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2009-2010 TASKFORCE TO EXAMINE ALCOHOL RELATED ISSUES REPORT
Executive Summary
On April 14, 2008, Stockton College, in response to the seriousness of alcohol related incidents both on a local and
national level, established a Taskforce to Examine Alcohol Related Issues on campus. Stockton College President Dr.
Herman Saatkamp supported the work of the Taskforce by providing financial support and appropriate resources to aid the
campus in development of programs and policy changes designed to affect behavior positively related to alcohol
consumption on campus. Based on the findings and recommendations of the Task Force, the College commenced revising
existing alcohol and drug policies on campus, researched and promoted more extensive residential student programming,
established institutional and community partnerships to support and broaden initiatives regarding alcohol use and driving
under the influence, and reviewed and strengthened enforcement protocols for the 2009-2010 academic year.
As the 2010-2011 academic year begins, the College has moved forward with critical policy implementation, presented
campus-wide programming/symposia to the student body, established a major partnership with the HERO Campaign, and
developed and trained student peer leaders to support the programming initiatives.
These changes have produced favorable outcomes in alcohol trends and behavior as seen in the accompanying data charts;
however, one critical piece was deemed necessary to really jump start the new initiatives. The institutional committees
assigned to functionalize the respective recommendations put forth by the Taskforce collectively agree that in order to
change the culture of Stockton’s student alcohol use, it is imperative that incoming freshman students receive an alcohol
assessment, intentional programming, and critical policy information. They further agree that this is a vast undertaking
and that it would be rational to begin with the residential incoming freshman student population. Accordingly, Residence
Life purchased a valid and reliable software program shown to have positive results in reducing alcohol misuse through
intensive personal education. Completion of, Alcohol Wise, a program of 3rd Millennium, became mandatory for all
incoming residential freshmen. The program includes a pre-test and a post-test and takes about three hours to complete.
Residential Life monitors compliance and collects data related to alcohol use on campus as reported by the students.
A second component deemed critical is parental notification for underage offenders of the alcohol policies. Following a
meeting with an on-campus alcohol and drug counselor, parental notification was required for underage students who
were in violation of residential life policies regarding alcohol use in the living areas and for other students who are
underage and on campus or arrested on campus for alcohol violations.
A third critical change identified was designating the freshman residential housing area (Housing II and III) an “alcohol
free” area regardless of age. This proved to be instrumental in the reduction of freshmen alcohol transports and overall
alcohol related incidents in the freshman dorm area.
The HERO campaign, a designated driving awareness campaign, served as one of the key elements of the College’s
programming to educate students about responsible driving. The first HERO Greek Week series of programs and the
public recognition of the first HERO of the year were recognized as a good beginning to this community partnership.
Stockton student Chelsea Gallagher was the successful candidate of the essay contest to find our HERO of the year. Her
picture is prominently displayed as Stockton’s HERO of the year on a billboard on Highway 30 east as one enters into
Atlantic City, a thoroughfare used by many on campus. It is our hope that this community partnership will remain
vibrant and help Stockton in its quest to produce Responsible Safe Citizens (RSC.)
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TASKFORCE TO EXAMINE ALCOHOL RELATED ISSUES REPORT
Academic Year 2009-2010, July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010
Policy Implementation
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Parental Notification was implemented in AY 2009-2010 for freshmen, under the age of 21, who are
found in violation of a College alcohol/drug policy.
Residential Life Alcohol policies were amended as per the recommendations from the Taskforce,
including prohibition of alcohol in Housing II and III residential areas.
Educational Statements were added to the Guide for Residential Life informing residents of their
responsibilities regarding consumption of alcohol (e.g. drinking games) and high risk behavior.
The Liability Waiver Form developed for individuals who assume responsibility for intoxicated
individuals in Residence Life has been completed and deployed.
Alcohol Programming
Campus Police
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More than 800 attended the security/safety briefing for freshmen on 8/31/09
Beer Goggles/DWI cart was provided for EOF students during Summer Program 2009
Beer Goggles used for Stockton Outdoor Adventure Retreat program
Campus Neighborhood Watch Program (Good Samaritan) 9/15/09 was well attended; additional
promotion provided by Club Fair
Police/Residential Life partner program (ongoing)
Worked with Residential Life on Residential Advisor Training in August.
Wellness Center
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Alcohol and Drug Counselors conducted training sessions on Alcohol and Drug Education to incoming
Resident Advisors in August
Presented Alcohol Awareness Week activities from 9/2/09 - 9/8/09 that included Osprey Bar, Dizzy
Driver Challenge, MOCKtails and Design a T-shirt contest, Texting for Taxis, Self-Assessment, Project
Pride presentation by current inmates at Clinton Prison, the first Alcoholics Anonymous Young Adult
meeting, TIPS workshops at off-campus local bars, and development of the ThinkFast Program
In addition to Alcohol Awareness Week activities, sponsored the following workshops and activities
with alcohol education theme: Harvest Festival; Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n Roll; Risky Business; Lolla-nobooza; Think Before You Drink; Responsible Driving
E-Chug and E-Toke online self-assessment programs are posted on several College websites; they are
available to both students and parents
Developed a stepped progressive alcohol drug educational intervention using reliable instruments such
as the Audit and Basics for students sanctioned by judicial hearings to visit alcohol counselors
Developed an alcohol/drug education website
Developed an alcohol/drug education Facebook presence
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Established an on-campus Young Adult Alcoholics Anonymous group that meets weekly on Monday
evenings throughout the year
Alcohol 101, a series of one-hour workshops for students and Greeks, introduces students to responsible
use of alcohol through education about the deleterious effects of alcohol; meetings are held twice a
month throughout the semester and include the HERO Campaign and RSC (Responsible Safe Choices)
RSC (Responsible Safe Choices) an on-campus alcohol and drug use educational and advertising
campaign
College Center/Student Development
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Interactive presentation by Brent Scarpo from Coleman Productions on alcohol consumption
John Perovich (Complex Director) wrote and directed a short play based on real alcohol judicial cases;
nearly 700 students attended
ThinkFast program led by student leaders from Greeks and athletics was held on 11/10/09 at N-Wing
Student Restaurant
Matt Maher Lecture: “I’m That Guy,” 12/1/09; 250 attended
Offered Quizzo, a trivia game presented under non-alcoholic conditions but modeled after a similar
game played in local bars, three times during the fall and spring semesters; $200.00 in prizes were
awarded each night of Quizzo; game was modified to include alcohol and drug education questions;
average attendance 41 students each game
Residential Life
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Residential Life implemented an alcohol free policy for Housing II and III for the first time in the
College’s history
First year residential students were required to take Alcohol Wise, a three and one half hour online
alcohol education program developed by 3rd Millennium Classroom; 92% response rate (661-718
students); non-compliant students were put on notice to complete Alcohol Wise or receive a sanction
(Fall and Spring Semesters)
An Alcohol Education barbeque was held on 9/26/09
Lunch and Liquor, an Alcohol and Drug Education program, was held 10/27/09
Spring 2010 Activities
All Programs
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The Healthy Minds Study ran from 2/15/10 to 3/01/10. The study involves a survey conducted by an
off-campus company that collects data from randomly identified students relating to mental health
prevalence, help-seeking behaviors and alcohol and drug use etc.
Green Dot Four Day Training designed to launch a bystander intervention and violence reduction
program on campus was held May 17-20, 2010. In attendance were participants from Princeton
University, Rowan University, YMCA of Bergen County, Providence House Violence Services, Bergen
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County Women’s Shelter, Stockton faculty and representatives from Stockton’s Offices of The Wellness
Center, Residential Life, Event Services, College Center, Service Learning, Bursar, EOF, COS, Student
Development, Dean of Students and Campus Police
Designated Driver Week Activities March 8 through March 12, 2010
A full-day conference entitled, Responsible Safe Choices: Make a Choice, Make a Change, whose
theme was “Changing the Drinking Culture” held on April 23, 2010; invited were several groups from
area high schools
OPTIONS class was offered during the Spring 2010 semester
Alcohol/Drug Peer Education Class was offered during the Spring 2010 semester
The Stay Safe and Graduate Program planned a Responsible Safe Choices safe driving component for
Employee Wellness Day as a service to employees
The first Greek Week HERO Day was celebrated on April 7, 2010
The HERO of the Year Essay Writing Contest Award and Gala was held July 22, 2010
Stockton senior, Chelsea Gallagher, winner of the HERO of the Year Essay Writing Contest, is
portrayed on the HERO of the Year billboard in Atlantic City
Presented several alcohol education workshops including Spring Break Safety, Spring Break 2010, Peer
Pressure, Decades of Drugs and Changing the Drinking Culture
Impact of Policy Implementation
Since Housing II and III Alcohol Free Policy implementation and freshman parental notification for all alcohol
related incidents, alcohol transports of freshman students were reduced from eight (8) in AY 08-09 to three (3)
in AY 09-10. Please refer to Chart 2 on page 9.
Additionally, there was a reduction in alcohol related incidents for residential freshmen from seventy-three (73)
in AY 08-09 to forty five (45) in AY 09-10. Please refer to Chart 2 on page 9.
Alcohol Counseling Trends
1. Since implementing mandatory completion of Alcohol Wise by freshmen residential students, freshmen
alcohol-related incidents have decreased by 50%.
2. In AY 08-09, a total of 41 sophomore and junior students had issues with alcohol. Please see
Addendum for data charts of final trends.
3. Based on CHB referrals for Fall 2009, the recidivism rate for all alcohol violations is 7%. This
represents a 6% decrease in comparison to Fall 2008 (13% for all violations). Of particular note,
freshman and sophomore recidivism has decreased from 11.5% in Fall 2008 to 0 in Fall 2009.
4. A plan is in place to synthesize all the alcohol-related record keeping into the Wellness Center to allow
the College to examine the data and identify trends.
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PROGRAMMING COSTS
Fall 2009 Semester
Wellness Center
TIPS trainings to JD’s Bar and Grill
Alcohol Awareness Week: Materials, food and indirect costs
Lolla-no-booza
ARGO ad
Food
Supplies
Program Total
RSC Holiday Safe Driving Event: Chartwells Food
Stay Safe and Graduate Program Peer Educator payroll costs
Total for Wellness Initiatives
$924.00
$279.34
$203.00
$1,190.55
$73.00
$1,466.55
$221.25
$1,973.50
$4,864.64
Residential Life
3rd Millenium Classroom
HERO Campaign Speaker
Alcohol Education Barbeque
Liquor and Lunch: Alcohol and Drug Education
Total for Residential Initiatives
$10,000.00
$174.00
$443.72
$586.49
$11,204.21
College Center
Quizzo
ThinkFast
Welcome Week Activities
Total College Center Initiatives
$3,250.00
$2,744.70
$3,500.00
$9,494.70
Total for Fall 2009:
$25,563.55
Spring 2010 Semester
Wellness Center
Designated Driver Awareness Week: (3/8/10 – 3/12/10)
Materials
Giveaways
ARGO
Movie
ProgramTotal
$100.00
$895.00
$206.00
$321.00
$1,522.00
Alcohol Forum (April 23, 2010):
Materials
Chartwells
ARGO
Speaker
Program Total
$150.00
$2,475.00
$206.00
$400.00
$3,231.00
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Consulting
Healthy Minds
Green Dot Campaign
Program Total
Stay Safe & Graduate Peer Educators and Coordinator payroll
HERO Day (April 7, 2010)
HERO Campaign Essay Prizes
$1,150.00
$12,000.00
$13,150.00
$4,000.00
$1900.00
650.00
Total for Spring 2010
$24,453.00
Total Fall 2009 and Spring 2010
$50,016.55
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Addendum Data Charts
Chart 1
Fall 2009 Residential Freshman Pre/Post Test for Alcohol Wise
Page 8
Chart 2
Alcohol Related Incidents in Freshman Housing
Page 9
Chart 3
Students by Class Year Using the Alcohol Drug Education Program
Page 10
Chart 4
Age at Treatment Referral
Page 11
Chart 5
Reason for Treatment
Page 12
Chart 6
Recidivism
Page 13
Chart 7
DWI Arrest Comparison
Page 14
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Chart 1
Fall 2009 Residential Freshman Pre/Post Test for Alcohol-Wise
Incoming freshman residential students were required to complete Alcohol Wise. Response rate was 92% of
incoming students (661-718 students). Of the 661 students, 53% passed the pre-test by scoring an 80 or better.
The students were then required to complete the post-test and, of the 661 students, 81% (535) passed.
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Chart 2
Alcohol Related Incidents in Freshman Housing
In comparison to AY 2008-2009, there was a significant reduction in freshman alcohol related incidents in AY
2009-2010. In addition, there was a reduction of four (4) freshmen alcohol-related hospital transports from AY
2008-2009 to AY 2009-2010. These improvements have strong ties to our new policy that prohibits alcohol in
the freshman residence halls (Housing II and III).
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Chart 3
Students by Class Year Using the Alcohol Drug Education Program
The Alcohol Drug Education Program was utilized by 68 students with substance use issues as their primary
presenting problem. This does not capture the number of students with co-occurring problems who also utilized
services.
The breakdown of students by class year is as follows:
21% were freshmen, N=14
28% were sophomores, N=19
28% were juniors, N=19
23% were seniors, N=16
The age range of students utilizing the Alcohol Drug Education Program was primarily 19-22 years.
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Chart 4
Age at Treatment Referral
Most students who utilized the Alcohol Drug Education Program were mandated for treatment by the Campus
Hearing Board (72%). Other main sources of referral included alcohol transport follow up checks (9%), selfreferrals (6%) and Residence Life (5%).
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Chart 5
Reason for Treatment
Most students who utilized the Alcohol Drug Education Program were mandated for treatment by the Campus
Hearing Board (72%). Other main sources of referral included alcohol transport follow-up checks (9%), self
referrals (6%) and Residence Life (5%).
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Chart 6
Recidivism Rates
The recidivism rate was relatively low for FY2009-2010. Out of 68 students, 88% were first time offenders and
avoided additional incidents by the end of the academic year. Seven percent of the students were referred for
second offenses or had a recurrence during that present academic year. Finally, 5% of students were unable or
unwilling to stop their use. They are listed as the Exception bar. Within the exception group, one student had
his/her first CHB involvement and stated they would continue to use recreationally but not on campus. Two
students were self-referred with no judicial involvement during any of their academic careers and were unable
to stop; they were referred out to a higher level of care.
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Chart 7
DWI Arrests on Campus
Data collected from Stockton Police by Chief Glenn Miller. The chart illustrates that the number of RSC
students arrested for DWI on campus has continued to decrease. The number of DWI arrests has been variable
for campus visitors.
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