Santa Clara University
"The Choice Is Yours"Project Description
Santa Clara University is a small Catholic institution with approximately 4500 undergraduate and 3200 graduate students. In 1999, its Alcohol and other Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) collaborated with the Housing and Residence Life staff, the Communication Department and the Health Educator's Office to implement a social norms intervention targeted at all freshmen. This initiative was based on the promising results of a prior social norm intervention targeting all undergraduate students. Among the results of that intervention were:- A 5.5% increase in the number of students who reported a reduction in their use of alcohol, and
- An 8% decrease in the number of students who felt that the atmosphere on campus encouraged drinking.
Project Objective
To decrease the amount of high-risk drinking and to correct the misperceptions regarding alcohol use by students.Baseline Data
See Project Results.Primary Normative Messages
"Most SCU students have four or fewer drinks when they party.""Most SCU students have 3 or fewer drinks on average each week."
Marketing Methods Employed
Posters for every freshman, RA training, cash incentives, table tents, and newspaper features stories.Evaluation
A comparison of the pre-campaign CORE survey (spring 1999) with the post-campaign NCHA survey and Research Methods class survey of undergraduate students (spring 2000).Project Results
Survey data showed an approximately 20% increase in the number of students who reported a reduction in high-risk drinking over the course of the year (as measured by the consumption of 5 or more drinks at a sitting). In addition, there was an equal increase in the number of students who reported a reduction in their past 30-day prevalence level.Project Director
Laurie LangMalley Fitness & Recreation Center
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053-1055
Tel 408.554.4448
Email [email protected]
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