College & University Campus Policies

Summary

Campuses should focus on creating a social, academic, and residential environment that supports healthy student behaviors and healthy norms. Creating this environment requires consistently communicating expectations about drug-related and/or problem gambling behavior, while supporting and encouraging healthy choices among students. Environmental strategies affecting college students can operate within the institution of higher education, as well as in the surrounding community (through campus-community mobilization efforts and policy change).

To successfully develop and implement new policies, a participatory process must be employed that includes all major sectors of the campus and community, including students. On campus, a task force should conduct a broad-based examination of the college environment, looking not only at drug misuse and/or problem gambling related practices, programs and policies, but also the academic program, the academic calendar and the entire college infrastructure. The objective is to identify ways in which the environment can be changed to clarify the college’s expectations for its students and to better integrate students into the intellectual life of the college.

Policies designed to be implemented within the college/university setting are listed below. Ideally these policies should be implemented as part of a comprehensive campus-based prevention approach that includes policy, enforcement and media advocacy. In addition, the specific policies should be selected based on assessed needs and balanced against community readiness and capacity.

Core Components

Dosage/Frequency

At least 50% of the colleges in the community should be engaged in the strategy with at least 50% of each of those colleges implementing policy change by the end of the project period.

Required Key Steps

All policies developed or strengthened through this strategy must be formally written, signed by the community leadership and kept on file at the contracted agency as documentation. Contact the Department Project Director/Coordinator for additional grant requirements about this documentation.

In collaboration with the coalition and community partners, complete the following:

• Review data related to priority related issues and college-aged populations.
• Determine what types of priority-related policies are in place and if so, the degree to which current policies are being enforced.
• Collaborate with an existing substance use/mental health focused task force with the colleges of focus. If none exists, consider establishing a college focused subcommittee of the coalition/subcommittee with college staff and/or administration involved.

Alcohol Policies

Discuss strengthening or developing alcohol-related policies through the colleges of focus. These can include:

• Establish or strengthen policies related to alcohol misuse and possession on campus property and at campus-sponsored events.
• Revise and strengthen penalties for violation of campus alcohol policies, including disciplinary sanctions on campus (such as participation in an alcohol education program, impact on student record, contacting of parents/guardians).
• Require ID checks at all campus events where alcohol is available.
• Prohibit the sale of alcohol on campus and at campus facilities, such as football stadiums, concert halls, and campus cafeterias, restaurants, and pubs.
• Prohibit alcohol at all campus-sponsored functions and events both on and off campus.
• Prohibit alcohol kegs on campus and at campus-sponsored events.
• Prohibit alcohol within all student housing.
• Require responsible beverage service training for campus facilities that sell or provide alcohol, such as sports arenas, concert halls, and campus cafeterias, restaurants, and pubs. Ideally, responsible beverage service training should be implemented as part of a comprehensive alcohol prevention approach that includes, at a minimum, compliance checks.
• Require that all incoming and returning students participate in a brief motivational intervention related to alcohol use.
• Reinstate or maintain Friday classes to shorten the elongated weekend.
• Restrictions on alcohol advertising and promotion on campus, including:
  • Eliminate alcohol sponsorship of athletic events and other campus social activities
  • Eliminate alcohol advertising in college publications
  • Prohibit announcements of parties and events that offer or allow alcohol.
• Enhance enforcement of alcohol laws and policies on campus property and at campus-sponsored events such as increase capacity of university police to address alcohol laws/policies.
• Distribute the campus alcohol policies to all incoming and returning students and their parents, as well as publicize them on the campus website and in campus venues such as student housing and sports facilities; and
• Contacting law enforcement for violations that are illegal.

Drug Policies

Discuss strengthening or developing drug-related policies through the colleges of focus. These can include:

• Establish or strengthen policies related to drug misuse and possession on campus property and at campus-sponsored events.
• Revise and strengthen penalties for violation of campus drug misuse policies, including disciplinary sanctions on campus (such as participation in a prevention education program, impact on student record, contacting of parents/guardians);
• Require that all incoming and returning students participate in a brief motivational intervention related to drug use.
• Enhance enforcement of drug misuse policies on campus property and at campus-sponsored events such as increasing the capacity of university police to address drug misuse laws/policies.
• Establish or strengthen policies around medical amnesty.
• Establish or strengthen policies on naloxone access through health centers, resident advisors, public safety, etc.

Policies could also include:

• Distribute the campus drug misuse policies to all incoming and returning students and their parents, as well as publicize them on the campus website and in campus venues such as student housing and sports facilities; or
• Contact law enforcement for violations that are illegal.

Problem Gambling Policies

• Discuss strengthening or developing a comprehensive policy to address gambling on campus which can include:
• Prohibit using university-owned computers to gamble.
• Prohibit gambling at special events such as casino nights or poker tournaments.
• Eliminate advertising from gambling operators.
• Ensure gambling is included in the code of conduct along with supports for those needing assistance for issues related to gambling.
• Ensure college athletes are educated on and abide by collegiate regulations specific to gambling.

Suicide Prevention Policies

• Discuss strengthening or developing a comprehensive policy to address college campus suicide prevention. Strategies include:
  • Help all students develop life skills and resiliency.
  • Ensure access to effective mental health and suicide care and treatment.
  • Identify and assist students at risk.
  • Follow crisis management procedures.
  • Reduce access to means of suicide.
  • Policies should not solely focus on prevention services.

Once a policy has passed, in collaboration with the college of focus:

• Create a plan to educate the college community about the policy.
• Create a plan that will ensure ongoing monitoring of use and enforcement of the policy.

Implementation Materials

A Guide to Campus Mental Health Action Planning
Addressing Student Alcohol Use and Related Problems
Behavioral Health Among College Students Information and Resource Kit
College Alcohol Policies Directory
College Policies Toolkit (CollegeGambling.org)
Prevention with Purpose: A Strategic Planning Guide for Preventing Drug Misuse Among College Students
Sample Campus Drug Policies

Training

Addressing Opioid Misuse on Campus: Policy, Treatment, and Recovery Virtual Learning Lab: Campus Suicide Prevention

References

DeJong, W., Vince-Whitman, C., Colthurst, T., Cretella, M., Gilbreath, M., Rosati, M., & Zweig, K. (1998). Environmental management: A comprehensive strategy for reducing alcohol and other drug use on college campuses. Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, Education Development Center. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED421942