The Thielen Student Health Center is working to improve prevention centered programs by targeting incoming students.

Alcohol Edu, along with it’s partner program Haven, were put into practice three years ago, meaning nearly every student at Iowa State has been through the educational program.

“The intended audience is incoming freshman to correct misperceptions they have about alcohol use,” said Lauri Dusselier, manager of prevention services at the Health Center, who explained that the incoming students are expected to take Alcohol Edu before the school year begins.

International students are also included into the program, but do not have to go through the materials until after they arrive at Iowa State.

Alcohol Edu addresses the issues involved with high risk drinking, which is defined as five or more drinks in a sitting, once or more in the past two weeks.

Frequent high risk is drinking five or more drinks in a sitting three or more times in two weeks.

Dusselier explained that about 38 percent of students at Iowa State are shown to engage in high risk drinking, with

12 percent who engage in high risk drinking frequently.

Material in the program explains effects alcohol has on the body, as well as what student’s need to know about identifying and reporting alcohol poisoning.

The program takes two to three hours to complete and is taken on AccessPlus.

Haven addresses sexual misconduct and the importance of bystander intervention.

Michelle Hendricks, director of the Health Center, helped create and start Alcohol Edu at Iowa State.

“The goals of a program like this are really broad,” Hendricks said, who explained that there are many factors involved with judging the progress of the program.

Hendricks, who has worked in college health for 16 years, said the one reason behind the start of the program was “to help address complex, high risk issues.”

One goal is that the program encourages student’s to report incidents and that they feel “empowered and willing to call for help,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks explained that the Health Center is working to stay up with new information and research on prevention programs.

Student leaders on campus have been provided with a password to the online program as well so they can be aware and up-to-date in order to help other students with these topics.

Dusselier said any student or faculty member interested in taking Alcohol Edu can receive a password from the Health Center.