2001 NCAAW Letter from the Chair

On behalf of the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues, let me welcome you to another National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week! This year will be the best yet with more than 3,000 colleges and universities in North America jointly recognizing the importance of campus prevention efforts.

You have received this manual, year-round programming calendar, and posters announcing our new student writing contest, because you, as a campus professional, are in a position to make NCAAW a success! And as you will see in reviewing the materials in this manual, one key element for success in GOING FOR THE GOLD is to involve many different groups in the planning process for educational efforts. Given the fact that this is an Olympic year, this theme should inspire a great deal of interest and activity. Just as any Olympic team requires good coaching, our prevention programs need you to lead the way in bringing together a variety of student groups and offices to implement programs that will support student learning and positive actions to keep our campuses safe.

Each year, we produce these resources in hopes that they will spark new and worthwhile ideas for your campus alcohol abuse prevention efforts. NCAAW is a very timely observance because it brings attention to important campus issues early in the academic year. But, its crucial to understand that prevention is not a one-week activity. The healthy choices your students make (or dont make) can be largely impacted by your commitment to year-round efforts.

In recognition of your outstanding year-long efforts, the Task Force awards cash prizes to campuses whose alcohol abuse prevention programming shows special innovation and effectiveness. Youll find application information at the end of this manual, and I hope youll consider applying. No matter how large or small your school, or your budget, your efforts are important and deserve recognition!Dr. Hammond

A new exciting element of NCAAW efforts is a student writing competition. This writing contest focuses on the topic of high risk drinking and will engage students to be a part of the solution in examining this critical issue. It is a great program to work in cooperation with journalism faculty to discover the talented writers on your campus.

As you use these resources to assist you in the planning of your programming, your marketing, your public relations, and your evaluation, we hope that you will realize that only you can know what will work best on your campus. You will find some strategies developed by the Task Force that may serve to strengthen your efforts as you collaborate with many segments of the campus to send clear and consistent messages about alcohol abuse and student drinking behaviors.

The 21 higher-education organizations that make up the Task Force are dedicated to making our campuses safer and more enjoyable for everyone. From campus security, to fraternities and sororities, to athletics, to residence halls and peer education programs, we all have a vested interest in making National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week a memorable event in 2001.

-Dr. Edward Hammond
President of Fort Hays State University
NCAAW Chairperson



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