As faculty, we see how alcohol and other drug misuse affect students’ academic performance. For example, some students miss class, pass in late assignments, fall asleep, or rarely participate because of their substance use. These behaviors can be a cry for help, and in these cases, faculty can make a difference. Faculty can encourage students to obtain help from the college counseling center. If a faculty member feels uncomfortable talking to the student, he or she can contact the Dean or another appropriate staff person on campus to recommend help for the student.
When I began my career as a prevention professional at a large public university more than two decades ago, I made many of my programming choices based on an instinct that what I was implementing would reduce drug use among our students. After all, who could resist the power of a fraternity member or student-athlete who spoke about taking a friend’s life while driving under the influence?
There was a point in my earlier days that I thought talking about strategic planning was a cure for insomnia. I recall wanting to flee strategic planning meetings in order to spend time with students “getting the work done.” I recall the first time I was shown the Strategic Prevention Framework by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), I thought “We already do all of that. Who needs a fancy color wheel to help them?”
