A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Introduction

This compendium, initiated by the U.S. Department of Education's Network of Colleges and Universities Committed to the Elimination of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, brings together the views of members of the higher education community on alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and research on the college campus. Major articles are provided on four issues-prevention theory, intervention research, environmental influences, and assessment. These topics have been considered from a research-based, applied perspective. They were selected as the result of recommendations made by a national group of researchers and practitioners convened under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this meeting was to develop a national agenda for applied prevention research on the college campus. As a result of the meeting, the areas mentioned above emerged as priorities for further study and development. Each author in this compendium has reviewed the published literature in these areas and has recommended topics for further research and practice.

In section III, Gerardo M. Gonzalez examines the lack of theoretical models and theory-driven research to guide alcohol and other drug abuse prevention efforts on campus. He discusses several emerging theoretical models that have implications for college prevention work, and he underscores the need for appropriate theoretical models applicable to college populations. He discusses his own Integrated Theoretical Model for Alcohol and Drug Prevention (ITMADP) framework, which encompasses individual motivation, interpersonal/social skills acquisition, efficacy expectations, and interactions with the environment as predictors of alcohol and other drug use behavior.

The development of the current approaches to alcohol and other drug abuse prevention is reviewed in section IV by Lewayne D. Gilchrist. This section focuses on research on the effectiveness of prevention programs for youth conducted during the last 30 years; current directions in preventing alcohol and drug use; and ways to build effective prevention programs for the future based on theory, research, and practical experience. Gilchrist offers suggestions for the campus alcohol and drug abuse prevention coordinator who wants to develop a comprehensive program. Her suggestions are based on current prevention research that stresses the importance of addressing both individuals and their environments to achieve lasting behavioral change.

In section V, George D. Kuh summarizes research on the influence of collegiate environments on students' use of alcohol and suggests ways to create environmental conditions that foster positive, health-enhancing behaviors. He defines "health-enhancing environments" as campus settings in which the institution's philosophy, culture, physical spaces, policies, practices, students, faculty, and staff foster the responsible use of alcohol for legal drinkers.

In the sixth section, Alan D. Berkowitz reviews the use of surveys assessing alcohol and other drug use for counseling, education, and evaluation purposes and recommends that they be based on relevant theoretical frameworks. He discusses some recent attempts to standardize survey instruments and survey administration procedures, including the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education's (FIPSE's) Pre/Post Core drug prevention instrument and the Centers for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. He focuses on the lack of uniformity in assessment methodologies. He also notes gaps in the literature and makes recommendations for future study.

Section VII contains four reviews of the articles. The authors of the reviews are practitioners-rather than researchers-in the substance abuse prevention field. Each reviewer has responded to the articles based on the perspective of his or her particular campus. One response represents the perspective of an administrator from one of the historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs); another gives the viewpoint of a major metropolitan campus; a third represents the stance of a public university; and a fourth provides insights from a private university.

Together, these chapters and the reactions from the practitioners reflect the current thinking on what is known about alcohol and other drug abuse prevention on the college campus. It is hoped that this information will stimulate further discussion and research into appropriate models of prevention for college students. For too long, college prevention programs have developed in an a theoretical manner based on judgments not supported by the research literature. However, it is now possible to apply theory to practice in a less expensive, more efficient, and more productive manner. Moving the field closer to this ultimate goal is the purpose of this compendium.

Foreword Theories, Dominant Models, and the Need for Applied Research