Workgroup Meeting Minutes - Commonwealth Calendar
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Location: Microsoft Teams
Date: April 22, 2021
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Coordinator: Chris Young
Workgroup Meeting Minutes
Virginia Higher Education Substance Use Advisory Committee (VHESUAC) Members in attendance:
Cynthia Burwell, Norfolk State University
Helen Gaynor, Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Kelsey O’Hara, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Raymond Tuttle, University of Mary Washington
Robert Chapman, Virginia College Collaborative (VCC)
Susie Bruce, University of Virginia
Marc Dawkins, Virginia Department of Criminal Justices Services (DCJS)
Sarah Wood, University of Richmond
Keith Cartwright, DBHDS and Randolph-Macon College
Maureen Dalbec, Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Dana Schrad, Virginia Association of Chief of Police (VACP)
Craig Branch, Germanna Community College
Sasha Johnson, Longwood University
Virginia ABC staff members in attendance:
Chris Young, Virginia ABC
Abby Pendleton, Virginia ABC
VHESUAC members not in attendance:
Jill Russett, Christopher Newport University
Sarah Jones, Virginia Military Institute
Barbara Storm, Virginia ABC
Maribel Saimre, Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)
Tom Kirby, Virginia ABC
Doug Goodman, Ashland Police Department
Katherine Scott, Virginia Commonwealth University
Slade Gormus, University of Richmond
Melodie Fearnow-Kenney, Virginia Commonwealth University
Danielle Dick, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dallas Clark, Virginia Military Institute
Christine Diggs, John Tyler Community College
Suzanne Fraser, Previously Old Dominion University
Coordinator, Chris Young, called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m.Welcome and Introductions
Chris Young introduced himself as the new Virginia ABC Adult Education and Prevention
Coordinator and facilitator of VHESUAC.
Approval of the Minutes
Members of the Workgroup approved the January 2021 meeting minutes unanimously.
VHESUAC Updates
Strategic Plan Implementation Plan
An update was provided on the dissemination of the VHESUAC Strategic Plan. The strategic plan was
emailed out to college and university Presidents and Deans of Students at the beginning of March as
part of the quarterly Campus Newsletter
Discussion was held on if campus leadership disseminated the strategic plan further into college and
university offices related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) misuse prevention efforts. The
University of Mary Washington (UMW) has created a taskforce to determine a way to proceed with
developing a strategic plan specifically for UMW.
Other campuses shared they have not received communication from campus leadership regarding the
strategic plan and that this can be attributed to lack of ownership of ATOD topics by individual
departments and offices within the university structure.
A barrier for dissemination of the strategic plan throughout campus departments and offices
identified was that campus leaders may be concerned with how much time will be required to spend
on implementing strategies due to other committee and work obligations. To address this it was
suggested to proactively reassure campus partners by providing ways to disseminate and begin
implementing the strategic plan. A follow up communication will go out in early summer to campus
leadership to reemphasize the plan. It was suggested that the communication include the following:
o A list of members of the VHESUAC Work Group and Executive Council.
o A list of suggested next steps for utilizing the strategic plan.
o Address the reality that student perceptions of being fully vaccinated during Fall 2021 may lead
to heightened risk and dangerous behavior on campuses.
o Provide links to the VHESUAC Annual Reports and Strategic Plan.
o Copying VHESUAC Work Group and Executive Council members on the email.
Strategies to Measure Strategic Plan Participation
Conversation was held surrounding the question, “How does VHESUAC want colleges to report that
they’re advancing their portion of the strategic plan?” The following suggestions for a reporting form,
survey or document were made:
o Check boxes do not provide an opportunity for IHEs to provide more detail about what they
are doing.o Asking for a less than 500 word summary on how the IHE advanced the strategic plan on their
campus
o Utilize a shared document where schools can fill in their information and see what other
schools are doing as well
The following barriers were identified for this method:
• IHEs may filter what information they are sharing publicly with all other IHEs
• IHEs may be intimidated by the information others input and may discourage
the efforts being implemented on their campus if progress is slower in
comparison
o Consider taking a similar approach for data collection as was done during the IHE assessment
The next steps were identified:
o A reporting form/survey will be drafted for discussion for July 2021 meeting.
o The final reporting form/survey will be presented at October 2021 meeting.
o Tentatively, IHEs will submit their reporting form/survey at the end of Spring 2022.
It was noted that VHESUAC will need to provide guidance on who from each IHE should be
responsible for completing the reporting form/survey and that IHEs should be provided with
specific criteria to craft their responses.
Statewide Initiatives: First Steps for VHESUAC
The Workgroup spent time discussing several state-wide initiatives laid out in the Strategic Plan. For
each of the initiatives discussed, first steps were identified.
o Initiative: “Assure that key education objectives for students on substance misuse delivered by
IHEs have continuity on all campuses irrespective of size, affiliation, location, etc.”
What is the best way to learn what the current education objectives on campuses are?
Will this be collected in the reporting form/survey?
o Initiative: “Establish and maintain a statewide system for data collection on student substance
use behaviors that uses common tools, methods and resources and informs strategic planning
efforts.”
What is the best way to learn what the current education objectives on campuses are?
Will this be collected in the reporting form/survey?
A concern was noted on how campuses may react if they are requested to provide
substance use data related to on campus incidents and transport to hospitals due to
substance misuse. It was clarified that this data already exists and is available.
It was noted that it needs to be clarified what VHESUAC’s goals are related to collecting
and using this data in order to identify how to establish and maintain a statewide
system/assessment.
o Initiative: “Develop and maintain policy development and enforcement procedure guidelines
that incorporate use of best practices and improve communication with faculty/staff and
students.” Is there something already created that we could use as a basis for developing these
guidelines?
It was suggested to meet with David Anderson and to review the College AIM to see
what could be utilized.
o Initiative: “Develop and maintain programming and service guidelines for a variety of
strategies that support planning and implementation efforts.”
Is there something already created that we could use as a basis for developing these
guidelines?
In January, it was suggested to conduct a literature review of College AIM and other
state and campus examples. Is there anything else we would want to include in this?
Concern of how the statewide legalization of marijuana use may fit into programming
recommendations was noted. Suggestions to address this include:
• Funds to bring in Jason Kilmer as a consultant – 10 years of experience in
Washington – what’s worked on their campus and statewide or a Colorado
based researcher to share a similar experience.
• Host a forum that IHEs can attend on how marijuana legalization impacts
programming and initiatives and to hear lessons learned from other states.
o Initiative: “Establish mechanisms for campuses to share approaches and strategies for effective
programming including formal networking opportunities – work with partners such as the
Virginia College Collaborative (VCC).”
VCC regularly hosts fall, spring and summer meetings.
• They are working to expand the outreach to other campuses that aren’t
participating.
• Lack of funding continues to be an issue. It was asked if VHESUAC is able to
provide funding.
The Campus Suicide Prevention Committee funded by Virginia Department of Health
was noted as a potential partner to develop a structure from.
Other topics
“Color of Drinking”
o https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/prevention/color-of-drinking/
o Description taken from UW-Madison’s website – “an exploratory study of the impact of UW-
Madison’s alcohol culture on students of color.”
o The workgroup briefly discussed this study as several members have experience with it. The
workgroup expressed interest in setting aside time during a future meeting to discuss this
study in more depth.
Agency News, Successful Efforts and Discussion
During Virginia ABC’s Alcohol Education and Prevention Grant Application Cycle, more IHEs applied for
funding than last year. Thank you to all who shared and spread the word with partners. Virginia ABC will be moving to a new Central Office in Hanover in June 2021.
Helen Gaynor with Advancing Alcohol Responsibility/Responsibility.org shared information regarding
the redevelopment of the Alcohol 101+ program. The program includes basic alcohol education
programming and tailored behavior change modules. It is free to use and is accessible digitally. If your
school is interested in piloting the program this fall, contact Helen Gaynor.
Tentative Future Meeting Scheduled
July 29, 2021 at 10:00am – 12:00pm
October 28, 2021 at 10:00am – 12:00pm
Coordinator, Chris Young, adjourned the meeting at 11:56 a.m.You can also read
