Tusculum College is working hand-in-hand with various community agencies, from law enforcement groups to mental health professionals, to ensure that its students are aware of health and legal issues associated with the abuse of drugs and alcohol, recent interviews reveal.

In some situations, the college has worked proactively with those on the front lines of the war against substance abuse. For example, Tusculum College mass media students produced an educational film about the dangers of methamphetamines that has proven to be a popular and effective tool for Greene County law enforcement officials, a Sheriff's Department captain says.

Captain John Huffine, who has worked for about two decades with the Greene County Sheriff's department, said the Sheriff's Department is "pleased with the video … it was a big hit."

Huffine said that officer Ralph Roderick, who is in charge of the Sheriff's Department's "Meth Task Force," has shown the video, entitled "If You Cook It, We Will Come," to many community organizations. The video has also aired on local cable television.

Though production of the meth video was an outward-reaching activity of the college, the college focuses most of its substance abuse education programs inwardly to its own student body, to make sure students are sufficiently warned of drug dangers and taught how to avoid them.

"Talking to leaders within Tusculum College quickly shows that this institution puts forth a concerted and continuing effort to make sure its students are aware of how dangerous substance abuse is, the ramifications it can have for their personal lives and physical and mental health, and how substance abuse can devastate a college career and close doors to opportunities beyond college," said Cameron Judd, director of communications at Tusculum College.

He noted that the Student Affairs division of the college plays a crucial role in most of these efforts.

"The college carries out a continuing education and awareness programming effort" that deals often with substance abuse issues, noted Jonita Ashley-Pauley, associate dean of students. "If you live on campus you are exposed to education on drugs and alcohol," she said.

The programming efforts she mentioned "deal with health awareness and gender issues." "Health awareness" issues include drug and alcohol abuse.

Tusculum College's students typically are receptive to the college's efforts in this regard, Ashley-Pauley said. "The college years are very formative, and the habits they begin now may very well follow them through their entire lives. We strive to open dialogue with the students so that they may make informed decisions. For example, we discuss issues such as how habits that lead to alcoholism may often develop during this age," she said.

Persons the age of traditional college students typically are "at an age of personal growth, and often a difficult time," she said. Thus a college setting is an ideal place to make sure those students have the information they need to navigate safely through that portion of their personal development, she said.

A counselor is available for Tusculum College students who need to discuss substance abuse concerns and other problems. Celeste Young, who is affiliated with Frontier Health, a mental health center in Greeneville, works closely with Tusculum College and keeps office hours on the campus two days weekly. Campus Chaplain the Rev. Dr. Steven Weisz is also available to students, as is a campus nurse, Diane Hensley, and numerous concerned faculty members.

Dr. Bonnie Winfield, assistant professor of sociology, is a faculty member who has taken a lead in keeping students aware of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. With Winfield's help, said Ashley-Pauley, "Tusculum College is being proactive and introducing these issues into freshman orientation." That orientation process is being expanded in length and intensity.

In addition to what the Student Affairs office calls educational events, Tusculum College conducts regular activities that involve some sort of recreation or fun carried out in a way that conveys a message.

he college's 24 resident assistants are crucial to the college's efforts to prevent drug and alcohol abuse at Tusculum College. "Our RAs go through intensive training in drug and alcohol issues," Ashley-Pauley said. Among other things, the RAs are taught how to spot evidence of drug presence or use, and how to counsel and refer students who may have problems or questions.

Tusculum College averages about one educational program per week through the efforts of its RAs. In addition to the RAs, two resident life professionals are on call on the campus at night, and possess broad authority to act, including the right to enter residence hall rooms if necessary. There is also a uniformed campus security force that works around the clock.

Because they are on the campus less, commuter students present a greater challenge for substance abuse awareness education. But the college has designed its substance abuse education efforts to make sure no students are left out of reach.

During one week in April, the college hosted a variety of visitors from outside agencies who came to campus to meet with students during the day, when both resident and commuter students are on campus. Physicians, law enforcement and regional drug task force members, counseling and rehabilitation professionals participated. They talked with students, provided free and confidential risk assessments, and distributed literature and other items for students.

A campus-televised student forum on matters related to alcohol and drugs was held as well.

One of the more innovative activities of that week was headed by Dr. Winfield, who led a group of black-clad students in a solemn processional around the campus, punctuated by the beat of a drum. The event was a symbolic funeral for young people killed by accidents involving substance-impaired drivers.

Tusculum College athletes receive additional drug awareness education through the work of athletic trainers, who help oversee NCAA-required and college-sanctioned random drug testing programs.

Student athletes are required to sign a waiver allowing random testing for drugs. They are made aware of the college policy dictating that "If at any time an athlete tests positive a third time for substance abuse, he/she will be declared ineligible and lose his/her athletic scholarship, resulting in immediate and final disbarment from the intercollegiate athletic programs at Tusculum College," as the college's "Drug Education and Screening Program at Tusculum College" policy document states.

Even Tusculum College's admissions and financial aid counselors are involved in educating students about the dangers of taking substance abuse lightly. Students are informed that conviction on drug offenses in a court of law can cause a student to lose his or her right to receive financial aid.

Some of the college's efforts in substance abuse education and prevention were supported by a recent $10,000 start-up grant to fund a project to help students develop beneficial coping skills and raise awareness on campus of the problems substance abuse can cause.

The grant, funded by the Greve Foundation, was given to support a "Bringing Theory to Practice Project " on the Tusculum campus. The Bringing Theory to Practice Project is a national multi-year initiative focusing on using engaged learning such as service-learning and community-directed collaborative research as intervention or prevention strategies to address student substance abuse and certain types of depression. The project is sponsored by the Charles Engelhard Foundation of New York City and developed in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

The Tusculum College grant supported professional consultation toward development of curriculum to teach students healthy coping skills and helped cover costs associated with student awareness events, faculty and staff development, and other project expenses. The grant was written by student Greg Shivers, a Bonner Leader on campus, under the guidance of team leader for the project, Robin Fife, the director of the Center for Civic Advancement at Tusculum.

The grant proposal is based on results of a survey of Tusculum students regarding their attitudes toward alcohol and the college campus as well as what skills they use to cope with stress. That survey was funded through a $2,500 mini-grant from the Bringing Theory to Practice Project.

The survey was written, conducted, analyzed, and compared to other research by a team of psychology students, Gabby Funes, Amy Higgins, and Philip Rosenbaum, with oversight by Shannon Salyer, assistant professor of psychology.

Agencies that have worked recently with Tusculum College in promoting drug and alcohol education among students and in the community include the Tusculum Police Department, Greene County Sheriff's Department, Greene County Health Department, East Tennessee Regional Drug Task Force, Frontier Health Center, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Community Counseling Services.

© 2005 Tusculum College | Telephone: 1.800.729.0256 | email: webmaster@tusculum.edu