AlcoholEDU

Dear First-Year Student:

As an incoming first-year Syracuse University student, you already know that your college experience is about succeeding in the classroom. Your choices about organizing your life, social interactions, engagements in the community, and co-curricular activities will play critical roles in shaping your success. The University's goal is to support students in having a positive, productive Syracuse University experience. One of the ways we do this is talking frankly with you about how alcohol can impact your mind, body, and college career. Another is by requiring you to complete an online learning program on this topic during the summer before your arrival. Every first-year student at Syracuse University is required to take the brief online course, AlcoholEdu for College, before arriving on campus. To get the most from this experience, you must stay on the schedule described below.

The course is offered in two parts: Part I takes at least three hours to complete. It requires you to take an introductory survey, read and interact with a series of educational materials, score at least 75 on an exam, and take another survey. You will be able to access Part I starting June 11, and you must complete it successfully by July 10.

Part II begins approximately 30 days after you complete Part I. It consists of additional educational materials and a concluding survey. You will be able to access Part II starting about July 10, and you must complete Part II by August 18.

Steps for taking the course:

1. Locate a computer with Internet access and audio capabilities. Minimum technical requirements can be found at college.alcoholedu.com/login.aspx.
2. Be sure to get your nine-digit Syracuse University student identification (SU I.D.) number from the Office of Admissions. If you do not yet have an SU I.D., call 315-443-3611. Students who complete the course without their SU I.D. will be required to take it over.
3. On or after June 11 (logins will not work until then), visit college.alcoholedu.com/login.aspx. In the "New User" field, enter the following I.D. code: 8C196413FIRSTYEAR . Then click the "Sign Up" button.
4. You will be taken to the AlcoholEdu registration page, where you can create your own user account with your SU I.D. and the e-mail address and password of your choice.
5. Log in with your e-mail address and password, and complete sections of the course as they appear, clicking the "Next" button at the end of each section. You can use your custom login to complete the course in multiple sittings, but if you don't click "Next" at the end of each section before logging off, you will have to start over on that section. To return to a partially completed course, visit college.alcoholedu.com/login.aspx and enter your custom login and password in the "Returning User" field.
6. If you need assistance, click the "Technical Help" button located in the upper right-hand corner of every AlcoholEdu screen. You do not need to be logged into the course to access support. Dial-up users may encounter problems unless they choose the "Audio-Only" option. Users under 18 years of age will not be required to complete survey portions of AlcoholEdu for College; this is not an error.
7. Complete all parts of the course by their deadlines! All sections of Part I are due by July 10; all sections of Part II are due by August 18.

As an incentive for timely completion, all first-year students who finish AlcoholEdu on schedule will be entered in a drawing for more than 50 prizes, including gift certificates for the Syracuse University Bookstore.

Used on more than 450 campuses nationwide, AlcoholEdu is a non-opinionated course that uses science- based research to teach students about the effects of alcohol, enabling students to make smart, adult decisions. AlcoholEdu does not aim to tell you what to think, but it will give you a leg up on making decisions for yourself and dealing with drinking behaviors of other students. Independent research found that college students who completed AlcoholEdu experienced approximately 50 percent fewer negative health, social, and academic consequences than students who had not yet taken AlcoholEdu; we are encouraged by these national findings, and by our own assessment data, which show that the course is very effective in improving the alcohol-related knowledge of our students.

Students 18 years of age or older will fill out surveys as part of AlcoholEdu and should note that all survey responses are strictly confidential; Syracuse University will receive information about the student body as a whole, but will never see individual students' answers. You can feel confident that providing truthful answers—no matter what they are—will not put you at any risk for repercussions.

We are also inviting your parents to complete the course, using a special parents' login I.D. that we are sending to them separately. We encourage you to talk with your parents or guardians about AlcoholEdu for College and your planned approach to situations involving alcohol while at Syracuse University. If you have any questions about the program call 315-443-4234.

Syracuse University is a place where the choices you make will have a profound impact on your chances for success. AlcoholEdu for College will equip you to make these choices intelligently. Thank you for your participation in this important program.

Sincerely,