Strategizer 34: Working in Partnership with Local Colleges and Universities

Many colleges and universities have taken a more comprehensive approach to reducing student alcohol and other drug problems by entering into partnerships with community-based groups to work together on developing solutions. Now communities have a new resource to help them take the initiative when it comes to working with campuses on shared problems related to student alcohol and other drug use.

The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) has just added Working in Partnership with Local Colleges and Universities to its series of Strategizer Technical Assistance Manuals to provide community-based coalitions with step-by-step guidance on working with colleges and universities.

Strategizer 34 describes various policy options and activities that town/gown coalitions can work on jointly to reduce problems. It also provides community coalitions with insight on how colleges and universities function so that they can reach out effectively to enlist their support. For example, one way to get campus involvement is to seek out the institution's president and encourage him or her to take a leadership role in the community in addressing these problems.