COMMUNITY

The A Matter of Degree (AMOD) policy partnerships set the stage for a renewed consideration of the university as social change agent and leader. As one would expect, until recently most campuses addressed alcohol problems through small-group and peer education awareness campaigns and student counseling services. The university was perceived as a reactor or observer, limited to using persuasion and not fundamentally connected to the sources of student alcohol problems. Most campuses and surrounding cities treated alcohol problems separately – as a campus-student problem or as a city problem.

The AMOD environmental model was an eye-opener. It illustrated how the university was affected by and could influence external factors. The AMOD model emphasizes the university as a dynamic community force – one that can positively or negatively affect the health of its students, its staff and the wider community. Change is found to come not just through discussion and persuasion but from active, purposeful changes in environments. The experience requires that in non-academic activities the university needs to be willing to openly discuss and engage non-campus actors in problem analyses and solutions. The common framework is that alcohol-related problems are not seen as a student or a city or a campus problem but a shared problem and responsibility.

Text taken from a section of “A Matter of Degree Advocacy Initiative,” portions written by Richard A. Yoast, PhD.

As a part of AMOD, the Partnership for Alcohol Responsibility would like to engage the participation of a variety of Tallahassee community members and stake holders to join our coalition in improving environmental factors that currently lead to high-risk drinking for our youth. Use the links to the left to learn more about how you can become involved and what policies are currently enforced in our area.

For more information please visit the NIAAA website. (Click on the section for Community Leaders.)