NEW PALTZ — The State University of New York at New Paltz has been awarded a two-year mini-grant from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASES). New Paltz was one of only 10 private and public universities in New York State to receive the award and thus participate in a project titled, “College Norm Misperceptions Project.”
“The mini-grant will provide training for a team of professionals from our campus,” stated Robin Cohen, associate dean of students and one of three co-authors of the project. “New Paltz participants will conduct focus groups and do research on our campus, as well as collaborate with other colleges in the state,” she added.
The grant will also provide $8,000 for the design and printing of promotional materials which highlight healthy decision-making related to alcohol use. The idea behind this cutting-edge proposal is that students have a misperception about how much alcohol is consumed by their peers. According to Cohen, studies have shown that if the perception is altered, alcohol use and abuse will be lowered.
The grant proposal was co-authored by Michelle Cangelosi, health promotion coordinator; Raymond Schwarz, associate vice president for student affairs; and Cohen. The project will be coordinated by Cangelosi and will include the participation of Corinna Caracci, associate director of residence life and Scott Van Pelt, assistant director of college activities.
