For Undergraduate Students
Alcohol Use, Sexual Assault, Well-being, and the Transition to College
The pre-college months and the first six weeks of college are a critical time in a student's transition to college. Going to college brings substantial increases in stress and responsibility as students experience increasing levels of independence and accountability. Many first-year students expect to and do experiment with drinking during the first days and weeks of college. The risks for personal harm increase at this time by unfamiliarity with heavy drinking, their new social and physical surroundings, and the change in their support systems. Additionally, the annual U-M Student Life Survey substantiates that alcohol misuse continues to be an issue for many U-M students.
Studies further indicate that students are at the highest risk for sexual assault during their first 2-3 months at the University. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center report that they have three times more clients in the first eight weeks of school than throughout the rest of the year. They also report that alcohol is involved in 80-90% of the assaults that they handle.
These startling statistics point to the necessity of early intervention in the prevention of alcohol misuse and sexual violence on campus. Educating students before they arrive on campus will better prepare them to manage the transition to college life.
Recommended Intervention
In order to educate our incoming students to make informed choices about their decisions related to alcohol use as well as learn about sexual assault prevention and overall mental health and well-being; new students will complete the online courses AlcoholEdu for College, Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates, and Mental Well-being for Students prior to their arrival on campus.
AlcoholEdu® is the only online alcohol prevention program designed for population-level, primary prevention. The program incorporates the latest evidence-based prevention methods to create a highly engaging user experience that inspires students to reflect on and consider changing their drinking. Today, AlcoholEdu is used on more than 500 campuses and by 36% of all first-year students at America’s four-year higher education institutions.
With eight published studies documenting its efficacy, AlcoholEdu is the only program proven to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences among students. AlcoholEdu remains the only program specifically designed for ALL students, whether they are frequent heavy drinkers, light to moderate drinkers, or non-drinkers. The 1.5- hour curriculum is designed to be administered to an entire population of students, such as an entering first-year class.
Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates is Vector’s premier online learning platform addressing the critical issues of sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking, which impact countless college students across the country. Built in collaboration with leading researchers and practitioners, Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates is an interactive module designed to engage and empower students to create safe, healthy campus environments. Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates combines the power of cutting-edge instructional design and rich media to educate students about the elements of healthy relationships, the importance of sexual consent, and the role of bystanders in creating safe, healthy communities.
Mental Well-being for Students is Vector’s premier online learning platform addressing essential skills and information to navigate the stressors and emotional challenges associated with college life. The 45-minute online course helps learners practice self-care strategies, recognize when they or their peers are in distress, and take action to find additional support. This course was developed to promote student safety, emotional health, and wellness.
For Undergraduate & Graduate/Professional Students
University of Michigan's Commitment to Ending Sexual Violence
The University of Michigan (University or U-M) values civility, dignity, diversity, education, equality, freedom, honesty, and safety, as described in the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and is firmly committed to maintaining a campus environment free from sexual harassment, and sexual assault, collectively referred to as sexual misconduct.
Sexual misconduct jeopardizes the mental, physical, and emotional welfare of our students, as well as the safety of our community. Sexual misconduct diminishes students’ individual dignity and impedes their access to educational, social, and employment opportunities. It can permanently impact students’ lives and may cause lasting physical and psychological harm. Sexual misconduct violates our institutional values and its presence in the community presents a barrier to fulfilling the University’s scholarly, research, educational, patient care, and service missions. Sexual misconduct, therefore, will not be tolerated at the University of Michigan and is expressly prohibited.
Supportive of this mission, UM has proudly offered sexual violence prevention education, including an online Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates course for undergraduate students, for nearly a decade. Beginning in 2016, we were excited to offer a new course, Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students, designed to meet the needs of our graduate and professional students, who make up nearly 40% of our student population. Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students offers a tailored learning experience that is customized to graduate and professional students' needs and concerns, and that is attentive to differences in the learning and work environments that graduate and professional students experience. All students will complete the online course Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students.
Recommended Intervention
Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students is Vector's premier online learning platform addressing the critical issues of sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking, which impact countless graduate and professional students across the country. Built-in collaboration with leading researchers and practitioners, Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students is an interactive module designed to engage and empower graduate and professional students to create safe, healthy campus environments. Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students combines the power of cutting-edge instructional design and rich media to educate graduate and professional students about the elements of healthy relationships, the importance of sexual consent, and the role of bystanders in creating safe, healthy communities.
Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students was developed as a collaboration between the University of Michigan and Vector. Graduate and professional students, faculty, and staff from across the institution provided recommendations and feedback that shaped the development of this course.
Stakeholder Support
Community Matter's online courses have been endorsed by the following Student Life units: Office of New Student Programs, Dean of Students Office, Housing-Residence Education, Office of Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR), Risk Management, Counseling and Psychological Services, University Health Service, Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, Office of Greek Life, Athletics, and the Chief Health Officer. Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students has also been showcased to all Graduate and Professional school deans prior to the launch.
Program Evaluation
The University of Michigan will have a complete data set to use as a baseline for benchmarks and for developing additional prevention programs to address high-risk drinking and sexual assault.