Penn State Behrend Targets Alcohol Initiatives with PLCB Grant
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, announced this week that it is the recipient of an $11,500 grant from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) to support the college's mission of preventing underage and high-risk alcohol use. The PLCB has awarded more than $664,000 in grant funding to 62 organizations throughout the Commonwealth for 2006-07—a 34 percent increase versus last year.
"Penn State Behrend has established three primary goals for this grant," said Amanda Knerr, associate director of student affairs. "We plan to increase the visibility and awareness about alcohol expectations and enforcement on campus; use the social norms campaign to educate students; and provide Penn State Behrend's support services with the tools necessary to create a culture of discussion surrounding alcohol choices and behaviors, campus culture and student wellness."
Penn State Behrend will use the grant to address four key projects.
• Students will complete an alcohol and drug survey by the CORE Institute, which is headquartered in Carbondale, Ill., to determine students' perceptions about and behaviors related to alcohol use.
• Based on the survey's results, Penn State Behrend will develop a new social norms campaign, which will help to align students' perceptions versus reality via marketing initiatives that address student feedback.
• An additional officer will be assigned to campus during the late evening/early morning hours on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year and on certain holidays, such as Halloween and St. Patrick's Day.
• Penn State Behrend will purchase an Alco-sensor FST for its campus police to administer on-site blood/breath alcohol concentration (BAC) tests to students.
The grant is co-sponsored by Penn State Behrend's Partnership for Prevention Task Force to reduce underage and high-risk alcohol consumption, as well as Police and Safety Services and Residence Life.
Knerr added that the C-Compass Coalition, which is comprised of representatives from Penn State Behrend, Gannon University and Mercyhurst College, received a PLCB grant to cover the costs of several new initiatives aimed at reducing underage and high-risk alcohol consumption by college students at local bars, taverns and beer distributors. The grant will allow the C-Coalition to collaborate with local establishments to address and combat this behavior.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, offers 31 baccalaureate, five associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs with 21 minors to more than 3,700 students. Focused on providing a student-centered environment, Penn State Behrend is the link that connects its students to a major research and land-grant institution on a campus enriched by more than 90 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams, 19 intramural sports and modern facilities. For more information, visit www.pserie.psu.edu.