A project to reduce the consequences of high-risk drinking on the University of Wisconsin campus is approaching the end of its tenure after 14 years of work.
The Policy, Alternatives, Community and Education Community Partnership Council met Tuesday for the last time to examine its impact on campus over the past decade.
PACE Co-Director and Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning Aaron Brower said PACE’s efforts were collaborative and innovative in changing the tone and developing solutions to high- risk drinking since its funding by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant began in 1994.
“We wanted to convince the foundation to put money into the project in a different way,” Brower said. “Most of the research (at the time) was focused on alcohol prevention and reactions, rather than thinking of the culture of drinking.”
PACE has organized discussions and mobilized the community to develop campus and community policy solutions to high-risk drinking. According to PACE’s first director Carol Lobes, the movement to reduce high-risk drinking has grown organically over the years and will continue through the university.
A statement from PACE gave a list of 32 campus and community-based accomplishments, including helping to create a Chancellor’s Alcohol Issues group, producing a guide to throwing a house party and helping UW secure a non-voting seat on the Alcohol License Review Committee.
Brower added many of PACE’s efforts have been institutionalized in the university and will continue through University Health Services, Student Orientation, Advising and Registration, and residence halls policies.
The PACE program has no plans for the future other than supporting these organizations in continuing their work.
“I think it’s been a nice indicator of university commitment to this issue,” Brower said. “I think we’ve been really successful in getting people to see the problem is complex and in implementing solutions at different levels.”
The council agreed PACE’s discussions and efforts have changed several processes and attitudes about drinking, including the initial response to place the blame on various groups like the athletic department, university housing or the general student body.
“[Council meetings included] discussions of how this is a shared problem, a complex problem, and how we needed a team approach,” Brower said.
Many council members added PACE has provided several campus-based and community-based accomplishments, including ending athletic alcohol sponsorships, working with the Alcohol License Review Committee and attempts to make Halloween and the Mifflin block party safer.
Brower added PACE has been beneficial in adopting a holistic approach toward high-risk drinking on campus, rather than simple campaigns and marketing to drink less. He also acknowledged a shift in news stories to cover the drinking problems and costs to the city.
“One of the things we did know from the beginning was we knew we needed student involvement,” Lobes said.
Lobes added though partnerships across campus and the city can be difficult, PACE’s efforts have been successful by acknowledging the need to work together against a complex and harmful problem.
