CCU introduces two new initiatives for first-year students
All CCU incoming students will be required to participate in AlcoholEdu, a comprehensive prevention program designed to educate and inform undergraduates, aged 22 and under, on making safe and healthy choices concerning alcohol. The goal is to proactively address alcohol education before students get to campus. The web-based program uses the latest prevention techniques to inform students on alcohol's impact on the mind and body.
Emails have been sent to parents and students informing them of AlcoholEdu and the requirement of completion before fall semester begins.
The purpose of the House Calls initiative is to strengthen student success through early personal interaction with nonstudents. On Wednesday, Sept. 4, CCU faculty and staff members will team up with residence hall personnel to make door-to-door visits to all new freshmen living in university housing. They will offer support and encouragement and get feedback about the students' first two weeks at CCU.
The house calls are intended to create a climate of trust and communication, fostering positive relationships between students and faculty/staff, according to Richard Gamble, area director for university housing. The program aims to address source issues -- such as homesickness, loneliness and alienation -- that most often cause students to leave college in the first semester.
"National research shows that students who connect to faculty and staff outside of the classroom are more likely to persist," says Debbie Conner, vice president of Student Affairs. "The House Calls program is impactful because it lets students know we care. If it makes a difference to one student who's feeling really homesick in September, it will be a success."
For more information on House Calls, contact Gamble at 843-349-5066 or rgamble@coastal.edu.
For more information on AlcoholEdu, contact CCU Counseling Services at 843-349-2305.