CU-Boulder Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Ron Stump has announced that The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has approved a grant of $117,000 to extend its support of the campus alcohol education program through August 2002.
The program, called A Matter of Degree Program or AMOD, addresses high-risk drinking among college students on 10 selected campuses across the country. CU-Boulder was one of the original four campuses to receive a five-year grant, which has been matched, in part, by the university.
"The support we've received from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation over the past five years, both financially and professionally, has provided us with a multitude of new ideas, opportunities and programs which have addressed the issues inherent in high-risk drinking on campus," said Stump. "This final year of incremental funding from the foundation allows the university time to make a smooth transition from full grant support to self-funding next year."
Peggy Bonner, appointed as the new AMOD Program Director in August 2001, will manage day-to-day activities of the grant through its final year. Bonner, a Colorado native, graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a bachelor's degree in psychology and earned a master's in counseling from the University of Kansas. She has been an assistant director with the CU Department of Housing for the past four years.
According to Bonner, one of the more successful initiatives undertaken on the campus has been the '3 Strikes' policy implemented in the fall of 2001. Under the "3 Strikes" policy, any CU-Boulder student found responsible for three alcohol or drug-related incidents, on or off campus, is subject to suspension from the university for at least one semester.
Bonner replaces Bob Maust, who will assume the position of coordinator for the associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs. In that role he will take on administrative responsibilities for the AMOD Program, Greek Affairs and the University-City Liaison, as well as projects such as the Vice Chancellor's student leadership programs.
"The university intends to continue the efforts set in motion by the grant funding after it expires in 2002," said Bonner. "Some facets of the program will be cut back and some will be absorbed by our regular budgeting processes, such as "late nights" at the Recreation Center. SCOSA, our campus-community coalition, will remain intact and will continue to be chaired by the AMOD staff."