Judicial Affairs, Career Center Partner to Create New Alcohol Initiative

 Introducing CREAD: Creating Responsible, Engaged, and Academic Decision-Makers

 By practice, the CREAD program is the integration of services and expertise of two offices engaged with our students one-on-one in an educational process.  The program asks students to dig deep into their core values structure, balance those values against their behavior and then blend that with their connection to their future goals. 

It can be a challenge finding ways to engage students in the conduct process where they learn that today’s behavior has long term consequences.  Our program goal was to design a situation where students could see past a drunken night with peers to a Graduate school application, job interview or a professional review board that asks those hard questions about past behavior.  We think we have accomplished that goal with CREAD.

CREAD is collaboration between Judicial Programs and the Career Center at Missouri State University.  When a student is held responsible for a second alcohol violation, Judicial Programs sanctions the student to a seven step program through the Career Center that takes on the average of 60 days to complete.  The seven steps are divided into 1 hour individual meetings to address the following:

1. Student participates in an intake interview and begins taking the self- assessments.
2. Counselor interprets assessment results and engages student in discussion of implications; they review possible majors/careers; and homework is assigned for career investigation.
3. Student summarizes insights from homework; discussion follows and referrals are made for job shadowing; and information interviewing.
4. Student makes contact with professionals for job shadowing and\or informational interviewing.
5. Student and counselor talk about insights gained in step 4, and a referral is made to a career specialist to discuss internships and\or academic advisement.
6. Student meets with career specialist to discuss benefits of gaining meaningful work experience through internships and co-ops, discuss academic planning.
7. Student meets with counselor and reflects on benefits gained during career development process; completes survey evaluating overall experience.

As we evaluate CREAD's impact on our students, we have determined the program to be a tremendous success. Students report that they see themselves in a larger context and that their daily behavior does have an effect on their long-term goals.

Submitted by Stephanie Grevillius