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Excessive drinking and underage drinking affect virtually all college students, whether they choose to drink or not. Traditional alcohol education models (pamphlets, lectures, three-hour “courses,” etc.) are continually criticized by researchers as not having a large enough “dose” of information, continually reinforced over a period time. Research into the effectiveness of these short-term interventions is sparse, but it is doubtful that they lead to long-term behavior change.
For this reason we are addressing the problem of alcohol misuse in a way that may be unique to American campuses. Alcohol and College Life (ACL) provides students with a letter grade and an academic course for credit that emphasizes peer education. It provides more than forty hours of instruction, reading, and quizzes over fifteen weeks.
As the course’s title suggests, Alcohol and College Life goes beyond basic alcohol and drug education. The course contains crucial information on other aspects of college life, from time management tips to getting along with your roommate. What we offer is new information that empowers students to approach their first year of college in a different way.
We want to impart a message to incoming students: Even if you don’t drink, you are still affected by the drinking environment. Every student has a right to a college experience not marred by alcohol, whoever is doing the drinking.
