Responding to Student Problems: Alcohol
According to Anderson (1994), alcohol use is a factor is 40% of all academic problems encountered by college and university students across the country. More critically, it is a factor in an estimated 28% of all dropouts. In some cases, students are hospitalized for alcohol poisoning or injuries sustained due to excessive alcohol consumption. In the most extreme cases, students die by overdose or from injuries sustained while intoxicated.
Inappropriate alcohol and other drug use can interfere with the teaching and learning process. Students who are dealing with their own alcohol or drug problems or those of friends and family may find it difficult to absorb new information, complete assignments, attend class, maintain focus, or even remain in school.
The information below is focused on alcohol abuse. For further information on abuse of other drugs, see www.health.org.
Faculty can assist students by getting involved in ways that are consistent with their role as faculty (Vogt, 1999). Research indicates that college students who have received kindly interventions by a faculty or staff member have lowered their own excessive alcohol use. Further, students who attend just a single counseling session reduce their own excessive alcohol and drug use.
Following are four actions faculty can take.
Identify Students
As someone who works directly with students on a daily basis, you are in a unique position to influence them in ways that extend beyond the curriculum. Understandably, faculty are often concerned about whether or not they should get involved in the lives of students outside the classroom. Faculty often feel that responding to students' personal problems is outside their area of expertise. These are valid concerns and only the individual faculty member can decide whether or not to intervene when he or she is concerned about a potential personal problem of a student.
If a student's drinking is causing a disruption to his or her health, academic performance or classroom relationships, there is cause for concern. Any one of the following indicators is unhealthy though their appearance does not automatically equate with an alcohol or drug problem. Several of them together in a student might cause you to consider approaching the student and perhaps making a referral to an appropriate resource on campus.
Signs and symptoms of problematic alcohol or drug use include:
- Missing class on a routine basis (nationally, 1/3 of students report missing class due to alcohol abuse)
- Chronically late for class
- Red eyes, unkempt appearance, "hung over," smells of alcohol or marijuana
- Inconsistent performance on exams or in class
- Chronic failure to meet deadlines
- Claims of high tolerance for alcohol consumption; bragging about alcohol use
- Sleeping in class
- Irritable or overly argumentative
- Noticeable health problems, bruises, cuts; often sick
Steps to Take
There are no absolutely correct procedures for dealing with student with an alcohol or drug problem. Each person has his or her own style of approaching and responding to others. Listed below are some suggestions of steps to take in interacting with a student for whom you are concerned:
- Initiate a conversation with the student. Ask questions in a non-threatening manner: How are you? What's going on?
- Talk with the student in private to minimize any possible embarrassment.
- Describe specific behaviors that you have observed that have caused you to become concerned. It is most effective if you communicate with the student shortly after you have observed behavior that causes you to be concerned.
- Express your sincere concern about the student's welfare.
- Listen carefully without providing advice or rushing in to help fix the problem.
- Be prepared for a negative response from the student.
- If the student begins to engage in conversation and shares the concerns you have raised, be prepared to refer the student to an appropriate resource.
- Reinforce the person for confiding in you (if he or she has).
Address Alcohol Issues in the Classroom
One of the most significant ways to impact student attitudes and behavior is to engage them in activities that contribute to their learning of course content while at the same time educating about the alcohol use. For example, students in a class on research methods could conduct campus-based research on an issue related to high-risk drinking. A public speaking class provides an opportunity for students to research and present speeches on various dimensions of alcohol-related problems. Students in a marketing class might develop strategies for promoting alcohol-free events and activities. Properly done, such a curriculum infusion improves the quality of the teaching and learning experience, and in no way diminishes the rigor with which one addresses course content.
Schedule Freely
Please don't intentionally avoid giving quizzes or exams later in the week to accommodate what some students (a minority, by the way) consider to be "party" nights. Use the entire week to its fullest in order to maximize the learning experience of students. If you avoid administration of tests on Fridays, for example, it is taken by some students to affirm that their social life is more important than the curriculum. There are plenty of opportunities for students to have a well-rounded co-curricular and social experience on campus without carving into the academic schedule.
Invite Experts
Professional staff and student peer educators (POWER) from Health Education & Wellness can provide classroom presentations on a variety of topics related to alcohol and other drug use. If you need to be absent from a class for any reason, consider scheduling a presentation to occur in your absence. Topics can be customized to relate to course content and learning objectives. Contact Health Education and Wellness at 740.593.4742.
More Resources
For more information and resources, visit www.ohio.edu/alcohol/.
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