As a member of the Healthy Campus team, Kelley Metcalfe oversees Clemson’s alcohol and other drug initiatives, working to ensure the University provides education, programs and policies designed to create an environment that fosters well-being and empowers students to make responsible decisions related to alcohol and other drug consumption.
We sat down with Kelley to learn more about her role and how her work impacts student well-being.
What is your role as associate director for alcohol and other drug initiatives in Healthy Campus?
My role focuses on implementing programs that reduce the risks associated with alcohol and other drug use and misuse, such as AlcoholEdu and the Clemson Community Coalition. I work closely with other University departments and community partners to be sure we provide consistent information and education about alcohol and other drugs. Our most recent project has been a partnership with Student Health Services, Public Safety, Clemson Rural Health and the SC Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services to provide Narcan® on campus in ONEbox emergency opioid overdose kits. These boxes, found on campus in high-traffic areas near trauma kits, store Narcan® and play a short video on how to administer it.
What are some of Clemson’s alcohol and other drug initiatives, including the University’s alcohol and other drug strategic plan?
Clemson utilizes a multilayered and evidence-informed strategy to decrease the misuse of alcohol and other drugs and to reduce the associated negative consequences among University student populations. We use scientific research and data, including data from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) to assess needs, set priorities and measure performance, and this serves as the national reference for our strategic plan.
How can students find information related to alcohol and other drugs?
Follow us on social media! You can also find information on a variety of topics on our website: clemson.edu/alcohol
Clemson’s Celebrate Safely campaign can be seen around campus and in athletic venues. Please tell us a little more about this campaign and some of the main takeaways for students this year.
Celebrate Safely is focused on alcohol safety and bystander intervention. This year, we have focused on identifying a friend you can count on to stay with during these events and even commit to learning each other’s phone numbers in the case of an emergency. Remember to plan ahead, step up and return home safely!
How do Clemson’s alcohol and other drug initiatives enhance the well-being of students?
These initiatives enhance the well-being of students by committing to personal growth and well-being and promoting an environment and culture of well-being. We offer a Creative Inquiry (CI) class focused on assessing and evaluating college student health, where our primary focus is analyzing the Clemson-specific NCHA data.
The National College Health Assessment (NCHA) will be sent to a random sample of Clemson students next month. What is the NCHA, and why is it important for selected students to complete this survey?
The NCHA focuses on collecting data on a variety of health and well-being topics from college students across the nation. This survey gives us insight into what health and well-being topics impact Clemson students and how we can update programming based on the results. If you complete this survey, you can be entered to win a Healthy Campus tumbler or $20 in Paw Points!
Learn more about alcohol and other drug initiatives at Clemson.