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The mission of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention is to assist institutions of higher education in developing alcohol and other drug (AOD) preventionprograms that will foster students’ academic and social development andpromote campus and community safety.

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A Multifaceted

Social Norms Approach to

Reduce High-Risk DrinkingLessons from Hobart and William Smith Colleges

The Higher Education Centerfor Alcohol and Other Drug PreventionFunded by the U.S. Department of Education,with supplemental funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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A Multifaceted


Reduce High-Risk Drinking

Lessons from Hobart and William Smith Colleges

A publication of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug PreventionFunded by the U.S. Department of Education,with supplemental funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

H. Wesley Perkins, Ph.D., and David W. Craig, Ph.D.Hobart and William Smith Colleges

For further information contact:The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention

http://www.edc.org/hec(800) 676-1730Fax: (617) [email protected]

This publication has been funded in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under contract numberED-99-CO-0094. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department ofEducation, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S.Government.

2002The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug PreventionEducation Development Center, Inc.55 Chapel StreetNewton, Massachusetts 02458-1060

Cover design by Shirley Marotta

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank writer Amy Powell for her work in preparing this publication.

The case study is based on the March 2001 report, HWS Alcohol Education Project Experiment: A SynergisticApplication of the Social Norms Approach to Reduce Collegiate Problem Drinking, by H. Wesley Perkins, Ph.D.,Professor of Sociology, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, and David W. Craig, Ph.D., Philip J.Moorad ‘28 and Margaret N. Moorad Professor of Science, at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva,New York. The U.S. Department of Education funded the implementation of the campus intervention(Grant #S184H980041) and the analysis of the results and preparation of the dissemination report (Grant#P183A960126).

Preface v

Introduction 1

Campus Snapshot 3

Existing Efforts to Address Alcohol and Other Drug Use 3

Drinking Behavior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges 4Profile for High-Risk Drinking 4Consequences of Alcohol Use at HWS 4

The Social Norms Approach and the HWS Project 5

Strategy and Goals 5

Components of the HWS Project 6Data Collection 6Print Media Campaigns 6Electronic Media Campaign 11Curriculum Development 13Campus Presentations, Staff Development,

and Cocurricular Activities 16

What Are the Results? 17Linking Success to the Social Norms Approach 17Was Project Information Received by Students? 17Were There Changes in Students’ Perceptions

About Alcohol Use? 19Affecting the Transition to College 20Broader Changes in Student Drinking Behavior 23Changes in the Consequences of Alcohol Use at HWS 24

Conclusion 26

Notes 27

Resources 28

Appendix 29

Center Publications 38

Contents

PrefaceThe Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention was established by theU.S. Department of Education in 1993 to assist institutions of higher education in developingand carrying out alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention programs that will promote cam-pus and community safety and help nurture students' academic and social development.

To accomplish this mission, the Center seeks to increase the capacity of postsecondaryinstitutions to develop, implement, and evaluate programs and policies that are built aroundenvironmental management strategies. Environmental management means moving beyondgeneral awareness and other education programs to identify and change those factors in thephysical, social, legal, and economic environment that promote or abet alcohol and other drugproblems.

Clearly, stemming the use of alcohol and other drugs is not something that college admin-istrators alone can achieve. Top administrators, especially presidents, must exercise leader-ship, but their success will depend ultimately on their ability to build a strong coalition ofboth on-campus and community interests. The better AOD prevention programs are campuswideefforts that involve as many parts of the college as possible, including students, staff, and fac-ulty. For this reason, the Center emphasizes team-focused training and technical assistancework.

Building coalitions with local community leaders is also key. College campuses do notexist in isolation. AOD prevention planners need to collaborate with local leaders to limit stu-dent access to alcohol, prevent intoxication, and support the efforts of local law enforcement.The Center therefore seeks to motivate and train academic leaders to work with local commu-nity representatives, while also joining with national organizations that urge local coalitions toincrease their outreach to academic institutions.

Specific Center objectives include promoting (1) college presidential leadership on AODissues; (2) formation of AOD task forces that include community representation; (3) reform ofcampus AOD policies and programs; (4) a broad reexamination of campus conditions, includ-ing academic standards and requirements, the campus infrastructure, and the academic calen-dar; (5) formation of campus-community coalitions that focus on environmental changestrategies; and (6) the participation of individuals from the higher education community instate-level and other associations that focus on public policy. The Center also seeks toincrease the capacity of colleges and universities to conduct ongoing process and outcomeevaluations of AOD prevention activities, both on campus and in the surrounding community.

This publication represents one piece in a comprehensive approach to AOD prevention atinstitutions of higher education. The concepts and approaches it describes should be viewedin the broader context of prevention theory and the approaches affirmed by the U.S.Department of Education and promoted by the Center in its training, technical assistance,publication, and evaluation activities.

For information on Center services, please contact:

The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Education Development Center, Inc.55 Chapel StreetNewton, MA 02458-1060Tel.: (800) 676-1730Fax: (617) 928-1537Web site: http://www.edc.org/hecE-mail: [email protected]

High-risk drinking and its relatedconsequences remain a serious prob-lem at institutions of highereducation and a key concern of col-lege and university leaders. Whilethere are no easy solutions for theseissues, an increasing number of cam-puses are exploring a social normsapproach to addressing alcohol andother drug (AOD) use. This strategyworks on the premise that misper-

ceived norms—perceptions thatusually exaggerate what is typical forother students—lead to increaseddrinking behavior as studentsattempt to conform to what theybelieve “everyone else” is doing.Therefore, effectively informing stu-dents of actual drinking normsshould reduce student drinking.

In the 1980s, Hobart and WilliamSmith Colleges (HWS) conducted thefirst studies linking students’ misper-ceptions of their peers’ actual alcoholuse to personal drinking behavior.1

Further research at colleges and uni-versities throughout the United Statesconfirmed the existence of widespreadmisperceptions of drinking norms2

and the powerful effect of perceptionson personal alcohol misuse.3 A theo-ry explaining the causes and conse-quences of these misperceptionswas also put forth, along with theprediction that reducing mispercep-tions could reduce actual high-riskdrinking behavior on campus.4

Various colleges and universitiesbegan implementing strategies toreduce misperceptions, with notablesuccess, based on this theory of socialnorms.5, 6, 7

Could this social norms approachbe effective at a college such as HWS?In addition to students’ mispercep-tions of their peers’ drinking, HWShas traditions, demographics, and acampus setting that contribute to rela-tively high rates of actual high-riskdrinking. Even in contexts whereheavy drinking is prevalent, however,the majority of students still drinkalcohol moderately. At the sametime, the drinking norm perceived bystudents continues to be higher thantheir peers’ actual drinking behavior.The social norms approach, therefore,could still lower high-risk drinking atHWS by reducing misperceptionsabout students’ alcohol use.

Supported by a Drug andViolence Prevention Programs inHigher Education grant from the U.S.Department of Education, the Hobartand William Smith Colleges AlcoholEducation Project (the HWS Project)began in the late fall of 1996 to testthe social norms approach on thecampus. The goal was to see if com-municating accurate norms aboutactual student drinking behaviorcould produce substantial positiveeffects on alcohol use. The project’s

Introduction


1

2

strategy was to initiate a comprehen-sive social norms campaign combiningdata collection, traditional print

media, electronic media, curriculumdevelopment, and cocurricular activities.

Figure 1 Campaign Poster

Hobart and William Smith Colleges(HWS) is an undergraduate liberalarts institution of higher educationwith approximately 1,800 studentsand 135 faculty. Hobart, the men’scollege, and William Smith, thewomen’s college, share a single facul-ty, campus grounds, academic classes,facilities, provost, andpresident of theinstitution.Male andfemalestudents(approxi-mately equalin number) main-tain separate studentgovernments and athletics programs,however, and are supervised by sepa-rate dean's offices.

More than 95 percent of HWS stu-dents are single and between 17 and24 years old, and more than 95 per-

Campus Snapshot

cent have moved away from theirfamilies to attend college. More thantwo-thirds of the members of theentering class each year have beeninvolved in a varsity sport duringtheir senior year in high school andmore than one-third expect to play anintercollegiate sport. Ten to 15 per-

cent of the membersof each entering

class are stu-dents ofcolor.More than

85 percentof students

live in on-cam-pus housing, including

both single-sex and coeducational res-idence halls of varying sizes, smallcooperatives, theme houses, and fra-ternities (there are no sororities atHWS).


3

HWS has long offered many servicesto prevent alcohol and other drug(AOD) problems and address AODissues. Prevention offerings includesubstance-free housing, alcohol-freesocial activities, wellness programs,workshops on drug abuse for athletics

Existing Efforts to AddressAlcohol and Other Drug Use

teams and resident students, discus-sions of AOD-related issues, andalcohol awareness programs thataddress the secondary effects of useon campus (e.g., sexual assault, van-dalism). Treatment services includesupport groups, individual counseling,

4

Profile for High-Risk DrinkingNational research8,9 suggests thatheavy alcohol use is more prevalentat institutions of higher educationwith the following characteristics:

• Northeastern region of the United States, where abstinence rates among students are far below and heavy drinking is far above the national norm

• Smaller schools with fewer graduate students to moderate the social atmosphere on campus

• Predominantly single, 17- to 24-year-old undergraduate students attending four-year institutions

• Schools with predominantly on-campus residential environments

• Student populations with low religious interests and particiption

• Mostly Caucasian student body • Schools where athletics participa-

tion is a prominent interest amongstudents

• Presence of Greek social organi-zations

The sociodemographic character-istics of Hobart and William SmithColleges and its students match all ofthese high-risk factors. Additionally,

data from the nationally conductedFreshman Survey10 have shown that,with each entering class, the percent-age of HWS first-year students whodrank beer during their last year ofhigh school was consistently higherthan the national average. Therefore,this institution, along with manyother undergraduate colleges sharingthese characteristics (especially thosein the Northeast, where consumptionis highest), remains on the “frontline” of student high-risk drinking.

Consequences of Alcohol Use at HWSEven with prevention and treatmentefforts in place, alcohol use and itsassociated problems among studentsremained disturbingly high at HWSbefore the social norms approach wasapplied. A campuswide survey in1995 found that 89 percent of studentstypically drank alcohol during theaverage week and that 55 percent ofstudents were frequent heavydrinkers (often drinking five or moredrinks in a row). More than one-quarter of the students respondingreported that someone else's drinkinghad interfered with their studies,

Drinking Behavior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

and an employee assistance programfor staff. To monitor campus AODpolicies, there is a review board com-

posed of administrators, faculty,health educators, the head of security,medical services staff, and students.


The Social Norms Approach and the HWS Project

Given the institution’s demographicprofile and concomitant high level of alcohol use and related problems,new prevention initiatives were clearly needed. The HWS Projectdeveloped a plan to introduce a socialnorms marketing campaign thatcould be added to the campus’s exist-ing prevention and treatment offerings.

Strategy and GoalsThe HWS Project’s strategy was toimplement a comprehensive set ofinitiatives to reduce harmful misper-ceptions about norms for drinkingbehavior among HWS students. Theobjective was to create an integratedacademic and social climate in which

students would more accuratelyunderstand peer disapproval of alco-hol abuse and in which moreresponsible conversations aboutdrinking would take place. A moreresponsible public conversationwould include discussions of the rela-tive prevalence of moderation, theacceptability of abstinence among asignificant minority of students,recognition that most students avoidconsumption leading to negative con-sequences, and less exaggerated talkabout heavy drinking. The expecta-tion was that the level of actualhigh-risk drinking among studentswould decrease significantly as aresult.

5

sleep, or other aspects of their livesalmost every week. As a direct resultof their own drinking during the aca-demic year, 25 percent of studentsexperienced injuries to themselves,9 percent had injured another person,6 percent admitted attempting sexual

contact unwanted by another per-son, 17 percent engaged inunprotected sexual activity, 21 per-cent reported some form offighting, and 19 percent had com-mitted property damage.

6

The HWS Project had five activity cat-egories: (1) data collection; (2) printmedia campaigns; (3) electronicmedia campaign; (4) curriculumdevelopment; and (5) campus presen-tations, staff development, andcocurricular activities. These compo-nents worked in concert to create acomprehensive initiative to influenceperceptions of social norms regardingalcohol use among students and, inturn, reduce actual high-risk drinkingbehavior.

For a complete timeline and list-ing of the HWS Project activities,please see appendix A.

Data CollectionA successful social norms marketingeffort must be preceded by carefulresearch about the actual norms of thecommunity. For many years, HWShad been collecting data on alcoholuse and perceived norms. This infor-mation provided the project with a“before” snapshot of actual and per-ceived drinking behavior and peerattitudes on campus. Existing datacollection procedures continuedunder the HWS Project, supplement-ed by new surveys implemented aspart of the social norms initiative. Toensure that the campaign and its mes-sages had credibility with thestudents, project staff collected infor-mation in a consistent manner thatincluded as many student responses

as possible through first-yearentrance surveys, representative in-class surveys, random-sample mailsurveys, and senior exit surveys.Every HWS student had the opportu-nity to participate in at least twosurveys as they entered and exited;most students are included in at leastone additional survey during theirundergraduate experience.

The data collection would ulti-mately serve two purposes. First, thedata would determine the contentand tone of the social norms mes-sages that the HWS Project coulddeliver to the campus community.Second, the survey results would provide a way to measure the pro-ject’s progress in reducing harmfulmisperceptions and actual high-risk drinking and its resultingconsequences.

Print Media CampaignsUsing the data collected, the HWSProject created posters and print adsfeaturing messages about the actualdrinking norms on campus. Thesemessages portrayed a reality that wasfar more moderate than the students’perceptions of their peers’ attitudesabout alcohol and its use (see figure 1).

The project produced three seriesof posters and ads: (1) the SilentNumbers campaign, (2) the RealityCheck series, and (3) the HealthyChoices Are on the Rise campaign, as

Components of the HWS Project

7

well as several individual posters.Each campaign had a distinct com-munication goal and was based ondata collected from students. Displaycases in both academic and residen-tial buildings regularly featured theproject’s posters. The project rein-forced the posters’ messages withadvertisement-style versions of thesevisuals for the campus newspaper,The Herald. At least one project adtypically ran in The Herald each week.The ads were also used strategicallyfollowing alcohol-related incidents oncampus. These placements intendedto show that the majority of HWS stu-dents do not drink in ways that leadto such consequences. Please seepages 8–12 for details and visual

examples from each print mediacampaign.

The HWS Project reinforced themessages of these print media cam-paigns by creating The Herald’s

“Campus Factoids” column, whichwas introduced as an ongoing featurethat presents information on a rangeof topics, including current socialissues, academic successes of stu-dents, and demographics of incomingstudents (see figure 2). To attract asmany readers as possible, the columnoffers a mix of serious, disturbing,and humorous facts. As part of theproject’s efforts, “Campus Factoids”incorporated information about stu-dent alcohol and other drug use intoits weekly list of facts. Using this

Figure 2 “Campus Factoids” column


8

The Silent Numbers Campaign

The goal of this campaign was to communicate to the campus that a majority of students consumes alcohol moderately or not at all,

while a minority engages in high-risk drinking. The HWS Project wanted to create a political divide between the heaviest drinkers and

the moderate drinkers/abstainers so that students in the latter group would be able to resist heavy drinking and to speak out against

it and its negative effects. To create this political divide, the project introduced a campus mystery about the meaning of the equation

“2/3 = 1/4.” The mystery generated a great deal of conversation and speculation. Following a saturation media campaign using

posters and the campus newspaper that slowly revealed clues about the equation’s meaning, the answer was revealed: two-thirds of

HWS students drink only one-fourth of the alcohol consumed, based on student survey data of drinking practices. Follow-up posters

and ads featured a graphic of this skewed distribution and other related data from student surveys.

9


The Silent Numbers Campaign, continued

10

The Silent Numbers Campaign, continued

11

The Reality Check Series

A second HWS Project print media offering was the Reality Check series of posters

and ads. The goal of this effort was to dispel myths and misperceptions about stu-

dent drinking behaviors. Each poster featured a myth about students and alcohol,

countered with facts from the student survey results. To keep the myths and corre-

sponding facts in front of the campus community, display cases and the campus

newspaper featured posters and ads continually.


popular feature to highlight surveyfindings allowed the project to influ-ence further the campus community’sawareness and perceptions of drink-ing behavior.

Electronic Media CampaignEven the most compelling messagewill miss its target audience unlesschannels of communication are cho-sen carefully and intentionally. AtHWS, print media strategies wouldmiss community members whose on-campus routines did not includepassing by poster displays or readingthe campus newspaper. The HWSProject, therefore, worked with thecampus computer network to conductan electronic media campaign to com-municate accurate information aboutstudent drinking behavior.

An electronic media campaignoffered the project several advan-tages. First, using computertechnology would bring project mes-sages directly to the desktops ofstudents, faculty, and staff throughoutthe campus. Second, electronic distri-bution of information wouldminimize printing and productioncosts for the project. Third, electronicmedia would offer the options ofvideo, sound, and interactive featuresthat print media lack. This variety ofpresentations could appeal to andconnect with audiences that may notrespond to traditional print informa-tion. Finally, computer technologywould allow staff to track more accu-rately the number of community

12

The Healthy Choices Are on the Rise Campaign

The final print media campaign for the HWS Project was the Healthy Choices

Are on the Rise series. The goal of this effort was to show the reductions in

harmful and risky behavior. Featured findings from student surveys included

increases in the number of students who never missed classes or engaged in

risky sexual behavior due to drinking. The Healthy Choices campaign encour-

aged students to be part of the growing number who formed the majority and

not to feel pressured by misperceptions about drinking behavior at HWS.

members who accessed informationrelated to the project.

The project’s electronic mediacampaign had three offerings: (1) ascreen saver, (2) an interactive, multi-media program, and (3) a Web site.These computer-based offeringsincorporated information and imagesfrom the data collection and printmedia efforts, thus expanding theproject’s reach.

Screen SaverA screen saver program that dis-played a rotating series of facts andimages from other project activitieswas created and installed on everystudent-accessed college-owned com-puter and on many faculty and staffcomputers as well. All factoids fromthe newspapers, including messagesrelated to actual student alcohol use,appeared on the screen whenever acomputer was idle. This campaignoffering increased the distribution ofthe project’s data findings and accu-rate information about social normson campus.

Interactive, MultimediaProgramBased on the popular “CampusFactoids” newspaper column, aninteractive, multimedia computerprogram, Campus FactoidsTM, gavethe campus community access to adatabase of information, video clips,and online discussions related to alco-hol and other drug use as well asother topics.11 Students and staff were

13

able to search the database by subjectand to view project posters and videoclips featuring information relevant tothe requested topic. Users could alsopost reactions to facts and engage inonline discussions related to the mes-sages presented (see figures 3 and 4).Posters and promotional mouse padsencouraged the HWS community touse this interactive program.

HWS Project Web SiteThe project created a Web site(http://alcohol.hws.edu) to providegeneral information on alcohol andother drugs, the social normsapproach, project activities, and find-ings. The Web site offered students,faculty, and staff yet another channelto receive accurate information aboutstudent alcohol use.

Curriculum DevelopmentTo meet the goal of creating a moreintegrated social and academic cli-mate at HWS, the project staff knewthat their efforts needed to reach intothe classroom. Curriculum develop-ment activities included a survey offaculty regarding the current AOD-related content in curricula, thepurchase of books and videos for thecampus library, the enhancement of amodel interdisciplinary course onalcohol use and abuse, and the deliv-ery of educational workshops forfaculty and for student-teachers tofacilitate discussion of AOD issuesand social norms with their students.

The project’s curriculum develop-ment activities and the other aspectsof the social norms effort worked tosupport and promote each other. Forexample, the project’s Web site(http://alcohol.hws.edu) featured alisting of the books and videos pur-chased for the library to supportintegrating AOD discussions intoclassroom instruction. Additionally,full documentation for the interdisci-plinary course on alcohol use andabuse is available on this Web site.

The curriculum developmentefforts also fed several of the project’sother offerings. Students in the alco-hol use and abuse course helped todesign and administer a campuswidesurvey on alcohol norms. They alsoproduced many of the video clipsused in the Campus FactoidsTM

computer program and created someof the print media campaign’s posterdisplays. In many ways, this coregroup of students became deliverersof the social norms prevention strate-gy at HWS. The classroom activitiestaught these students the design,delivery, and assessment principlesthat they in turn applied on campus.Creating independent study researchopportunities further enhanced stu-dent learning and involvement; theseacademic offerings produced newresources for the electronic mediacampaign, additional applications ofsurvey data, and a strategy proposalfor using the social norms approachfor tobacco use prevention.


14

Figure 3

15


Figure 4

16

Campus Presentations, StaffDevelopment, and CocurricularActivitiesThe project also used campus lectures,staff development, and cocurricularactivities to influence campus normsregarding alcohol use. The goals ofthese offerings were to expand theconversations about alcohol and com-munity norms and to coordinateefforts across various HWS offices byinvolving students, faculty, and staffin a variety of campus life settings.Presentations in residence halls,evening lectures, departmentalresearch seminars, and orientationsessions supplemented the other pro-ject efforts to reach students. Each of

Figure 5

these presentations was designed toreduce the harmful misperceptionsthat students have and to engage stu-dents in conversations aboutcommunity norms. Novelty itemssuch as cups, sports bottles, Frisbees,and highlighter pens containingsocial norms messages were distribut-ed at several of these events as wellas in other campus social contexts(see figure 5). Additionally, projectstaff made presentations to groupssuch as the Joint Deans’ Staff, facultyluncheon gatherings, Board ofTrustees, and Parents ExecutiveCommittee in order to reduce mispercep-tions of campus norms among theseimportant decision-makers at HWS.

17

Data gathered before and during theHWS Project were essential for mea-suring the impact of the initiative. Intheir evaluation, project staff usedstudent surveys to determine if cam-paign messages were received, ifstudents’ misperceptions of socialnorms were reduced, and if actualhigh-risk drinking behavior haddeclined since the beginning of thesocial norms efforts.

Linking Success to the SocialNorms ApproachAttempting to connect changes inperceptions and use of alcohol to aspecific prevention program can bedifficult and should be approachedwith caution. The HWS Project, how-ever, offers strong evidence of itspositive impact on campus. From1995 through 1999, no other new alco-hol education or prevention effortsbegan at HWS. Any significantchange, therefore, in campus alcoholuse during this period could belinked strongly to project interven-tions. Additionally, the project’sevaluation efforts included multipleevaluation techniques; pre- andposttest data; reliable response rates;responses gathered with consistentmethods over time from a large, rep-resentative number of students; andanalyses that incorporated demo-graphic controls and rigorousstatistical tests of significance.

Was Project InformationReceived by Students?If efforts to reduce misperceptionswere going to produce more accu-rately perceived norms and in turnreduce high-risk drinking, studentsmust receive messages and factsabout actual rates of alcohol useand abuse on campus. One aspectof the project’s evaluation, there-fore, was to determine if studentswere significantly exposed to itsefforts. By demonstrating thatmany students noticed and receivedcampaign information, the connec-tion of the project to positiveoutcomes could be strengthened.Additionally, data showing that stu-dents had received the intendedmessages also informed the projectabout compelling messages andeffective means of delivering infor-mation to students.

Surveys of graduating HWSseniors showed that about 75 per-cent had read the “CampusFactoids” column in the campusnewspaper at least once during theprevious year; approximately 50percent had read it more than once.For the class of 1997, 34 percent hadlogged onto the online interactiveprogram based on “CampusFactoids”; by the time the class of1999 was surveyed, that numberhad grown to 61 percent. By theend of the 1999 fall term, online

What Are the Results?


18

Campus FactoidsTM had beenaccessed and viewed more than 6,000times on a campus with a studentpopulation of 1,800.

From this evaluation, project staffdetermined that students were notic-ing and being exposed to theinitiative’s messages and information.Additionally, these data helped shape

the ongoing work of the project byinforming staff about how studentswere receiving information and whatnew efforts might best promote stu-dent attention to the social normscampaign.

Please see figure 6 and table 1 forfurther data on the HWS ElectronicMedia Campaign Exposure.

Figure 6

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Table 1


Were There Changes in Students’Perceptions About Alcohol Use?Changes in a social environmentoften do not happen quickly, and theycan lead to changes in drinkingbehavior that are evident only withthe passage of time. The HWSProject, however, demonstrated that asocial norms campaign, when deliv-ered intensively, can produce positiveeffects in a relatively short amount oftime.

Surveys of students in introducto-ry classes (primarily first- andsecond-year students, with relativelyfew juniors and seniors) conducted infall 1996 (prior to the campaign) andagain in the fall of 1997 and 1998

(after the campaign was introduced)showed the following changes:

• A 21 percent decrease in students’perception of the number of heavy (five or more drinks) drinkers on campus

• A 64 percent increase in students’ perception of the number of abstainers on campus

• Reductions ranging from 8 to 13 percent in the perceived average number of drinks consumed by various student constituencies and by students in general atresidence hall gatherings and at parties and bars

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Table 2

Students responding to these sur-veys had been exposed to less thanone year of the social norms cam-paign (the exceptions were the fewjuniors and seniors who responded;they had received less than two yearsof exposure to social norms mes-sages). The HWS Project resultsindicate, therefore, that substantialreductions in misperceptions wereproduced in a fairly short time frame.

For more detailed data from thesestudent surveys, please see table 2.

With the social norms efforts inplace, changes in students’ percep-tions continued to occur over time.The HWS Project conducted a surveyof a representative cross section ofstudents each spring in 1995, 1998,and 2000. Data were collected withidentical procedures in each surveyyear. A return-mail survey was used,combining a stratified random sample

with an additional quota sampleselected from all students. Theselonger-term survey results revealedthe following five-year changes:

• A 41 percent increase in the number of students who correctly perceived the campus drinking norm as moderate

• A 39 percent decrease in the number of students whoincorrectly perceived their peers to be permissive of high-risk drinking

For more detailed data from the1995–2000 surveys, please see table 3.

Affecting the Transition to CollegeCounselors and health educators oftenpoint to the first few months on cam-pus as a particularly vulnerable timefor increases in high-risk drinking

21


Perceived Norms Versus Personal Attitudes

Data collected by the HWS Project show that student attitudes about drinking were virtually identical before and

after the social norms efforts. This does not mean that the project was ineffective. In fact, changing personal atti-

tudes was not a goal of the social norms approach. Most students have relatively moderate attitudes toward alcohol

—more than 85 percent believe that students should not drink to an intoxicating level that affects academic work

or other responsibilities. The problem was that most students did not realize this attitude was normative among

their peers. The exaggerated perceptions of what was the normative drinking attitude among their peers pushed

some students to drink in excess of what their own attitudes would otherwise lead them to do. This is an important

distinction to make for the HWS Project and for other social norms efforts.

While personal attitudes about alcohol remain steady, changes in students’ perceptions ofdrinking norms affect actual drinking behavior on campus.

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Table 3

among first-year students. Studentsarrive at college already holdingexaggerated perceptions of heavydrinking on campus that create pres-sure on them to conform to theseerroneous stereotypes. Thus, dis-pelling myths and reducing thesemisperceptions among new studentswas an important objective for theHWS Project.

Prior to the beginning of thesocial norms efforts, 42.9 percent offirst-year students arriving at HWSreported that they consumed five ormore drinks at parties while in highschool; after two months at college,heavy drinking among first-year stu-dents increased to 53.5 percent.

Once the HWS Project was in

place, first-year students experiencedthe social norms campaign’s messagethroughout their orientation sessionsand their first eight weeks at HWS.This intensive exposure was associat-ed with a positive impact on drinkingbehavior during these students’ tran-sition to campus life. Almost 42percent of students arriving at HWSfrom 1997–99 reported that they hadconsumed five or more drinks at parties prior to attending college.After two months on campus, howev-er, heavy drinking among thesefirst-year students was only 2.5 per-cent higher (at 44.3 percent)—one-fourth the increase observedamong students prior to the project’sefforts (see figure 7).

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Figure 7


Broader Changes in StudentDrinking BehaviorAs students’ misperceptions abouttheir peers’ use of alcohol werereduced, actual drinking behavior atHWS also declined. Surveys of stu-dents in introductory classesconducted in fall 1997 and fall 1998showed the following changes in stu-dents’ alcohol use when comparedwith fall 1996 surveys (before expo-sure to social norms efforts):

• An 18 percent decrease in the average number of drinks consumed by each student at “get togethers” in residence halls

• A 17 percent decrease in the percentage of students consuming five or more drinks in a row on a weekly basis

• A 14 percent decrease in the average number of drinks consumed by each student at parties and/or bars

For more details on these results,please see table 2.

As perceptions of peer normsbecame more accurate over time, theactual drinking behavior continued todecline. From 1995 to 2000, the fol-lowing changes in the frequency andquantity of student drinking

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Table 4

occurred, based on random samplesurveys of the entire campus conduct-ed in the spring:

• An 18 percent decrease in the frequency of student drinking in a two-week period

• A 30 percent decrease in fre-quent heavy drinking (five or more drinks in a row, three or more times a week) in a two-week period

• A 22 percent decrease in the average number of drinks consumed in a typical week

For more details from the1995–2000 surveys, please see tables 3 and 4 and figure 8.

Changes in the Consequences ofAlcohol Use at HWSIn surveying students from 1995 to2000 based on representative cam-puswide samples, the HWS Projectasked students to self-report the neg-ative consequences they hadexperienced as a result of their owndrinking. The survey offered a list ofpossible effects, including physicalinjury, fighting, damage to property,missing class and other academicproblems, unprotected sexual activity,and impaired driving. Comparing1995 and 1998 (after 18 months ofsocial norms intervention), sizeableand statistically significant declineswere observed in property damage,

25

Figure 8 Over time, as students’ misperceptions of drinking norms are reduced, actual drinkingbehavior among students becomes more moderate.


missed classes, inefficiency in work,unprotected sex, and memory loss.Over the course of the entire academ-ic year, experiencing at least twoproblems as a result of drinking wasquite commonplace in 1995. About 65percent of female students and 75percent of male students fell into thiscategory. In 2000, comparable figureswere down markedly to less than 50percent of women and down slightlyto 70 percent of men (see table 5).

In addition to student surveydata regarding negative conse-

quences, the project considered arrestdata from the HWS Office of CampusSafety. From 1997 to 2000, the num-ber of students arrested for alcoholviolations declined sharply and con-sistently over this four-year period.(The HWS Office of Campus Safetyreported no major changes in proce-dures for recording arrests during thistime period.) This information rein-forced the picture of a decline inalcohol-related problems during thecourse of the social norms project (seefigure 9).

26

Figure 9

Table 5

The HWS Project provides furtherevidence for the effectiveness of socialnorms efforts to reduce high-riskdrinking and associated problems atcolleges and universities, even atinstitutions where sociodemographiccontexts traditionally present thehighest levels of alcohol consumptionamong student populations.Certainly schools with more demo-graphically diverse populations thatafford greater abstinence and modera-tion can deliver an even strongermessage of normative moderation inreducing misperceptions and can usethe approach and techniques provid-ed in this model program to do so.As HWS and other institutions con-tinue to test this approach, moreinformation will be forthcoming,describing ways to adapt this strategyin various contexts and to integrate itwith other prevention strategies aspart of a comprehensive effort toaddress alcohol and other drug abuseon campuses. In addition, collegesand universities will learn more aboutthe influences of social norms on stu-dent alcohol use and the impact ofcorrecting perceived norms on effortsto change risky behaviors and pre-vent problems.

Conclusion

27

Notes1 Perkins HW, Berkowitz AD. Perceiving the

community norms of alcohol use among students: Some research implications for campus alcohol education programming. International Journal of the Addictions. 21: 961–976, 1986.

2 Perkins HW, Meilman P, Leichliter JS, CashinJR, Presley C. Misperceptions of the norms for the frequency of alcohol and other drug use on college campuses. Journal of American College Health. 47: 253–258, 1999.

3 Perkins HW, Wechsler H. Variation in per-ceived college drinking norms and its impacton alcohol abuse: A nationwide study. Journal of Drug Issues. 26: 961–974, 1996.

4 Perkins HW. College student misperceptions of alcohol and other drug norms among peers: Exploring causes, consequences, and implications for prevention programs. Designing Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Programs in Higher Education: Bringing Theory into Practice (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, 1997): 177–206.

5 Haines M. A Social Norms Approach to Preventing Binge Drinking at Colleges and Universities (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, 1997).

6 Johannessen K, Collins C, Mills-Novoa B, Glider P. A Practical Guide to Alcohol Abuse Prevention: A Campus Case Study in Implementing Social Norms and Environmental Management Approaches (Tucson, Ariz.: University of Arizona, Campus Health Service, 1999).

7 Haines M, Spear SF. Changing the perceptionof the norm: A strategy to decrease binge drinking among college students. Journal of American College Health. 45: 134–140, 1996.

8 Presley CA, Meilman PW, Cashin JR. Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses: Use, Consequences, and Perceptions of the Campus Environment, Volume IV: 1992–1994 (Carbondale, Ill.: The Core Institute, 1996).

9 Wechsler H, Dowdall G, Davenport A, Castillo S. Correlates of college student binge drinking. American Journal of Public Health. 85: 921–926, 1995.

10 Sax LJ, Astin AW, Korn WS, Mahoney KM.The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 1999 (Cooperative Institutional Research Program, American Council on Education, University of California, Los Angeles, 1999).

11 Although incorporated into the HWS Project, this program was developed in-dependently of the grant funding the social norms approach.


28

Resources

The Higher Education Center forAlcohol and Other Drug PreventionThe U.S. Department of Education’sHigher Education Center for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention assistsinstitutions of higher educationnationwide in developing, imple-menting, and evaluating alcohol andother drug (AOD) prevention policiesand programs that will foster stu-dents’ academic and socialdevelopment and promote campusand community safety. In addition toa wide variety of programs, theCenter also publishes AOD preven-tion materials, including Social

Marketing Strategies for Campus

Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug

Problems; A Social Norms Approach to

Preventing Binge Drinking at Colleges

and Universities; and A Practical Guide

to Alcohol Abuse Prevention: A Campus

Case Study in Implementing Social

Norms and Environmental Management

Approaches. In addition, the Centerhosts a Social Norms and SocialMarketing Web page athttp://www.edc.org/hec.

The HWS Alcohol EducationProjectMore information and examples fromthe HWS Project are available athttp://alcohol.hws.edu.

National Social NormsResource CenterThe National Social NormsResource Center supports, pro-motes, and provides technicalassistance in the application ofthe social norms approach to abroad range of health, safety, andsocial justice issues, includingalcohol-related risk reduction andthe prevention of tobacco abuse.The center is directed by MichaelHaines, a nationally recognizedproponent and pioneering practi-tioner of this effective strategy.The center is sponsored by theBACCHUS and GAMMA PeerEducation Network, a leadingstudent health and safety organi-zation serving college anduniversity students. For moreinformation, visitwww.socialnorm.org.

Social Norms QuarterlyThis newsletter, edited by AlanBerkowitz, Ph.D., and publishedby PaperClip Communications,features regular columns on cur-rent research and theory, specificmodel programs and practices,implementation strategies, andresources, as well as an editorialpage that addresses current issuesand controversies. To subscribe,call (973) 546-3097 or visitwww.paper-clip.com.

29

Appendix

Appendix AHWS Alcohol Education Project Social Norms Intervention Activities


A–1

Appendix A

HWS Alcohol Education Project Social Norms Intervention ActivitiesActivity Data Table

Date Activity/Event Description WWW URLDATA COLLECTIONJune 1996 Senior Exit Survey

PretestSurvey of all graduating seniors.

Sept. 1996 Orientation SurveyPretest

CIRP Freshman Survey administered to all enteringfirst-year students.

Oct. 1996 Introductory ClassSurvey Pretest

Core Alcohol and Other Drug Norms Surveyadministered to all introductory chemistry andsociology sections.

June 1997 Senior Exit Survey Survey of all graduating seniors.Sept. 1997 Orientation Survey CIRP Freshman Survey administered to all entering

first-year students.Oct. 1997 Introductory Class

SurveyCore Alcohol and Other Drug Norms Surveyadministered to all introductory chemistry andsociology sections.

Apr. 1998 Campuswide MailSurvey

Mail-in survey designed and administered by projectdirectors and assisted by students in BIDS-295 AlcoholUse and Abuse: Causes and Consequences.

May 1998 Student Life Survey In cooperation with the deans of students, the projectdirectors conducted a cross sectional survey of the entirestudent body in academic classes and on athletics teams.


first-year students.Oct. 1998 Introductory Class



first-year students.June 1999 Senior Exit Survey Survey of all graduating seniors.

A–2

Date Activity/Event Description WWW URLOct. 1999 Introductory Class


Apr. 2000 Campuswide MailSurvey

Mail-in survey designed and administered by projectdirectors and assisted by students in BIDS-295 AlcoholUse and Abuse: Causes and Consequences.


first-year students.

PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA CAMPAIGNSJan. 1997–June 2000

Print Campus Factoids Campus newspaper column launched, communicatingmiscellaneous data on the campus community,including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug norms.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/dvpphe/factoids.htm

Sept. 1997–June 2000

Social Norms MediaPoster Displays

12 locked display cases were mounted across campus.Posters have been continuously displayed in thesecabinets. Posters are periodically rotated and newposters introduced.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/posters/postertn.htm

Jan. 1996–June 2000

Social Norms MediaCampus NewspaperAds

Reproductions of posters were periodically printed inthe campus newspaper.

Jan. 1997 –June 2000

Online CampusFactoids™

Campus Factoids™ launched. Content made availableon campus computer network using softwaredeveloped independently.

Http://alcohol.hws.edu/dvpphe/factoids.htm

Apr. 1997 “Table Tent”Promotions of StudentWell-Being

Distributed “table tents” on every table in the studentdining halls.

Apr. 1997 Introduction ofMultimedia from Courseinto Online CampusFactoids™

Student “Infolinks” public service announcements fromthe course, Alcohol Use and Abuse: Causes andConsequences, were introduced into online CampusFactoids™.


Jan. 1997–Dec. 1999

Promotional Ads forOnline CampusFactoids™

Periodic ads were run in the campus newspaper,promoting the use of online Campus Factoids™.


Apr. 1997 Silent Numbers PosterCampaign

Social norms poster sequence blitz delivered socialnorms information in a 4 poster-sequence over twoweeks to all administrative, academic, residence, andathletics buildings on campus. This distribution wastimed to coincide with content presentation in alcoholuse and abuse model course.

Http://alcohol.hws.edu/dvpphe/silentall/sld001.htm

A–3

Date Activity/Event Description WWW URLJan. 1997–June 2000

Reality Check PosterCampaign

Reality check poster campaign targets particular mythsand communicates the true norms in order to dispel themyth. This is an ongoing poster series that has beenposted in display cabinets and placed in the campusnewspaper, particularly following reports of alcohol-related incidents.

Http://alcohol.hws.edu/dvpphe/realityall/sld001.htm

June–Nov.1997

Student Poster Show inLibrary

Posters of student projects from the course Alcohol Useand Abuse: Causes and Consequences were displayedin the reference section of the campus library.

Mar. 1998–June 2000

Campuswide Deliveryof Campus Factoids™Screen Saver

The content of the print Campus Factoids™ wasimported into a screen saver program, developedindependently, to broadcast random factoids all overcampus.


Oct. 1998–June 2000

Healthy Life Styles Areon the Rise PosterCampaign

Posters were developed to emphasize the changingnorms on campus and distributed in display cases andthe campus newspaper.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/posters/postertn.htm

Oct. 19–23,1998

Alcohol AwarenessWeek Novelty ItemDistribution

Sport cups were produced with “social norms”messages. These were distributed in the student dininghall.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/events/AwareWk.htm

May 1998 BAC Breathalyzer Booth Students from the course Alcohol Use and Abuse:Causes and Consequences ran an anonymousbreathalyzer booth at Folk Fest. Novelty items weredistributed to students with BAC < .08. Results wereprinted in Campus Factoids.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/events/BACfolkfest. htm

Feb. 1999 Introduction of OnlineDiscussion of CampusFactoids™

Students, faculty, and staff were then able to react tofactoids by submitting short, signed reactions onlineusing software.


May 1999 BAC Breathalyzer Booth Students from the chemistry club ran an anonymousbreathalyzer booth at Folk Fest. Novelty items weredistributed to students with BAC < .08. Results wereprinted in “Campus Factoids” column.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/events/BACfolkfest. htm

Oct. 12–23,1999

Alcohol AwarenessWeek Novelty ItemDistribution

T-shirts were produced with “social norms” messages.These were distributed in front of the student dininghall.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/events/AwareWk2.htm

Mar.–June 2000

Campus Factoids™Quiz

The quiz feature of online Campus Factoids™ waslaunched. Students with high score for the weekreceived a gift certificate to the bookstore.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/images/howto.jpg

A–4

Date Activity/Event Description WWW URLCURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND CURRICULUM INFUSIONNov. 1996–Mar. 1997

Films and Books onAlcohol Issues for theCollege Library;Comprehensive List ofAvailable Resources.

Numerous books and films were acquired andpurchased. A comprehensive list of books and filmswas made available on the Web to students and faculty.

Book resources:http://alcohol.hws.edu/bd295/AODbib.htm

Video resources:http://alcohol.hws.edu/bd295/reserve.htm

Nov. 1996–Mar. 1997

Web Research Resourcesfor Academic Courses

The project directors conducted an extensive review ofagency Web sites and assembled a Web page to assiststudents in doing academic research on alcohol, tobacco,and other drug use and their consequences. A generalresource site as well as a detailed model course Web sitewere created.

Student Research Site:http://alcohol.hws.edu/researchlinks/rlinks. htm

Model Course Web Site:http://alcohol.hws.edu/bd295l

Jan.–Mar. 1997 AOD in the CurriculumFaculty AssessmentSurvey

The project directors conducted a telephone-interviewsurvey of faculty on the current state of AODcurriculum infusion and faculty interest indoing/learning about new AOD infusion strategies.

Feb. 1997 “Seize the Moment: AnOpportunity forCurricular Evolution”Luncheon Address tothe Faculty

This lecture described the development ofinterdisciplinary courses and presented the HWSAlcohol Education Project as an example outcome.

Apr.–June1997

New and ImprovedModel InterdisciplinaryCourse

The project directors enhanced Alcohol Use and Abuse:Causes and Consequences, an interdisciplinary coursethat brings together social science and natural sciencestudents to look comprehensively at the phenomenon ofalcohol use in our society. Students participated in theimplementation of social norms research and delivery aspart of the course work.

Http://alcohol.hws.edu/bd295

July 1, 2, andSept. 4, 1997

College FacultyCurriculumDevelopment Workshop

The project directors, with 10 faculty from across thedisciplines, examined ways to introduce alcohol contentinto their disciplinary courses. These faculty memberswere given a budget to purchase books appropriate fortheir respective target courses.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/events/facshop.htm

Sept. 1997–June 1998

Introduction of AlcoholContent into CoursesAcross the Disciplines

Reports of new units in nine courses across thedisciplines were collected and are available on theWorld Wide Web.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/dvpphe/infusex.htm

A–5

Date Activity/Event Description WWW URLFeb. 1998 Student/Teacher &

Teacher EducationWorkshop onAdolescent Alcohol Use

The project directors conducted a workshop for 13student-teachers and 21 area teachers andadministrators on adolescent alcohol use. Patterns ofuse, health issues, and social norms strategies wereamong the topics of the workshop. A description of theworkshop with lecture slides is available on the Web.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/events/schshop.htm

Mar.–June1998

Model InterdisciplinaryCourse

The project directors further enhanced Alcohol Use andAbuse: Causes and Consequences, an interdisciplinarycourse that brings together social science and naturalscience students to look comprehensively at thephenomenon of alcohol use in our society. Students,again, participated in the implementation of the socialnorms research and delivery as part of the course work.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/bd295

Sept.–Nov.1998

Independent StudyResearch Project

A Hobart College senior joined the project directors in acredit-bearing research project, Using Multimedia inAlcohol and Other Drug Education: A Campaign toReduce Misperception and Abuse.

Jan. 4, 1999 Chemistry DepartmentSeminar Series Lecture

The faculty lecture “The Science of Feeling Good andFeeling Bad with Alcohol” integrated alcohol contentinto a disciplinary departmental seminar.

http://academic.hws.edu/chem/talks99.html

Feb. 12, 2000 Student-Teacher andTeacher EducationWorkshop onAdolescent Alcohol Use

The project directors conducted a workshop for 24student-teachers and 8 area teachers and administratorson adolescent alcohol use. Patterns of use, health issues,and social norms prevention strategies were among thetopics of the workshop. A description of the workshopwith lecture slides is available on the Web.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/events/twshop2000.htm

Sept. 2000 New Faculty Orientation The project directors gave a presentation to new facultyabout the HWS Alcohol Education Project as a modelfor faculty involvement in student health and campuslife development through the curriculum and research.

Oct. 26, 2000 Chemistry DepartmentSeminar Series Lecture

The faculty lecture “The Science of Feeling Good andFeeling Bad with Alcohol” integrated alcohol contentinto a disciplinary departmental seminar that was timedto coincide with Alcohol Awareness Week programs.

Http://academic.hws.edu/chem/talks99.html

A–6

Date Activity/Event Description WWW URLMar.–June2000

Model InterdisciplinaryCourse

The project directors further enhanced Alcohol Use andAbuse: Causes and Consequences, an interdisciplinarycourse that brings together social science and naturalscience students to look comprehensively at thephenomenon of alcohol use in our society. Students,again, participated in the implementation of the socialnorms research and delivery as part of the course work.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/bd295

CAMPUS PRESENTATIONS, STAFF DEVELOPMENT, AND COCURRICULAR ACTIVITIESJan. 1997 Presentation of the

Project to the Deans’Staff

Project directors presented the social norms theory andthe grant project funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education.Ways to integrate and combine efforts between officeswere discussed.

Mar. 1997 Alcohol: What’s theFuss Workshop forStudent Trustee ScholarCandidates

This workshop/discussion engaged prospective studentscholarship candidates in scientific and sociologicalinterdisciplinary research into the extent, causes, andconsequences of alcohol use and abuse on collegecampuses.

Mar. 1997 Presentation to Parents’Executive Committee

A discussion was held about the norms of alcohol useon the HWS campus and the social norms approach.The executive committee sent a summary letter to allparents regarding this project.

Mar. 1997 Proof Positive, StudentTheme Residence

The project directors and a group of student leaderscreated a student theme house residence whosemembers would commit to programming for reducingthe harm caused by alcohol and other substances.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/proofpos

May 1997 Presentation of the HWSAlcohol EducationProject to Parents

The project directors in cooperation with the ParentsExecutive Committee organized this presentation anddiscussion for interested parents.

Oct. 1997 Presentation of SocialNorms Theory and HWSNorms to Proof PositiveHouse Residents

The project directors gave a dinner presentation on thesocial norms theory and the results from surveys ofHWS students and discussed the roles that studentsmight play in the prevention effort at HWS. Among anumber of activities, they produced a Web site forstudent peers.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/proofpos

Oct. 1997 “Making Connections”Lecture for the Board ofTrustees

A lecture was presented to the HWS board of trusteesdemonstrating how disciplinary curricula can be linkedto interdisciplinary programs and campus life. TheHWS Alcohol Education Project was presented as amodel of this curricular design.

A–7

Date Activity/Event Description WWW URLNov. 1997 “Alcohol – Physiology

and Legality – Where DoWe Stand?” DinnerLecture

The project directors gave this lecture to residenceadvisors, area coordinators, and other interestedstudents.

Mar. 1998 Alcohol: What’s theFuss Workshop forStudent Trustee ScholarCandidates

This workshop/discussion engaged prospective studentscholarship candidates in scientific and sociologicalinterdisciplinary research into the extent, causes, andconsequences of alcohol use and abuse on collegecampuses.

Sept. 1998 Orientation Lecture toAll Entering Students

Following completion of the CIRP Freshman Survey, apresentation was made to the entering class relayingsocial norm information about their own class. Theonline Campus Factoids™ program was introduced andincorporated into the “scavenger hunt” exercise.

Oct. 21, 1998 Alcohol AwarenessWeek Lecture

“The Science of Feeling Good and Feeling Bad withAlcohol” faculty lecture was delivered as an event opento the entire campus.


Sept. 1999 Orientation Lecture toAll Entering Students

Following completion of the CIRP Freshman Survey, W.Perkins made a presentation to the entering classrelaying social norm information on the entering class.The online Campus FactoidsTM program was introducedand incorporated into the “scavenger hunt” exercise.

Aug. 2000 New StudentOrientation Activities

Orientation activities designed to communicate accuratestudent norms include (1)“Road Rules” distribution of“Factoid” annotated calendars and (2) block party, withcampus factoids quiz giving prizes for students givingcorrect responses, e.g., T-shirts, sport cups, and Frisbees.

Oct. 19, 1999 Alcohol AwarenessWeek Lecture

“The Science of Feeling Good and Feeling Bad withAlcohol” faculty lecture was delivered as an event opento the entire campus.


Oct. 22, 2000 Alcohol Inquirer A new Web-based student resource, “The AlcoholInquirer,” was launched with links on all campusdesktops.

http://alcohol.hws.edu/alcoholinq/frontpage.htm

Oct. 25, 2000 Alcohol AwarenessWeek Panel Discussion

Held a panel discussion on the use of fake IDs.Panelists included faculty, students, and local townofficials who discussed legal issues and social norms.

Oct. 27, 2000 Take the FactoidChallenge

Quiz of key normative AOD campus facts wasconducted in front of the student union. T-shirts weregiven as prizes for those getting 5 out of 6 questionsright.

Publications available from …

The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug PreventionThe following is a partial list of publications available from the Center. To receive a complete list, call us at (800) 676-1730 or check our Web site at http://www.edc.org/hec to download copies of most of our publications or to place an order for print versions.

� Environmental Management: A Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Alcohol and Other Drug Use on

College Campuses (38 pp.)

� Setting and Improving Policies for Reducing Alcohol and Other Drug Problems on Campus (50 pp.)

� Be Vocal, Be Visible, Be Visionary: Recommendations for College and University Presidents on Alcohol and Other Drug

Prevention (A Report from the Presidents Leadership Group) (58 pp.)

� Complying with the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations (34 CFR Part 86):

A Guide for University and College Administrators (36 pp.)

� College Alcohol Risk Assessment Guide: Environmental Approaches to Prevention (103 pp.)

� Social Marketing Strategies for Campus Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems (32 pp.)

� A Social Norms Approach to Preventing Binge Drinking at Colleges and Universities (32 pp.)

� A Practical Guide to Alcohol Abuse Prevention: A Campus Case Study in Implementing Social Normsand Environmental Management Approaches (38 pp.)

� Understanding Evaluation: The Way to Better Prevention Programs (98 pp.)

� Selecting the Right Tool: A Compendium of Alcohol and Other Drug Assessment and Evaluation

Instruments for Use in Higher Education (37 pp.)

� Preventing Alcohol-Related Problems on Campus: Acquaintance Rape (74 pp.)

� Making the Link: Faculty and Prevention (30 pp.)

Fact Sheets/ Prevention UpdatesThese 2- and 4-page flyers make great handouts for task force or coalition meetings, trainings, conferences, and classrooms!

� “Campus-Community Coalitions in AOD Prevention”� “Campuses and the Club Drug Ecstasy”� “College Academic Performance and Alcohol and Other Drug Use” � “College Athletes and Alcohol and Other Drug Use” � “Faculty Involvement in AOD Prevention” � “Fraternity and Sorority Members and Alcohol and Other Drug Use” � “Getting Started on Campus: Tips for New AOD Coordinators” � “Higher Education Amendments”� “How to Select a Program Evaluator”� “Interpersonal Violence and Alcohol and Other Drug Use” � “Marijuana Use Among Students at Institutions of Higher Education”� “Parental Notification”� “Planning Campus Events” � “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Alcohol and Other Drug Use” � “Responsible Hospitality Service”� “Sexual Assault and Alcohol and Other Drug Use”� “Social Marketing for Prevention” � “Stadium Alcohol Management” � “Student Leadership in AOD Prevention”

The mission of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention is to assist institutions of higher education in developing alcohol and other drug (AOD) preventionprograms that will foster students’ academic and social development andpromote campus and community safety.

Our Mission

How We Can HelpThe Center offers an integrated array of services to help people at collegesand universities adopt effective AOD prevention strategies. We offer:

• Training and professional development activities

• Resources, referrals, and consultations

• Publication and dissemination of prevention materials

• Support for the Network of Colleges and UniversitiesCommitted to the Elimination of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

• Assessment, evaluation, and analysis activities

Get in TouchAdditional information can be obtained by contacting:


Education Development Center, Inc.55 Chapel StreetNewton, MA 02458-1060

Website: http://www.edc.org/hec/Phone: (800) 676-1730E-mail: [email protected]

Read Our Newsletter

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education

Keep up to date with the Catalyst. Learn about important developments inAOD prevention in higher education. To receive free copies, ask to be puton our mailing list.

A Multifaceted


Reduce High-Risk DrinkingLessons from Hobart and William Smith Colleges

The Higher Education Centerfor Alcohol and Other Drug PreventionFunded by the U.S. Department of Education,with supplemental funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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