and respectful,” said Summers. “The hope is to reach them with an informative video and resources available to them to get started on the right foot.”
Off-campus student resources are available on the Office of the Dean of Student Website, include the following: Your Neighbors and U brochure, the Off Campus Living Guide and information about the CommUniversity Assistant Program.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.
MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Brown, UO media relations, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu
SOURCE:Jennifer Summers, director of Substance Abuse Prevention and Student Success, 541-346-1206, jsummers@uoregon.edu
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