Just as Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc. took the lead in 2004 by offering online alcohol education to its membership with AlcoholEdu for College, the Fraternity is again taking steps forward to educate its membership. In a continued partnership with Outside the Classroom, the Fraternity will now offer GreekLifeEdu, a new program that addresses not only alcohol use, but also hazing and sexual assault. As more campuses come on board with online prevention education, the Fraternity takes another step ahead in offering a new and exciting program.
For those chapters on campuses that are already offering, or requiring, students to complete AlcoholEdu, GreekLifeEdu will serve as a complimentary educational piece. It will act as a co-curricular course to AlcoholEdu for College, as it is better suited to fit the needs of students joining Greek organizations. About 10-20% of the content in GreekLifeEdu overlaps with AlcoholEdu to reinforce critical content for those students participating in both programs.
The Sigma Nu effect...
Since partnering with Outside the Classroom, approximately 5,300 of our members and candidates have completed AlcoholEdu. Of those 5,300 individuals, more than one-half indicated that they recognized a need to change their drinking habits. Additionally, over 60% of those who have completed the program state they know more about Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). Moreover, after engaging with AlcoholEdu, members and candidates have a higher rate of abstention and lower rates of heavy episodic and problematic drinking. Consider this: more than 70% of those having completed the course are under the legal drinking age of 21. Therefore, it is becoming quite clear that Sigma Nu members and candidates are becoming better educated on the perils of alcohol abuse and misuse earlier in their collegiate careers.
"It's [AlcoholEdu for College] the most effective program we've seen in terms of changing attitudes and behavior," said Brad Beacham, Executive Director of Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc. "Knowledge gives college students the power to make informed, healthy decisions about alcohol use. We want our student members to not only have the education, but also the know-how to apply it. Based on our past successes with Outside the Classroom we are excited about offering GreekLifeEdu to our students as we believe it will better prepare them to make well informed decisions when it comes to alcohol, hazing and sexual assault."
GreekLifeEdu is an interactive program designed specifically for college students that incorporates proven prevention techniques and science-based research to empower students to make more informed decisions. The two-hour course, completed by each student privately, has been designed to be administered to an entire population of students in order to create a "viral" conversation effect that reinforces its healthy messages and inspires change. Customized to each student, the course provides an experience that impacts both individual behavior and community culture.
We can help empower our chapters by encouraging the undergraduate membership to complete the program. The Fraternity's goal is to have 100% of its members and candidates (who have not previously completed AlcoholEdu for Sigma Nu) complete GreekLifeEdu by April 1, 2009.
To learn how to create a user account and get started with GreekLifeEdu.
