Students are getting a chance to anonymously voice their perceptions about Tufts' alcohol and drug culture in a confidential survey circulated this week by the university for use in future programming and policy decisions.
A randomly selected group of 2,400 undergraduates received requests via email to participate in an American College Health Association (ACHA) survey, which Director of Alcohol and Health Education Ian Wong said will provide a fresh look at how the university should address, among other things, education about the alcohol culture at Tufts.
While the survey's questions also address sexual health and violence, as well as dietary and exercise habits, Wong said one of the survey's most important aims is giving the university a more accurate view of alcohol consumption and clearing up misconceptions about the drinking culture at Tufts.
"It will tell us how many students are, and how many students are not, drinking on campus," Wong said.
The survey, which takes about thirty minutes to complete, is following up on a census that the university circulated in the spring of 2009 to gauge sentiments about the same issues, according to Wong.
The data collected in that original census have been especially influential in Wong's approach to educating students, he said, citing specifically the information he received from the original census in his approach to dealing with students who have violated the school's alcohol policy.
"I was really looking at my data, and I was coming into my discussions and know[ing] that not everyone who might have an alcohol violation is … necessarily a problem drinker," Wong said.
The survey fits into coordinated efforts between Wong and the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate to run a campaign correcting students misconceptions of social norms relating to health on campus, according to Wong.
Yulia Korovikov, a sophomore senator who is chair of the Senate's Administration and Policy Committee, said the new data would provide a boost to the campaign.
"It is an incredibly important survey," Korovikov, who is chair of the Senate's Administration and Policy Committee, said. "We currently don't have any data on what's going on [on] the campus … and we're hitting a speed bump because we realized that there wasn't any data for us to use.
"Once the survey ends, we would know what's going on better," she added. "It finally gives you the statistics on the perceived use of drugs and alcohol and their actual use."
Wong said that the responses, which are completely anonymous, will affect how the university frames its alcohol education policies in the future.
"They will help us look at any policy that we look at down the road," Wong said.
"When I put together my budget … I can say why we need money in this area or that area," Wong said.
"That's why we're really [encouraging] students to fill this out; it really supports us in what we do," he added.
According to sophomore Brent Abel, chair of the Student Health Advisory Board, a group that serves as an advocate for students on health-related university policies, the new data will provide a fresh snapshot of the reality of health issues at Tufts and how they are perceived.
"We can use the new information to see how these things have changed," he said.
Wong said the survey will likely become a regular part of the university's efforts to gather information and direct its educational objectives.
"We'll probably do this every two years," he said.
Wong said that statistics resulting from these kinds of surveys, which typically show that fewer people drink dangerously than most think, are helpful in convincing students.
"The important piece about it is when you say more student[s] don't binge drink than do, then we can say this information came from the survey," Wong said.
"Everyone thinks everyone's doing it, but it's really a lot less," Wong said.
Minyoung Song contributed reporting to this article.
