New program offered through Syracuse University’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Enhancement Office will provide mini grants for curriculum infusion

New program offered through Syracuse University’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Enhancement Office will provide mini grants for curriculum infusionFebruary 09, 2001Judy Holmesjlholmes@syr.edu

Syracuse University’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Enhancement Office (S.A.P.H.E.) has announced a new mini grant program for faculty members who are interested in integrating substance abuse prevention issues into course curriculum. The new program will provide up to $1,500 in funding for proposals that substantially incorporate alcohol and other drug-related (AOD) information into current courses, for new AOD curriculum development, or for proposals that are designed to enhance the professional preparation of students entering related health, education and human service fields, says Dessa Bergen-Cico, director of S.A.P.H.E. The grant program was announced during the Feb. 8 Gateway Faculty Luncheon. Application information and support services for the mini grant program will be provided by the Center for Support of Teaching and Learning (CSTL), the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and S.A.P.H.E. The deadline for submitting applications is April 16. The application is available online at http://sumweb.syr.edu/health/curriculum.htm. “A number of faculty members are already doing some creative things to incorporate discussions about AOD issues into their courses,” Bergen-Cico says. “It’s such an interdisciplinary issue that it relates well to any topic. The mini grants will hopefully encourage more faculty members to participate in the program.” Funding for the mini grants is provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models on College Campuses Program. Last June, the University’s 12-Point Plan for Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Enhancement was recognized by the department as a model program. The University received a $99,957 grant to help support the plan, to implement new University-wide initiatives, and to help disseminate information about the program to other colleges and universities through presentations, publications and the Internet. SU was one of six universities in the country to receive the grant in 2000. The 12-Point Plan was developed by Barry L. Wells, vice president for student affairs and dean of student relations, and approved by Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw in 1999.

“The plan is an interdisciplinary, University-wide effort to raise awareness and to educate students about issues surrounding alcohol and other drugs, and how the issues relate to the quality of student life on campus,” Wells says. “The plan enables us to coordinate our efforts with a number of University departments, including the Office of Residence Life, the Office of Government and Community Relations, the Department of Public Safety, Risk Management and the Office of Judicial Affairs, as well as academic departments throughout the University’s schools and colleges,” Wells says. In addition to the mini grants, the Model Programs grant has helped fund the development of a 12-Point Plan Web site(http://students.syr.edu/12pointplan/); the publication of brochures for students that provide information about alternative entertainment and recreational opportunities available on and off campus; and numerous safety awareness, stress management and student dialogue opportunities across campus.