University of Chicago

Background
The University of Chicago campus community evokes a “Life of the Mind” spirit and diligence in its pursuit of serious intellectual inquiry, dedication to excellence through rigorous education, and development of self through the University’s traditions, culture, and core curriculum. The university’s Student Care Center (SCC) Office of Health Education has expanded the UChicago community’s “Life of the Mind” pursuit by promoting responsible decision-making regarding alcohol and other drug use, not only to ensure students’ intellectual health, but also to enhance their physical and social well-being.

Since its inception in 2001, the Office of Health Education has served as the focal point of campus alcohol and other drug (AOD) health outreach. It fosters campus alcohol policy discussion and implementation, provides student and staff with risk-reduction education and server training, organizes alcohol-free campus events, oversees student peer health educators, instructs residential and orientation alcohol trainings, and assesses campus substance use behaviors and perceptions.

At the UChicago, campus data show that the majority of undergraduate and graduate students make smart decisions about health, particularly when it comes to alcohol use. Since 2002, data have been collected annually on student health behaviors through a randomized, online survey, as well as through additional non-randomized surveys, such as National Alcohol Screening Day. These data show that undergraduate students often report less heavy episodic drinking behavior, less underage alcohol use, and greater awareness of campus alcohol resources in comparison to other undergraduates from national and private schools. For example, in 2005 an estimated 75 percent of the university’s students used alcohol in moderation (zero to four drinks in a sitting) and responsibly (once/week or less), a rate consistent with campus 2004, 2003, and 2002 data. Furthermore, while 45 to 50.6 percent of undergraduates at other private colleges and universities reported consuming five or more drinks once or more a week (Core private data: 2000 and 2001, respectively), 25 percent of UChicago’s undergraduates reported doing so in 2005 and 2004, 19.2 percent in 2003, and 23.3 percent in 2002.

Finally, student awareness of campus alcohol prevention resources is increasing annually at the UChicago (79 percent in 2004, 55.7 percent in 2003, and 41.9 percent in 2002) and is higher than that reported by students at other private schools (Core private data: 43.8 percent in 2001, 39.7 percent in 2000, and 39.2 percent in 1999). For graduate students where existing comparative data are scarce, UChicago data show that while this population reports less alcohol misuse than undergraduates, there is a greater reliance on alcohol to cope with stress and DUI behavior than found in undergraduates.

Despite these positive trends, several campus AOD issues were identified for greater study, leading to the Noctis Sero (Late Night) Project. They were understanding graduate student health beliefs and practices, minimizing stress-induced drinking, and reducing marijuana initiation during the college years.

Program Summary
UChicago initiated the Noctis Sero Project in September 2004 under an Alcohol and Other Drugs Prevention Models on College Campuses grant initiative through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

The Noctis Sero Project is characterized by its pursuit of:

• collaborating in AOD dialogue, policy, and action with both students and staff
• collecting annual and ongoing data about student health behaviors
• infusing campus identity and character into AOD programming efforts
• enacting comprehensive AOD outreach to correct students’ AOD misperceptions and instill awareness of campus AOD norms

Further elements of the Noctis Sero initiative included addressing stress-induced drinking and marijuana initiation during the college years, expanding existing program evaluation methods, and broadening the limited research literature on graduate student-specific AOD health behaviors and intervention strategies.

Some Noctis Sero activities include:

• collaborative student and departmental input in the marketing, design, planning, and staffing of Noctis Sero activities, such as Graduate Council, student activity groups, athletics
• increasing students’—particularly graduate students’—access to preventive alcohol and drug information and social norms data through bulletin boards, literature racks, social marketing flyers, and promotional items at Noctis Sero events and in campus buildings, such as residence halls, fitness and health centers, academic departments, coffeehouses, student union
• expanding the dissemination of campus substance use policies and health resources through social norms marketing at Noctis Sero activities, new student orientation, and the campus newspaper
• increasing campus alcohol/drug-free and weekend programming, such as Open Skate Nights, Campus Gym Nights, Graduate Student Lunch Social and Chair Massage, Mocktails, Game Nights

The Noctis Sero Project also incorporated stress management education and social norming into its alcohol and drug outreach activities to empower students to challenge their beliefs and behaviors pertaining to stress management and alcohol/marijuana use.

Project Evaluation
The Noctis Sero Project is being assessed using both qualitative (focus groups, program staff observations) and quantitative (questionnaires and surveys, attendance and utilization records) measures to evaluate the program’s effect and identify methods for future improvement. The Noctis Sero Project design allows access to evaluation data from a variety of sources using different measurement techniques. For example, program participants will receive weekly questionnaires at Noctis Sero events, community (campus) indexes will be assessed through quarterly meetings with focus groups and the annual campuswide health survey, and program attendance records will mark utilization trends; and observers (e.g., Noctis Sero staff, the Administrative Working Group on AOD) can offer perspective on quantitative measures to describe the program outcomes.

Results and Lessons Learned
In reviewing preliminary data results from the Noctis Sero 2004-2005 grant year and the 2005 annual student health survey, Noctis Sero program staff identified the following general trends in UChicago students:

• graduate students are more likely to use alcohol in moderation (0-4 drinks in a sitting) and less likely to use marijuana than undergraduates
• undergraduate non-drinkers report feeling less depressed, overwhelmed, or exhausted than undergraduates who use alcohol
• students who use alcohol in moderation do not report using tobacco or marijuana

In addition, undergraduate and graduate students equally overestimate the amount of alcohol that they perceive their peers to consume in a sitting, which was addressed by 2005 social norms marketing and will be re-evaluated in 2006.

Finally, evaluations from Noctis Sero events showed that all students’ alcohol and marijuana use declined significantly after Autumn Quarter, and students’ reasons for attending Noctis Sero events shifted from “something free” during Autumn 2004 to “fun/different,” “time with friends,” and “to reduce stress” in Winter and Spring 2005.

Lessons learned from the Noctis Sero Project are:

• collaboration in AOD dialogue/policy/action involves regular interaction between health, safety, student life, student government, and administration and student members
• annual, campus wide, evidence-based survey assessment of student health behaviors is an important tool to identify campus AOD needs and changes, and to compare results to other similar U.S. schools
• work with students to identify/infuse campus identity, pride, and character into AOD programming efforts, alcohol-free activities, and normative marketing to maximize student interest
• maintain a comprehensive, ongoing variety of AOD outreach activities that challenge alcohol expectancies, correct student misperceptions, and bring alcohol-free activities into the normative mainstream