A residence life perspective on NASPA’s MHADOVP Opening Plenary Speaker

Just turn on the news and it’s clear that issues related to alcohol, drugs, violence, and mental health on college campuses are in the national spotlight. But we already know about the issues and the risks associated with it. What about the support, resources, and caring professionals that address those issues and help students?

As a first time attendee of the NASPA Mental Health, Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention (MHAODVP) conferences, I found Elizabeth Armstrong’s Opening Plenary Session to be a very fitting way to start the conference. Armstrong and her colleague observed life on a women’s floor in a residence hall at a large, football-centric, Greek life influenced university. Having lived on a first-year floor during my first professional residence life position, I’m sure our observational experience living in that environment is similar. I’m also certain we both received similar awkward looks from residents when they learned they were living next door to an adult.

Armstrong’s session prompted me to reflect on what these issues look like on my campus and to take pride in all the work professionals in student affairs, faculty, law enforcement, counseling, and non-profit agencies do to educate, prevent, and respond to issues associated with alcohol, drugs, mental health, and violence.

Like just about any residence life program, we extensively train our student and professional staff at the University of Miami on identifying behaviors related to alcohol and drug use as well as mental health issues and how to best implement preventative practices and respond to crises related to these issues.

We have also seen productive results through our University’s ‘Canes Care for ‘Canes program, a resource in which students can report a concern they have about a fellow ‘Cane. These are just a few examples that go along with the inspiring stories I heard at the conference about the numerous resources and successful programs found at just about any institution of higher education.

And while data may suggest that marketing campaigns, residence hall programs, paperwork, and legal obligations are effective ways to mitigate some of the risks associated with alcohol, drugs, sexual violence, and other dangers of college outlined by Armstrong, they may not mean a whole lot if a student does not feel connected.

The community Armstrong described is one in which the desire to fit in and be popular divides the community, creates a social caste system, and pressures students to use alcohol and drugs and to engage in risky behavior. The residents Armstrong observed seemed to be driven by a simple fact. They wanted to fit in.

Having graduated from a university much like the one Armstrong described and looking at this issue through my own residence life lens, I do not think fitting in is a matter of climbing the social ladder, but rather finding your own community.

As we know, this is a journey each student goes through. Some start college and find that group right away. It may take other students a while to find their niche or they may surround themselves with peers who engage in risky behavior. For better or for worse, students need to feel engaged in order to succeed.

So what do we do about all these issues that seem to derive from the desire to belong, fit in, and find one’s community? It starts with knowing what the issues are on your campus.

Does tailgating promote binge drinking on your campus? Do students feel there is a lack of support for issues related to gender violence? It is easier to speculate, but more effective to assess.

We need to know what exactly is promoting a campus culture where students do not know what to do when they need support or what factors influence binge drinking, drug use, violence, and other related behaviors.

After we know what the circumstances are, let’s work together and address them. It is important to recognize what is already being done and build upon those pre-existing practices. Don’t stop there. Utilize colleagues, professional associations, and pre-existing initiatives to create innovative solutions.

I applaud Armstrong’s work and for recognizing the issues which many of us in residence life and other areas encounter on a daily basis. And while the issues she highlighted may seem to dominate college culture and the student experience, it was inspiring to know there are people from various professions and academic disciplines who make college what it was meant to be, a place to belong and succeed.