Lehigh named 2015 recipient of TIPS Award of Excellence

Lehigh University was recently named a recipient of the 2015 TIPS Award of Excellence by Health Communications, Inc., provider of the Training for Intervention ProcedureS program (TIPS) that helps students make sound decisions regarding alcohol use. Selection for the award, which Lehigh shares with three other colleges this year, is based on the number of students certified, as well as feedback from trainers, participants and community leaders.

"Lehigh University has worked tirelessly to make sure their students are safe. They have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to preventing the misuse of alcohol on their campus and in their community by training their student in the TIPS Program," said HCI President and CEO Adam Chafetz in announcing the award.

Adds John Smeaton, vice provost of Student Affairs: “There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our students. Given the connection between alcohol abuse and a host of negative consequences ranging from personal injury and physical assaults to academic problems, educational opportunities like TIPS training increase the likelihood of good decision-making and are vital on a college campus.”

Over the course of the two-and-a-half hour program, students address drinking behaviors such as behavioral cues, intoxication rate factors and the size of standard drinks. They also review appropriate intervention strategies that may be helpful in alcohol-related emergencies. More than 1,200 campuses nationwide use the program. 

TIPS training at Lehigh was launched in the 2014-2015 academic year, targeting upper-class students who live off-campus. Additionally, five fraternities and sororities voluntarily elected to have all members participate in the program.  In that academic year, 485 students participated in the program and several university staff were trained to serve as in-house facilitators, according to Ashley Baudouin, interim assistant dean and director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (OFSA).  

By mid-September 2015, Lehigh offered 16 sessions and 421 students completed TIPS training.

Lehigh’s OFSA currently mandates that 80 percent of affiliated sophomores participate in the program. The targeting of sophomores is intentional, Baudouin says.

“Sophomores are often on the ground managing events where alcohol is present, like serving as bartenders, being a sober monitor or sober driver,” she says.“By the time they are juniors, these students are in leadership positions as chapter presidents, risk managers or social chairs. They’re planning events where alcohol is present in a manner that is responsible and promotes health and safety. Finally, as seniors, these students often live off campus and host events with alcohol.”

Boudouin says that even students who are resistant to the messaging find the sessions helpful.

Kappa Alpha fraternity president Matt Asteak was among those who was skeptical of the program, saying that most alcohol-education programs “simply tell you to refrain from drinking until you’re 21.”

TIPS, he said, was “refreshing because it didn’t attempt to remove drinking from Lehigh, but instead educated us on how to drink safely.”

As fraternity president, Asteak pushed to have the majority of the chapter members participate. He said the members “learned some new information about alcohol safety, and legitimately had fun in the process.”

In addition to Baudouin, Lehigh trainers include Elizabeth Shayler and Carter Gilbert, both OFSA assistant directors; Jess Manno, director of Student Affairs planning and assessment; Matt Kitchie, senior assistant dean and director of Student Activities; and Andrea Barker, assistant director of Student Activities.

Training as many students as they did required a “Herculean effort,” Baudouin says. She also credits several Greek alumni who provided funding for program materials, and Residential Services, which provided funding for a master trainer.