Alcohol.Edu Online Course

Ithaca College expects all incoming freshmen to complete Alcohol.Edu, an on-line alcohol education program. Access to the course will becomes available during the month prior to move-in. Incoming students will receive a letter in the mail from President Rochon during the summer which provides information on how to access and complete the course.

Alcohol.Edu is designed to assist students in making healthy decisions regarding alcohol use in college. The course takes about 90 minutes to complete, and includes information on:

• How expectations influence behavior
• Alcohol’s effect on learning and memory
• Recognizing and responding to an alcohol-related emergency
• Blood alcohol concentration and low-risk drinking strategies

Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:

Q.  How do students access the course?

A. Access to Alcohol.Edu will become available during the month prior to move-in. Detailed information on how to access and complete the course will be provided to incoming IC students at that time.

Q.  I am a transfer student.  Do I need to take the alcohol course?

A.  We encourage transfer students to complete the course, but it is not mandatory.

Q.  What about students who do not have easy access to computers at home or in their community?

A.  We ask that you consider all the possibilities for accessing a computer.  A friend or family member may be willing to let you use their computer for this purpose.  Also, many local libraries have computers available with internet access.

If it is truly impossible to access a computer with necessary technical capabilities, you may receive an extension to complete the course on an Ithaca College computer.  Please email Nancy Reynolds in the Center for Health Promotion at nreynolds@ithaca.edu for more information.

Q.  Why is Ithaca College requiring an online alcohol course?  Is there a drinking problem here?

A.  Ithaca College is pretty typical of most college campuses when it comes to alcohol use.  Most people drink moderately or do not drink at all.  The course is designed to help students think through decisions related to alcohol use.

Q.  What does the evaluation research say about the impact of online alcohol courses?

A.  Research conducted on online alcohol courses has shown encouraging results for college retention rates, GPA’s, and decreased alcohol consumption and related harm among college students. Most IC students report that they learned useful information from the course and that they would recommend it to a friend.