What is it?
Campus-community collaboration refers to strategic partnerships between a post-secondary institution and key stakeholders from the larger community. The aim of working together with the community is to
Off-campus drinking among students is influenced by local conditions of marketing—advertising, sales and service. In acting together to promote low-risk alcohol consumption, institutions and community stakeholders can help students avoid behaviour that is harmful, embarrassing, disruptive and/or destructive to themselves and others. Joint regulatory initiatives encourage local citizens and leaders as well as collegiate officials and students in public responsibility and constructive contribution to community wellbeing.
Level of research support: Some evidence of effectiveness
Why do it?
Evidence suggests that where strong cooperative ventures exist between schools and communities, student drinking behaviours off campus change for the better. All students -- and the campus in general -- benefit when an institution's reputation is associated not with alcohol-related incidents but instead with positive participation in the life of the surrounding community.
Regulation of alcohol availability and promotion in the community are among the better attested initiatives for reduction of harm within the general public. Students will be a sub-population in particular more protected by such measures making alcohol less accessible, less affordable and so somewhat less appealing. Failure to help bring about appropriate regulation in the local community will undermine the benefit of implementing it on campus (and hurt business for campus establishments in some degree of competition with nearby outlets).
Costs will be incurred in the time required to pursue and achieve satisfactory stances on the part of local authorities and operators. Such investment needs to be viewed in terms of partnerships formed, further possibilities opened up, conditions improved and the benefit of reductions in misconduct, injuries and damages.
Who is it for?
Who can facilitate it?
How can we implement it?
Pursue regulation of community events involving alcohol sales/use
Ensure appropriate management of local events—including public festivals and private parties—by encouraging hosts to promote responsible drinking. This may involve encouraging consensus on policies around how alcohol is promoted, served and consumed. (It may also involve establishing repercussions for disturbing neighbours and other offences by students.)
Encourage outlet owners to share responsibility
Persuade local on-premise establishments not to offer price discounts and drink specials (since those encourage risky drinking and misconduct). Promote improvement in facility conditions—lighting, seating arrangements, space, cleanliness—to lower likelihood of physical harm. Underscore the legal ramifications of selling to or serving minors or those near/at intoxication.
In some instances, collaborative efforts have succeeded in getting collective agreements from operators in the community to identify and publicize their establishments as among those voluntarily committed to uphold and abide by certain standards of promotion and service performance.
Help enact and enforce regulations and by-laws
Protect students from excessive alcohol consumption and its consequences by helping to regulate access to and distribution of alcohol. This may involve
Article: Campus-Community Collaborations
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