2003-2004 Annual Report

AY 2003-2004 Unit Accountability DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION

I. Unit Goals and Plans

Rutgers University Health Services is a health service in an academic institution whose mission is learning, discovery and service. The Department of Health Education (DHE) supports the universitys mission through its work of:

          - teaching courses for credit, offering training of students/faculty/staff and supervising and mentoring of interns and volunteers
          - serving as service learning advisors, instructors, and community partners and consultants to delegations in the state, country, and internationally conducting and partnering in research and on grants, e.g., on alcohol/tobacco social norms, student health behavior, dangerous drinking interventions, HIV prevention, training institutes)
          - collaborating with students, faculty, staff and the community in a broad range of projects to advance student and community health.

Our department mission is to discover and research ethically models of social justice and student support in order to improve student outcomes and build healthy leaders. We do this through an ecological approach of creating opportunities for learning, community service, research, collaborations (with students/faculty/staff on- and off-campus), environmental and institutional change, advocacy, public information and outreach, and staff and student development and support. In this way, we contribute to a university where people value and care about themselves and others (both within the university and broader community), have choices and resources, and are supported to achieve their academic and developmental goals by enhancing community health.

II. Personnel

Staff Development: performance, productivity, and major accomplishments
Staff were highly productive, accomplishing many goals, including responding to new
opportunities as they occurred. Very briefly, 143 students were taught in 7 courses; 105 additional students were supervised/trained in projects or internships; 224 programs and presentations to 13,273 participants (about the same number of programs as last year, 235, and almost 50% more participants (8589), and 45 exhibits (to 4587 participants, compared to 39 exhibits for 4407 students last year). Four grants obtained from ABC and NJHEC for $34,743; in addition, two applications approved (for $14,500), three applications pending (for $22,000 plus site consultation) for 2004-05 work; 21 presentations given by staff locally, statewide or nationally; 123 RU Up In Smoke? kits and only 4 Nutrition Wiz distributed to RUHS; a total of 79,326 brochures were distributed, 21,542 in brochure racks on campus, 12,630 usedwithin RUHS for patient education, and 45,304 for outreach programs, 3 publications (one article, one book chapter, one column launched in national newsletter); consultation requested by 5 other colleges; selected as site to pilot MyStudentBody for STI online education. Special events highly successful (e.g., Lollanobooza), grants implementation met deliverables (including well-attended conferences and trainings), and many new relationships were created. Two staff projects received IRB exemption: a study
of student attitudes on emergency contraception and a study on bicycle safety.

Publications:
 Goodhart, FW, Lederman, LC, Stewart, LP, Laitman, LL, "Binge Drinking: Not the Word of Choice," J American College Health, 52(1), p 44-46.
 Lisa Laitman and Fern Walter Goodhart co-authored an invited chapter on alcohol services at RU for Changing the Culture of College Drinking: A Socially Situated Prevention Campaign (Hampton Press).
 Book review approved for publication in Health Promotion Practice
 Three newsletter articles printed, in ACHA Action, and SOPHE News & Views.

Presentations:
Adrienne L. Coleman - "Marketing Alcohol and Tobacco" at the Planned Parenthood Young Women's Retreat, March 26th in Garwood, NJ; on health and spirituality at the COOL conference in Philadelphia March 13th; Peer Institute of NJ in June on alcohol prevention; April 30th at the NJ Higher Education Consortium on Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention and Education conference.

Francesca Maresca - Planned Parenthood Training on gender, communication and working with young men on March 19th; SHADES presentation at sex education statewide conference October 20th.

Fern Goodhart- NJPHA Sept 12th on leadership; SOPHE presentation and panelist Nov. 15-16 in California; NJ Environmental Health Officers Association March 9th; advanced advocacy training at the national health education advocacy summit in Washington DC February 28th; =-day advocacy training at ACHA June 10th in Louisiana.
Ji H. Baek, Francesca M. Maresca and Adrienne L. Coleman presented a session on Health and Social Justice at the 11/21 RU Student Services conference.

III. Programs

Status of Core Programs: ongoing and planned changes
Core programs (student training and leadership, assessment and advocacy, research/grants, health information/outreach, academic/student life collaborations) remain ongoing. For next year, additional attention to be paid collecting baseline data on which to base evaluations, social norm campaigns and health information strategies for identifying key messages. New grant work if funded on assessing RUHS cultural competence and special events. Additional efforts on instructional videotapes and web animation.

Services: scope and results
Specific approaches for the 03-04 academic year included:

Teaching/training/supervising/mentoring/coaching
 Revise teaching strategies for overlapping concurrent sessions and cross training in order to make stronger ties across courses and student training, increase student retention and student opportunities, and more deeply infuse social justice and advocacy pedagogy. ACHIEVED; courses taught Thursdays, 3/4th for shared lectures and advocacy experiences
 Pilot new course, Drugs, Culture and Society as a venue for student training on alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, and continue foundation courses on health, social justice and sexual health advocacy. ACHIEVED  taught two semesters, well received, part of routine RU offering.
 Maintain DHE student connections and trainings to enhance collaboration, creativity and effectiveness. PARTLY ACHIEVED  students shared several trainings and experiences across content and programs, but more needs to be done to strengthen identity to RUHS and DHE, beyond specific program (e.g., SHADES, or ADAwGS); student infrastructure project to be conducted in 2004-05.
 143 students taught in 7 courses; 105 additional students supervised/trained in projects or internships.

Policy Development/Advocacy
 Participate, and where appropriate, lead university-wide and state coalitions and efforts related to improved health and academic outcomes (eg, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, eating issues, LGTBQ). ACHIEVED  Chair: Tobacco Coalition; member: CHI, Alcohol Implementation Committee Diversity Conference Committee, Campus Climate Committee, Committee to Advance our Common Purposes, New Brunswick Responsible Hospitality Resource Panel, Eating Issues Task Force, Middlesex County Drug Coalition, PESQI, UMDNJ Sex Week planning committee, NJ Higher Education Consortium. Not as much progress as hoped on tobacco or alcohol policy changes; work continuing. Host a network of elected officials to mutual support and student opportunity. ACHIEVED - Launched Public Officials Network, hosted by Eagleton Institute, with 15 members and two meetings, to encourage civic engagement and student leadership; will continue.

Academic/Research Collaborations
 Challenge misperception of smoking prevalence on campus through a social norms campaign. BEGUN  REBEL grant received, 21 students trained, statistics available (and will be corroborated Fall 2004), campaign to be launched next year
 Continue collaboration with CHI and devise a new measure of dangerous drinking. PARTIALLY MET  Collaboration continued, with different outcomes (book published, chapter authored, article published on issue; RU Sure? campaign continued; grant being sought for dangerous drinking measurement)
 Explore mutual benefit of academic advising at Douglass College. ACHIEVED  Francesca Maresca advised 35 DC first-year students
 Four grants obtained from ABC and NJHEC for $34,743; in addition, two applications approved (for $14,500), three applications pending (for $22,000 plus site consultation) for 2004-05 work.
 RUHS Research/Grant Committee launched.

Student Life Activity/Collaborations
 Maintain and strengthen partnerships on campus and in the community for collaboration, service learning, policy development, social justice, advocacy and student leadership (eg, with CASE, athletics, fraternity/sorority affairs, orientation directors, Asian community, student organizations, PESQI, undergraduate and graduate colleges student affairs). ACHIEVED  Successful programs and projects maintained with campus partners, new ones created (to be more fully described in our dept. annual report)
 Pilot new interventions to meet student life needs (eg, coordinated response to alcohol emergencies). PENDING  Alcohol Implementation Committee continues to discuss, but to date has not resolved a unified response. Other new interventions include late-night programming, social justice student leadership and staff/faculty continuing education, expanded use of technology to adapt to students learning preferences, for example.
 Trainings and educational programs on- and off-campus are a routine part of our educational services (for which we were acknowledged, in part, by Cook Colleges certificates of leadership, Rutgers Colleges program award, invitations to serve on committees, etc.) - 224 programs and presentations to 13,273 participants (about the same number of programs as last year, 235, and almost 50% more participants (8589).
Service Learning
 Continue as senior partner with Highland Park Community Teen Center, continue offering classes as CASE for community service, continue as CASE community partner, seek out additional course client relationships for Highland Park ACHIEVED  Two students selected Community Teen Center as CASE site, two DHE courses continue to offer CASE component, DHE served as community partner for > 10 CASE students. RU academic departments providing service-learning experience in Highland Park included Schools of Business, Communications, Exercise Science, Anthropology, and Transportation. In addition, DHE associate director joined delegation to Moldova to offer consultation to Moldova State University, Ministry of Health and city of Kricova officials.

Public Information/Communication/Media
 Create strategic plan and enhance existing health information activity (brochures, exhibits, website, newspaper ads, broadcast emails, orientation messages). PARTIALLY ACHIEVED  Public relations and communication strategies were maintained (brochures created (e.g., on mens health, lesbian health, menstruation, STI/RU stats facts, party drugs chart), others updated, web site maintained, 1910 ask the staff questions received/500 answered (compared to 600 ask-the-staff questions answered out of >1500 last year), series of newspaper ads and broadcast emails continued, extensive orientation material distribution, 1962 21st birthday cards sent electronically), 45 exhibits (to 4587 participants, including new exhibits on stress and womens health, compared to 39 exhibits for 4407 students last year), strategic evaluation and enhancement postponed until 04-05 with loss of student interns.
 Expand health information efforts to improve student awareness on high need areas (eg, existence of health insurance and campus pharmacy, emergency contraception, benefits of gynecological exam, helmet use, health topics of OTC drugs and performance enhancers, male sexuality, STI facts, healthy sexuality). PARTIALLY ACHIEVED  Additional publicity on key areas (EC, health insurance, pharmacy, helmet use), but systematic campaigns to be determined with RUHS goals in -04-05; 123 RU Up In Smoke? kits and only 4 Nutrition Wiz distributed to RUHS; a total of 79,326 brochures were distributed, 21,542 in brochure racks on campus, 12,630 used within RUHS for patient education, and 45,304 for outreach programs.
 Pilot new channels of message delivery, such as video public service announcements (eg, on emergency preparedness, orientation to RUHS), the first-year student birthday card, and giveaways (e.g., first aid kits). ACHIEVED/IN PROCESS  videotapes still in production, over 7,000 first aid kits distributed and popular, first-year student birthday card pharmacy postcard not cost effective (ten postcards turned in to pharmacy for $1 off $10+ purchase, 2500 sent at a cost of $102.95, $ .04/each). Decision for 2004-05 to create recognizable logo for branding, and to select targeted channels for saturation of message (often website) and visibility. Future giveaways include pens for students, and tee shirts for student advocates visibility (and bags for program material).

Assessment/Evaluation
 Further analyze qualitatively and publicize NCHAS data to identify priority populations and issues for follow-up and intervention. BEGUN  as part of RUHS 2010 goal setting. NCHA to be repeated 04-05 and focus groups conducted based on that data with RUHS goals; administered CORE alcohol/drug survey (N=466) Cook first-year students. NCHA data presented at RU conferences; IRB obtained for 04-05 online administration.
 Pilot new interventions based on data and priority populations (eg, mental health and depression). BEGUN  literature review on depression completed, client in Community Psychology class for student-recommended interventions, will further develop as part of RUHS 2010 goals; bicycle helmet survey implemented with Psychology Dept.
 Conduct photovoice assessment project department-wide. ACHIEVED  program conducted with all classes, cameras donated and film developed at deep discount, reception with policy-makers well attended. Recommendations to be considered in 200405.
 Conduct CQI projects of: vending machine improvements, program request process, RU Up in Smoke kits, first-year student postcard project. ACHIEVED  CQI projects for 03-04 included satisfaction of courses, satisfaction of program request process, 21st birthday card, first-year student birthday coupon, online assessments and ask the staff webpage.
 Assess utilization of website by page visits, saturation of media strategies NOT ACHIEVED - problems with statistical package and RUCS management of server precluded obtaining accurate information with which to make such an assessment. Plans are underway to change the website format, organization and tracking of visitors, and will be an IT responsibility.
 Oversaw implementation of interfunctional team project for RUHS utilization and motivation.

Research/Grants
 Coordinate three alcohol/drug minigrants, by piloting a non-alcoholic/non-drug campus RAVE, creating a party drug resource center with campus and community trainings, and creating public service announcements on college drinking. ACHIEVED  Three grant projects funded; Lollanobooza highly successful (700 students, 61 co-sponsoring organizations, received Excellence in Campus Programming Large Program of the Year Award, 2003-04; fulfilled grant deliverables: Party Drugs Training and Resource Center established - 6 trainings/conferences (464 participants, including the annual RU Dialogue on Drugs, and Drug Summit), 9 meetings with 10 organizations, distributed material to 6 other colleges, established drug information website and online material request; 3 media psas in development.
 Continue CHI research collaboration in alcohol, nicotine and other drugs. ACHIEVED  Continued partnership, co-taught Advanced Health Communications course to conduct RU Sure? Campaign

Student and Staff support/development
 Encourage student and staff conference presentations, publications, and state and national leadership. ACHIEVED  21 presentations given by staff locally, statewide or nationally; 3 publications (one article, one book chapter, one column launched in national newsletter); consultation requested by 5 other colleges; selected as site to pilot MyStudentBody for STI online education
 Identify areas for needed professional development and in-service opportunities to meet those needs. BEGUN  staff interested in strengthening skills in: grantwriting, publishing, advocacy, and use of new audiovisual technology
 Assure DHE programs meets standards of health promotion in higher education. BEGUN  DHE services compared with standards, most meet or exceed, others require partnerships or additional data collection.
 Strengthen relationships with RUHS staff; recognize and document evidence of indicators; update DHE policies, procedures and student infrastructure; strengthen skills in cultural competence and ethics. PARTIALLY MET  Policies updated, critical indicators to be identified based on new short- and long-term goals; cultural competence strengthen (NCORE participation) and recognized (invitation to Committee to Advance our Common Purposes, PESQI training facilitation, Diversity Conference planning, Campus Climate Assessment committee
 One article published, one book chapter accepted for publication, one column created for ACHA Action newsletter on advocacy (two actual columns authored)
 Two staff on three ACHA task forces and committees (one chairing a committee)
 On-campus safe zone, server ID and party drugs training
 Invited to speak at national meetings and trainings (on advocacy, on public health), and on campus (eg, student services conference)

Program Assessment: plans and proposals for AY 2004-2005
Implement the CORE alcohol/drug survey to 500 students in Health Psychology classes; implement NCHA online to first- and third-year students. Conduct relevant focus groups, observational surveys, intercept interviews as appropriate, and collect non-obtrusive measures. Continue CQI efforts. Develop and maintain profile of students health behavior, attitudes

New Concepts/Initiatives: current efforts and future plans
HIV prevention effort via HipHop Extravaganza Block Party, cultural competency assessment, new direction of health information/use of media

2004-05 Strategies/Objectives:
     1. Identify key relational/communication skills*
     2. Identify RU resources/gaps/opportunities for skill development
     3. Increase annual gyn exams
     4. Increase safety for all student identities
     5. Increase dialogue w/in (and across) campus cultures about health
     6. Take campus pulse of DHE
     7. Assess messages, messengers (print, staff, images) for inclusiveness
     8. Strengthen health literacy (e.g., mental health) of Asian campus community
     9. Assess minority male (behavioral) needs
     10. Increase HIV-protective behavior in an effort to reduce HIV incidence
     11. Increase HIV understanding/reduce HIV apathy
     12. Identify STI incidence for RUHS users and RU students
     13. Increase STI awareness, diagnosis and treatment
     14. Increase condom use and availability in an effort to reduce STI incidence
     15. Increase correct/consistent birth control use in an effort to increase contraception
     16. Reduce alc/drug-related violence in an effort to reduce unintentional injury
     17. Assess drug use on campus; assess attitudes about marijuana
     18. Identify data sources, gaps, opportunities about misuse of alcohol and prescription drugs
     19. Assess alcohol/tobacco/drug-related incidents to begin to reduce dangerous drinking
     20. Reduce tobacco use to <15%-22%
     21. Integrate RU Sure? into ADEPT program
     22. Increase awareness of environmental tobacco smoke and reduce tobacco availability
     23. Increase tobacco policy consistency with ACHA policy, and then consistent enforcement (residence halls, police, RUHS)
     24. Standardize RU policy on alcohol and drugs (w/ residence life, students centers, etc)
     25. Increase students knowledge/skill response regarding potential alcohol poisoning/emergencies
     26. Scan and map environment for tobacco/alcohol availability  outlets for purchase/consumption
     27. Increase late-night events (non-drinking options)
     28. Increase student referral (self/other) for alcohol/drug intervention (w/o punishment)
     29. Explore conducting regional BACCHUS/GAMMA conference spring 2005
     30. Refocus DHE communication strategies
     31. Increase awareness of RUHS scope of services, programs
     32. Develop and maintain profile of students health behavior, attitudes
     33. Strengthen leadership on campus (students, others) for advocacy

*Ability to make deliberate choices, recognizing/naming feelings, expressing feelings and needs, managing conflict, listening, awareness of social identities, conscious use of language, decision-making, problem solving, developing healthy relationships, values clarification, stress management, time management, body acceptance, social skills (communication, working with others, celebrating), coping with change (and loss).

By DHE strategy, our effort for next year is:
Public Information/Communication/Media
a. Create and evaluate strategic plan and enhance existing health information activity (brochures, exhibits, website, newspaper ads, broadcast emails, orientation messages) through branding and saturation by appropriate technological strategy.
     b. Expand health information efforts, as appropriate, to improve student awareness on high need issues (eg, existence of health insurance and campus pharmacy, emergency contraception, benefits of gynecological exam, helmet use, health topics of OTC drugs and performance enhancers, male sexuality, STI facts, healthy sexuality, best use of health services and systems, vaccine requirements) and through new channels (eg, video public service announcements (eg, orientation to RUHS), text messaging, other use of technology).
     c. Create new public service announcements on college drinking (explore alternative technology)
     d. Expand Party Drug Resource Center activities to South Jersey.
     e. Propose hosting 2005 BACCHUS/GAMA regional training.

Academic/Research Collaborations
     f. Challenge misperception of smoking prevalence on campus through a social norms campaign.
     g. Continue collaboration with CHI and
     h. Continue academic advising at Douglass College.
     i. Collaborate as clients in academic classes (e.g., School of Business interfunctional team, health psychology, human ecology, community psychology, intermediate video design, health communication)

Assessment/Evaluation/Research
     j. Create and pilot new interventions based on data to address objectives and goals
     k. Develop data sheets on key subject areas of interest (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, other drugs, STI/HIV, pregnancy prevention, mental health, nutrition/eating behavior, cultural competence)
     l. Develop evaluation plan for DHE efforts
     m. Identify and conduct CQI projects (possibilities include: vending machine improvements, program request process, RU Up in Smoke kits, Nutrition Wiz program, student involvement in DHE)
     n. Assess nutritional value of food available through grease trucks.
     o. Assure DHE programs meets standards of health promotion in higher education.

Teaching/training/supervising/mentoring/coaching
     p. Continue offering training, courses, and service learning for academic credit. Explore benefit of joint or synergistic training.

Policy Development/Advocacy
     q. Participate, and where appropriate, lead university-wide and state coalitions related to improved health and academic outcomes (e.g., late-night programming).
     r. Reduce availability of tobacco products on campus, and increase EC accessibility.
     s. Expand Public Officials Network to involve student leaders.

Student Life Activity/Collaborations
     t. Expand late-night programming, and partner with others on campus.
     u. Maintain and strengthen partnerships on campus and in the community for collaboration, service learning, policy development, social justice, advocacy and student leadership (eg, with Asian community, and minority males)
     v. Assess campus perceptions of DHE services and programs.
     w. Increase dialogue about health issues within and among student cultural groups on campus
     x. Pilot new interventions to meet student life needs (eg, coordinated response to alcohol emergencies).

Staff support/development
     y. Encourage student and staff conference presentation, publication, and state and national leadership.
     z. Identify areas for needed professional development and in-service opportunities to meet those needs.

Collaborative Efforts: joint/multi-unit cooperative efforts and partnerships; specific
activities/programs developed in collaboration with other departments/ programs; relationships
with external agencies and other institutions

ON CAMPUS
Committees: Center for Communications and Health Issues (CHI), Alcohol Implementation Committee, Committee to Advance our Common Purposes, Tobacco Coalition, UMDNJ Sex Week planning committee, Public Officials Network
Initiatives: flu vaccine clinics; PESQUI training and program moderation, co-taught Advanced Health Communication SCILS course; clients in courses in School of Business (interfunctional team), community psychology, art studio, communications; training athletes and Greeks on drug issues, REBEL tobacco activities, supervising interns and practicum students (public health, communications, teaching courses in Urban Studies Dept.); CORE alcohol/drug survey for Cook College; CASE courses and community partner, Moldova consultation team; "Got Brains?" bike helmet assessment and campaign with psychology dept;
Programs: Lollanobooza 11/7, Drug Dialogue 1/31, Drug Summit 5/7, new student orientation, RA training, Diversity Conference 4/30, Stress-Free Zone 4/1, Finals Fair

OFF-CAMPUS
Committees: New Brunswick Responsible Hospitality Resource Panel, NJ Higher Education Consortium, Middlesex County Drug Coalition
Initiatives: Highland Park Community Teen Center senior partner; distributed drug education materials to colleges in Central Jersey; piloted on-campus a national website on sexually transmitted infection education for Inflexxion, Inc.
Programs: Technique of Alcohol Management trainings (11/12, 4/28); New Brunswick Health Sciences and Technology High School 2/6, Family and Children Services of Central New Jersey 1/26 and 2/9; other programs conducted at other colleges and high schools in NJ
Other: leadership: ACHA committee membership (2010 Health Objectives), member-at-large of ACHA section, committee leadership (Advocacy Committee); local municipal government (borough council president  Highland Park)

IV. Budget and Grants/Fund-Raising
Internal and External Grant Activities: potential new grant support
four grants obtained from ABC and NJHEC for $34,743; in addition, two applications approved (for $14,500) for 2004-05, three applications pending (for $22,000 plus site consultation) for 2004-05 work

V. OTHER
Recommendations for new office-wide initiatives/programs
     a. Late-night programming for students
     b. Strategies to engage faculty with student life issues and strengthen relationships and collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs.
     c. Systematic training/programming for cultural competency across the university.

Suggestions for enhancing the role of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and for expanding collaboration between units.
     a. Periodic meetings with several departments/units
     b. Joint projects across departments
     c. Review of university-wide policies that are campus-specific (eg, alcohol issues).
     d. Shared planning for mutual goals
     e. Process for sharing information and data about students (e.g., health, retention, etc)
     f. Conduct university-wide assessments of program strengths/gaps (e.g., based on         national standards, e.g., Health Promotion Standards for Institutions of Higher Education (ACHA), Professional Standards for Higher Education (CAS)
     g. Articulate a university-wide vision for student affairs that enhances university-wide strategies