The Virginia Higher Education Substance Use Advisory Committee (VHESUAC) is pleased to report on coordination of college alcohol and other drug prevention programming in the Commonwealth of Virginia. VHESUAC partners include public and private institutions of higher education, student leaders, state agencies, and statewide organizations committed to reducing student substance misuse and promoting effective policies and practices.

VHESUAC aims to create an environment and culture that values student health and safety and supports prevention and intervention efforts on campuses across the state. VHESUAC hopes to accomplish this by promoting a collaborative and coordinated effort among Virginia’s colleges and universities to advocate for prevention programming and treatment services, implement research-based approaches, and facilitate a network for information sharing and action planning.

Virginia ABC’s Education and Prevention Section coordinates VHESUAC and the structure includes two tiers: the Executive Council and Workgroup.

During this reporting period, Executive Council and Workgroup members met to learn more about environmental management and collegiate recovery programs from presentations by college professionals. They also completed a strategic plan development activity and discussed implications for future creation of reporting guidelines on campus strategic plans. In addition, VHESUAC conducted the statewide campus assessment project to assist with identification of gaps and themes in substance use prevention and intervention at Virginia schools. The data collected informed the goals and strategies for the VHESUAC Strategic Plan. This report intends to detail these meetings and outcomes of the research project, as well as explain the formation of VHESUAC, its current structure, and its vision moving forward.