Sewanee promotes healthy choices regarding alcohol and other drugs, aimed at reducing the prominence of alcohol on campus, reducing the harms and high-risk behaviors that alcohol and other drugs bring to campus life, and to support the educational mission of the University by offering a healthy and supportive environment.
Sewanee’s overall strategy is informed by our own ongoing research and by nationally recognized best practices. Our approach emphasizes:
Education
- Educate 100% of incoming students each year about basics of alcohol and alcohol abuse; offer ongoing education throughout year. Create clear expectations related to alcohol use.
Community Collaboration
- Engage the community in supporting efforts to minimize the harms associated with alcohol and other drug-related issues.
Enforcement
- Provide a consistent response to improper behavior and thereby reinforce personal, group, and community responsibility.
Intervention
- Get students the help they need to avoid (additional) critical incidents.
Changing Perspectives
- Challenge assumptions about alcohol use among students.
Measuring Success
- Measure our progress in these areas, we will rely upon several sources of data, like incident reports, survey results, and focus groups.
- We aspire to encourage our students to make healthier choices and reduce the harmful behaviors associated with alcohol and other drug use.
- We hope to promote healthier student-to-student and student-to-community relationships. We will all benefit from being part of a community that chooses to care for each other.
