Intervening to Reduce Risk in First Year College Students through Empowerment and Community Involvem

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Intervening to Reduce Risk in First Year College
Students through Empowerment and Community
Involvement Program Development, Evolution
and Evaluation

• Bill Burns, Cathy Crosby-Currie and Christine
  Zimmerman
• St. Lawrence University

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Background on St. Lawrence

• Private, liberal arts university
• Approximately 2000 students
• Residential
• North County region
• First Year Program (required living-learning FYE)

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Background on St. Lawrence

• Top three adjectives students use to describe
  SLU
• Social
• Athletic
• Partying

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Alcohol Consumption in High School
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Alcohol Consumption at SLU
Sources CORE/Program Evaluation
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Rates of Alcohol Use
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Background on St. Lawrence

• Alcohol Task Force (1998-2000)
• Wellness Initiative (2000-present)
• Ecological model for prevention and promotion
  (Bronfenbrenner, 1979)

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Mission Statement of Wellness Initiative

• Using an ecological framework for understanding
  student behavior, the Wellness Initiative employs
  both individual and environmental change efforts
  with a focus on the reduction of high-risk
  alcohol use and the promotion of healthier
  lifestyle choices through the creation of diverse
  settings and opportunities for positive academic
  and co-curricular involvement.

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Background on St. Lawrence

• Wellness Initiative foci
• coordinated research program
• research-based interventions
• systemic change efforts
• life-skills training

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The First Year Cup Program

• Began in 2002
• Goals of the program
• To reduce/prevent high risk behavior by
  encouraging first-year students to advantage of
  alcohol free activities, increasing seriousness
  of purpose regarding academics, and building
  community
• Competition among FYP colleges
• Points awarded for attending activities/events
• FY Cup Intramurals

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(No Transcript)
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The First Year Cup Program

• Leading colleges recognized throughout year
• Dinner and hockey game with President Sullivan
• Party in student center
• Day trip to Ottawa

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The First Year Cup Program

• Funding
• Wellness Initiative
• First Year Program
• Area Businesses
• Current budget (AY 04-05) 2,500

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Basics of Program Evaluation

• Types of evaluation
• Process evaluation
• What did we do?
• Outcome evaluation
• What were the results of our program?
• Impact evaluation
• What effect are we having?

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Basics of Program Evaluation

• Goals and Outcomes
• Goals
• What we are striving for
• Tend to be long-term and ambitious
• Outcomes
• What we are accountable for
• Are specific and measurable

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Basics of Program Evaluation

• Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection
• Qualitative units of data words
• Quantitative units of data numbers
• Collect data in multiple ways
• Use the correct method to answer the questions
  you are asking

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Basics of Program Evaluation

• Institutional Review Board Issues
• Purely institutional research is generally exempt
  from review
• Key to ethical research is informed consent
• Knowing, voluntary and competent
• Benefits of research must outweigh the risks to
  the participants

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Qualitative Process Evaluation

• Focus Groups in Spring 2003
• Student researcher semi-structured protocol
• Some key problems highlighted in report
• Mechanism for tracking points was inhibiting
  participation
• Abandoned passports for sign-ins
• Need to create more community-wide buy-in
• Targeted faculty and CA staff more directly
• Creation of a kick-off event
• First Year Cup Festival

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First-Year Cup Logistics Committee Structure

• Associate Dean of the First Year
• 3 Representatives Student Life
• Leadership Education/First Year Council
• Co-Curricular Education
• Residential Learning Communities
• Institutional Research
• 1 student representative First Year Council
• 1 upperclass student representative

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First-Year Cup Logistics Committee
Responsibilities

• Selection of First-Year Cup-eligible events
• EVENT CRITERIA
• Alcohol free
• Open to all first-year students
• Not specifically created by a faculty member for
  an FYP
• Not religiously affiliated
• In general, all events open to students and
  publicized on the University event calendar

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First-Year Cup Logistics Committee
Responsibilities

• Public Relations
• -Website
• -Event promotion
• Data collection/Update of standings
• Planning of prizes/recognition
• Conflict resolution

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First-Year Cup Logistics Eligible Events
2004-2005

• Academic lectures (n30)
• Speakers and discussions (n18)
• Concerts, performances (n29)
• Other co-curricular events (n28)
• Tournaments and contests (n12)
• Other weekly/monthly series (n20)
• Intramurals (5 games/sem./team)

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Quantitative Process and Outcome Measures

• Wellness Initiative Program Evaluation Survey
• In-house, on-line
• Both process and outcome measures
• Wellness Initiative Activity Form (Quick Evals)
• Other Institutional Surveys

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Other Quantitative Process Measures
Participation Records

• Sign-ins, First-Year Cup Events
• Staffing at events
• Documentation and sign-in
• Eligible individuals to earn points for a college
• Intramural Events
• Data Entry and the Point System

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The Point System
(Names and IDs are fictitious)
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First-Year Cup Participation Rates
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Quantitative Outcome Evaluation

• Increased student satisfaction (FY Cup campus
  student life, leadership opportunities, overall)
• Positive impact on campus involvement as
  upperclass student
• Positive correlation between FY Cup involvement
  and lower rates of alcohol consumption

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First-Year Cup Outcomes Individual Event
Impact on Drinking
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Wellness Initiative Institutional Research
Partnership

• Assistance with research design, survey
  administration and analysis
• Access to existing institution-wide surveys
• Examples
• CIRP Freshman Survey
• YFCY or other surveys administered to First Year
  students end of year
• Senior Survey (e.g., CSS, Consortial, In-House)
• Institutional Perspective

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Issues of Program Dissemination

• Manifest v. true adoption
• True adoption adopting the essence of the
  program
• Essence of First-Year Cup
• Program of empowerment
• Takes advantage of naturally occurring points of
  community building
• Evolves with the needs of the target group

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Additional Resource

• http//www.stlawu.edu/fycup/