What is it?
This practice is one aspect of "culture cultivation," or the broad range of diverse initiatives that foster a campus community of connectedness and caring, and encourage social responsibility in regard to alcohol.
A common thrust in culture cultivation, whether implicit or explicit in an initiative, will be to counter the sentiment that alcohol use is normative or even necessary for an enjoyable experience in an undergraduate educational setting. Encouraging students in positive personal engagement on and off campus is a more indirect and background form of establishing a climate conducive to constructive attitudes and habits around alcohol use. It seeks to help them establish meaningful relationships and productive gratifying involvements that provide purpose, foster a sense of public responsibility, develop character and confidence, and in so doing also diminish the role and appeal of alcohol.
Level of research support: Some evidence of effectiveness
Why do it?
Strong initiatives of this sort work against common facilitators of problematic drinking among students, including excessive free time and boredom, detachment, a sense of isolation and lack of direction. While directed at all students, some applications may target student sub-populations (e.g., first-year students) whose alcohol-related problems are especially associated with narrow or minimal social ties.
Beyond strengthening a personal protective factor for individual students through participation in enriching interaction with others, efforts of this sort serve to build greater collective cohesion and resilience, fostering better communication and raising behavioural expectations.
Such initiatives are typically part of a postsecondary school’s program to some degree, and the cost of enhancing them is not a huge expense. They align with an institution’s sense of mandate to prepare students for productive careers and for societal contribution as citizens who are actively engaged in building stronger communities.
Who is it for?
Who can facilitate it?
How can we implement it?
Arrange for and promote community service opportunities for students
These may be found and commended to students for voluntary uptake on a regular or ongoing basis as well as on special occasions. More substantially, they could be created and required as part of the academic curriculum for various programs. They can also be assigned on a mandatory basis for students under discipline for alcohol-related infractions.
Cooperation and coordination with host agencies in the community is necessary for organization and administration of these arrangements that strengthen the evident protective factor of greater aggregate social capital and increased individual involvement within that climate of constructive reciprocal, mutually trusting and supportive engagement.
Encourage positive, supportive relationships among students, and between students and institutional personnel
One familiar way of doing this is to develop and strengthen a peer support program to attract student participation and channel involvement. An additional benefit of such programs is that they equip students as listeners whose empathetic suggestions of some appropriate course of action in response to expressed concerns may meet with greater receptivity than would input from professional counselors. Besides the support that peers can give to their fellow students in addressing a wide range of personal issues and social challenges, they can also be equipped to deliver informal screening and brief intervention.
Another vehicle for personal development of students is to afford and promote regular occasions where they can be in direct interaction with faculty and staff members to build rapport and relationships. Strategic settings for this (beyond normal office hours and periodic appointments) would include in-common use of campus-based housing, special orientation and social events, as well as joint participation in particular projects. Such instances of engagement can be especially beneficial for struggling students with limited or unhelpful social ties. Athletics personnel are well-positioned to take good advantage of their close connection with players to exercise positive influence on overall performance and encourage productive personal habits and social activity.
Encourage student tenants to become a positive part of their neighbourhoods
This can involve encouraging students to participate in neighbourhood social events or contribute to neighbourhood projects. It may also involve helping landlords develop lease contracts for student tenants that protect both proprietor and occupant interests (and may expressly cover alcohol-related concerns).
Sources and related material