Richard A Yoast, PhD, Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, American Medical Association, 515 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60610, 312-464-4202, Richard_Yoast@ama-assn.org

Communities experience and contribute to the problems related to high risk drinking by students in local universities. However, community residents often have an adversarial relationship with the students and university administrations, and frequently blame the students for mostlocal alcohol-related problems. Opportunities and structures for collaboration to address common issues are often overlooked. The A Matter of Degree projects have developed strategies and models for development and long-term maintenance of coalitions, development of community alcohol control agendas parallel to campus agendas, and advocacy for significant policy successes. The variety of collaborative structures and how they overcame histories of antagonism will be presented. The paper will describe measures taken to achieve long-term satisfaction and participation by community coalition members and how leadership was shifted from campus to community participants.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

1.Identifytensions and obstacles to community involvement with colleges to reduce drinking problems.
• Articulate strategies for recruitment and maintenance of community sectors
• Describe models of successful community alcohol policy coalitions

Keywords: Community Involvement, Alcohol

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Activities of ten community-university site participants in the A matter of Degree national program to reduce high-risk drinking.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.