Higher Education Leaders Explore Ways to Ensure Success of Students Recovering from Addiction While Living on Campus
Augsburg College President, Paul C. Pribbenow, explains how educators can support students using a model similar to the College’s StepUp Program
GAITHERSBURG, Md., January 18, 2017 /3BL Media/ In the fourth installment of the President to President series, published today, Paul C. Pribbenow, Ph.D., president of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, describes the value of supporting students who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions as they pursue higher education and live on campus.
Titled “The StepUP Program at Augsburg: Overcoming the Stigma of Addiction on a University Campus,” this edition of President to President describes how Augsburg College launched its collegiate recovery program, StepUp, nearly 20 years ago. The program has grown considerably since then, becoming widely recognized as one of the leading collegiate recovery programs in the country.
StepUp helps students overcome the stigma of addiction and navigate the sometimes tricky landscape of college life by providing a unique living-learning community for students in recovery. It currently serves more than 100 undergraduate students at a time, who live in a dedicated residential facility and attend mandatory support meetings with peers and counselors.
The program has been a resounding success. Students enrolled in StepUp have an average GPA of 3.2 and a 92% drug and alcohol abstinence rate. Retention and graduation rates are also higher than the College’s average among students enrolled in the program.
The article is part of the 2016-2017 President to President series, published by Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services. The series is written by university presidents for university presidents and focuses on how institutions are developing innovative campus strategies that ensure positive business outcomes while enhancing the student experience.
Each month, a new chapter of President to President is authored by a notable leader in higher education whose institution is at in the forefront of pioneering viewpoints and practices. Edited by longtime co-authors/editors, Dr. Scott Miller and Dr. Marylouise Fennell, Sodexo provides publishing support but exerts no editorial influence over the series.
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