TCNJ News
For Immediate Release
October 24, 2008
Commission on the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse at TCNJ announces recommendations to further foster a healthy campus culture
The Commission on the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse at The College of New Jersey was created in February 2007 and charged with studying TCNJ’s alcohol policies and programs related to use, education, prevention, treatment, and consequences of behavior. The Commission, which was preceded by an Alcohol Summit announced during the fall of 2005, has completed its work and recently issued four recommendations. TCNJ President R. Barbara Gitenstein, upon receiving those recommendations, announced that she has accepted each and that the College will act upon them moving forward.
The issues of underage and dangerous drinking by college students are perennial concerns for colleges and universities across the nation. Whether college students choose to drink alcohol or not, the consequences of dangerous drinking affect virtually every aspect of campus life. In 2005, it was estimated that 1,700 college students die each year from alcohol-related injuries, while hundreds of thousands of other students are adversely affected, including injuries (599,000 students/year), assaults by a student who has been drinking (696,000 students/year), alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape (97,000 students/year), and alcohol-related health problems (150,000 students/year). Additionally, college students and campus communities face a multitude of other alcohol-related problems, such as unsafe and unprotected sex, academic problems, vandalism, drunk driving, property damage, and the development of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
Complex problems rarely have simple solutions. That is why The College of New Jersey has implemented exhaustive educational and prevention initiatives over the years. For a list, visit http://www.tcnj.edu/alcohol/summary.html. It is also why TCNJ continuously examines alcohol use on campus and develops policies and programs to encourage healthy and safe behaviors among its students. The results of a recent CORE Institute survey comparing The College of New Jersey to “like schools” indicate that a significantly higher percentage of TCNJ students are more aware of campus alcohol and drug prevention programs and believe the College is concerned about this issue. The survey also found that TCNJ students are somewhat less likely to binge drink.
The most recent effort by TCNJ to address this issue has been the work of the Commission on the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse. After engaging the entire campus community in extensive discussion about alcohol use and abuse, collecting necessary data, and analyzing TCNJ’s current alcohol policy and educational programs, the Commission has issued four recommendations. TCNJ has accepted and is acting upon all of these recommendations.
TCNJ President R. Barbara Gitenstein said, “The work of the Commission on the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse at TCNJ has advanced an already proactive effort to address this serious issue and will guide our efforts to foster a healthy campus culture.”
The Commission’s first recommendation is to “Establish a health promotions leadership team to support best practices at TCNJ.” The College will establish a Healthy Campus Task Force whose charge will be to advance the work of the Commission. The task force will have three subcommittees devoted to assessment, program evaluation and implementation, as well as policy enactment. This structure will assure that TCNJ remains abreast of alcohol use on its campus and consistently examines the effectiveness of its alcohol programs and policies, both educational and disciplinary.
The Commission’s second recommendation is to “Apply a comprehensive environmental management approach to develop prevention strategies.” The environmental management approach recommends several areas for strategic intervention: 1.) Changing students’ knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors; 2.) Eliminating or modifying environmental factors that contribute to the problem; 3.) Protecting students from the short-term consequences of alcohol and other drug consumption (“health protection” or “harm reduction” strategies); and 4.) Intervening with and treating students who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs or otherwise show evidence of problem drinking and drug use. This approach calls for educational initiatives; environmental supports, such as alcohol-free activities; health services; and treatment for those demonstrating at-risk behaviors.
The third recommendation of the Commission is to “Review and revise the alcohol and other drug policy to create a health-promoting normative environment at TCNJ.” The Commission suggested that the following messages, among others, be addressed in a revision of this policy:
- Upholding the law and creating a health-promoting normative environment are complimentary to and consistent with one another.
- “Responsible use” includes compliance with state and federal laws and TCNJ standards of conduct.
- The health, safety, and wellbeing of the campus community are our highest priorities.
- The policy should be seen as a way to emphasize that the physical and mental health of our students is the primary concern of the alcohol and other drug policy.
- The policy should emphasize “responsible citizenship,” i.e., understanding and living the social and behavioral expectations of TCNJ students, which should in turn be upheld as a key feature of the educational experience at TCNJ.
TCNJ is presently revising its campus alcohol policy and will be sharing a draft for public comment during the fall semester.
The Commission’s final recommendation was to “Involve students and parents, faculty and staff, and alumni in prevention planning.” It was perfectly clear from the outset of the Commission’s work that there are multiple viewpoints, voices, and perspectives that must be represented and utilized in the development of a comprehensive prevention plan for TCNJ. By engaging these critical constituencies in the effort to address alcohol abuse, the College can be much more successful in creating a healthy campus culture.
To review the executive summary of the Commission on the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse at The College of New Jersey, visit http://www.tcnj.edu/alcohol/summary.html.
About The College of New Jersey
TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report, and is one of Kiplinger's Personal Finance's top educational values in the country. In 2006, the College joined an elite group of institutions when it was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Fewer than 10 percent of the nation's colleges and universities share this honor.
