The Real U
The Real U is a collaborative effort bringing together
Evansville's three unique colleges and the community to reduce
high-risk drinking among students. Ivy Tech Community College, the
University of Evansville, and the University of Southern Indiana
contribute greatly to the quality of life in Evansville and
Vanderburgh County, but they also share in the region's problems,
sometimes tragically. Just last year, two students were killed in
an alcohol-related accident involving both USI and Ivy Tech
students.
The consequences of high-risk drinking can be costly, but they do
not have to be inevitable. By working together, The Real U
coalition hopes to change perceptions, norms, and behaviors and
ultimately, save lives and dollars.
Our Mission is to work collaboratively to reduce high-risk drinking and its consequences among college students and college-bound high school students.
To learn more about The Real U, contact Misti Fraser at 812-421-8336, ext. 8, mfraser@youthfirstinc.org
It's Time To Get Real!
Contrary to popular belief, binge drinking and other forms of high-risk drinking are not the norm on our college campuses. If a third of all students binge drink, then two-thirds do not. The Real U will emphasize the true norm to help reduce high-risk drinking even further. For instance, 91% of the local college students surveyed believe that the average student uses alcohol once a week or more, but only 21% of the surveyed students reported using alcohol that frequently. According to social norms theory, students who exaggerate or misperceive their peers' behaviors are more likely to behave similarly - an "everybody does it" mentality. However, when students learn that healthy behavior is actually the real norm among their peers, they are less likely to engage in those negative behaviors. By correcting myths and misperceptions, The Real U hopes to influence positive change.
The Real Need
In Spring 2004, all three Evansville-area colleges administered the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey through the Core Institute at Southern Illinois University. A total of 376 students from Ivy Tech, UE, and USI returned the voluntary survey. All respondents were 18-24 years old, 73% females and 27% males. The results may be conservative due to the high female response. Findings included:
- 48.2% of the underage college students consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days.
- 33.1% of
the students reported binge drinking in the previous
two weeks. - 22.4%
reported driving a car while under the influence in the
last year. - 27.3% reported public misconduct as a result of alcohol or drug use in the last year.
- 22.7% reported experiencing serious personal problems as a result of alcohol or drug use in the last year.
- 40.4% would prefer not to have alcohol available at parties that they attend.
Environmental Strategies
Intentional Organizing: Develop and broaden the college/community coalition to include all stakeholders, including retailers, restaurateurs, and others with a vested interest in the issue, in order to work toward effective solutions.
Social Norming: Dispel myths and promote the real norms among local college students using unique techniques like "Live Responsibly" wristbands, poster campaigns, and eCHUG, a web-based alcohol assessment tool.
Alternative Alcohol-free Activities: Provide fun, healthy alternatives to drinking during high-risk times, like late nights and weekends.
Educational
Strategies
Media Advocacy: Encourage media news coverage, support, and involvement.
Social Marketing Campaign: Use marketing expertise, tools, and techniques to create a climate for change on campuses and community-wide.
Curriculum-based Substance Abuse Prevention: Include research-based prevention content in the college curriculum.
Awareness and Information Training: Offer opportunities to raise awareness and share information about proven prevention strategies.
New Student & Parent Mentoring: Connect incoming students and parents with current students and parents to clarify norms verses expectations.
Student Leadership Training: Equip students to lead prevention efforts.
High School Mentoring: Train college students to take The Real U message to high school students.
Enforcement
Campus Policies: Review and revise policies to help deter high-risk drinking.
Consistency: Support the consistent enforcement of local, state and federal laws regarding alcohol.
Alcohol-Related Violations: Track the number of college students committing alcohol-related crimes through deferral programs, drug court, arrest records, etc.
Early
Intervention
Counseling: Provide early intervention, including brief motivational interviews and website tools, crisis counseling, and referrals to community services, including treatment.
Support Groups: Provide opportunities for support groups like AA and Al-Anon to meet on campus.
Evaluation
of Outcomes
The Real U is committed to measuring outcomes and improving strategies to achieve its goal of reducing high-risk drinking by college students. The primary evaluation tools will be:
- Annual Core Surveys
- Pre/Post Tests for Programs
- Student Focus Groups
- Student Activity Surveys
- Campus & Community Alcohol-related Crime Statistics
Collaborators
Ivy Tech: The two-year community college serves 5,000 students who live in Evansville and the surrounding region. Fewer than half of those students are under 25 years old. The student body is 48% male and 52% female. There is no Greek system and no athletic program.
UE: The small private university attracts 2,500 students from all over the country (and around the world) who live primarily on campus and are typically 18-22 years old. The student body is 40% male and 60% female; 28% are involved in fraternities and sororities; and 12% are involved in athletics.
USI: The growing public university serves a largely local and regional student body of 10,050 who live both on campus (28%) and off campus (72%). Three-fourths of the students are under age 25. The student body is 39% male and 61% female; 3% are involved in fraternities and sororities; and 3% are involved in athletics.
WNIN: Evansville's public television station supports The Real U with its media resources and partnerships.
Youth First, Inc.: The Real U is an initiative of Youth First, the region's leading substance abuse prevention resource for schools, colleges, churches, and communities. Youth First connects the project to addiction experts, health care providers, social workers, law enforcement, business leaders, lawmakers, secondary and elementary educators, and other concerned citizens.
Primary Sources
A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of
Drinking at U.S. Colleges
www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov
A Matter of Degree: The National Effort to Reduce High-Risk
Drinking Among College Students
www.alcoholpolicysolutions.net
Higher Education Center: Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and
Violence Prevention
www.edc.org/hec
Thank you so much to our generous Life Savers supporters:
