tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post115576164059670259..comments2024-03-15T01:11:32.832-07:00Comments on Bardiac: Torn by alcohol awarenessBardiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-1156252586115478392006-08-22T06:16:00.000-07:002006-08-22T06:16:00.000-07:00JBJ- I think the program you're talking about is s...JBJ- I think the program you're talking about is some form of social norming campaign, which is being replicated across the nation as the next big thing in alcohol education. The basic premise centers around using peer pressure to elicit good rather than destructive behavior. From what I've seen, it has had a positive impact on students' views and use of alcohol. <BR/><BR/>I used to coordinate a first-year experience course, and one of the major things we discussed is substance abuse. Because the seminar was taught by upperclassmen rather than faculty, the topic was something students could talk about candidly without fear of reprisal from the scary professor in the room. <BR/><BR/>But, in doing training workshops for faculty, I remind them that while they don't have to be experts in alcohol education (especially because someone else is better trained and better qualified to do that), at minimum they should know the campus resources to help students facing that particular issue. <BR/><BR/>I frame it within Maslow's hierarchy of needs: If a student is consistently drunk, broke because he goes out too much, or experiences relationship troubles because of alcohol, then there's little chance that any kind of academic and intellectual development will occur. As we all know, the first thing that goes out the window when these "life crises" occur (and believe me, students consider them crises) is academics. They start skipping class, doing poorly on assignments, etc. <BR/><BR/>I think the least we can do as educators is to recognize the issue and refer students to help as appropriate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-1156159952411401592006-08-21T04:32:00.000-07:002006-08-21T04:32:00.000-07:00Our school has a similar program, though the anti-...Our school has a similar program, though the anti-alcohol component is actually led by someone with research expertise in it.<BR/><BR/>I have no idea whether it's especially effective, and now I can't remember what it's called, but it aims directly at the assumption that "everyone" drinks. The argument is that college students consistently overestimate the number of students who are actually drinking to excess regularly (though they may underestimate the incidence of problems).<BR/><BR/>Like Bardiac, I have always had qualms about teaching this in class. This year, though, my comp class is linked with a section of General Psych, and so that professor is handling it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-1155955524358957462006-08-18T19:45:00.000-07:002006-08-18T19:45:00.000-07:00Clanger, that's a brilliant idea! WOW! (Our stud...Clanger, that's a brilliant idea! WOW! (Our students generally start around 18, drinking isn't legal til 21, but it happens a lot, sometimes fatally.)<BR/><BR/>C&D, There's a fair bit of stuff to do that doesn't involve alcohol in the evenings, like STUDYING! (or bowling, billiards, a non-alcohol serving dance area, all near the dorms.) <BR/><BR/>PH, I've never heard that research, but it's interesting, isn't it. I've certainly heard students complain that the programs are way too much, and make it seem like everyone drinks. Hmmm. I should maybe look to see if there's any research showing that all the programming actually makes any difference!Bardiachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-1155853215455181642006-08-17T15:20:00.000-07:002006-08-17T15:20:00.000-07:00I read some really interesting research on college...I read some really interesting research on college drinking (don't remember where, unfortunately) that suggested that the more campuses talked about alcohol abuse, the more students got the impression that everyone was doing it, and that actually made them more likely to! Where campuses that didn't make as much fuss gave the students the impression that there wasn't that much binge drinking going on, so they felt less pressure to join in. It's a tricky game to play, of course, because you don't want to downplay the problem, but this does make a perverse kind of sense.Pilgrim/Heretichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08588407758172717893noreply@blogger.com