CampusCommunity Coalitions: The LincolnUNL Experience

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Campus-Community CoalitionsThe Lincoln/UNL
Experience

• Thomas Workman, Ph.D.
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• tworkman3_at_unl.edu
• 402-472-8155

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HISTORY OF THE COALITION

• Responsible Hospitality Council 1992 Present
• Community coalition dedicated to reducing
  problems associated with irresponsible alcohol
  service
• Focus on voluntary compliance
• Primary strategies-Peer intervention
• -Education
• NU Directions Campus/Community Coalition 1998
  Present
• Campus/community coalition dedicated to reducing
  high-risk drinking among college students
• Focus on environmental management
• Primary strategies
• -Policy
• -Education
• -Enforcement

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Philosophical Foundations

• Shared Responsibility
• Responsibility for individual behavior is shared
  between the individual and the environment
• All stakeholders within the environment need to
  share the responsibility for the condition of the
  environment
• Inclusive Process
• All Stakeholders have responsibility, and
  therefore a place at the table
• Focusing on a common vision for an ideal
  environment leads to consensus
• Community-wide consensus is critical for
  long-term environmental change

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Coalition Activity

• Led by a Strategic Plan
• GOALS focus on specific areas of the environment
  that need to be addressed based on analysis of
  the specific environment
• OBJECTIVES focus on measurable changes of
  behavior related to that area
• ACTIVITIES focus on specific interventions that
  show or promise evidence of creating the desired
  change in the target area
• Organized by Workgroup
• Coalition members self-select their workgroup
  based on interest, responsibility, expertise,
  and/or resources
• Workgroups develop and implement interventions,
  continue environmental monitoring, and address
  any issues related to implementation
• AD hoc committees used for interventions that
  require special experience/expertise

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Lessons LearnedBuilding and Sustaining a
Successful Coalition

• Top-level administrative support is necessary.
• Start with winnable issues to build momentum.
• Reach consensus on coalition purpose and member
  role. Orient new members to the strategic
  plan/format.
• Hire a staff member who understands community
  organizing.
• Recruit communications expertise, develop a
  communications plan to support your strategic
  plan.

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Lessons LearnedBuilding and Sustaining a
Successful Coalition

• Educating the media is critical.
• Reinforce positive practices.
• Provide opportunities for dialogue. All partners
  must be kept well informed.
• Foster institutional ownership for long-term
  sustainability.
• Celebrate coalition success.

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As a coalition matures . . .

• Coalition maintenance is an ongoing task
• Turnover is a reality
• Philosophical debates re-emerge
• Coalitions need re-energizing
• Environments change through economics,
  generations, politics
• Vision gets replaced by plain sight

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Keeping the Mature Coalition Healthy

• Orient new members to the philosophy and history
  of the work
• Return to the vision and mission
• Rescan the environment
• Strategic planning is an ongoing process
• Get beyond maintenance whats the next
  mountain?

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For more information

• NU Directions
• Linda Major, Project Director
• Tom Workman, Communications
• Student Involvement
• Lincoln, NE 68588-0453
• 402/472-2454
• www.nudirections.org