Release: Immediate

Community members named to coalition to curb high risk drinking

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Some 33 members of the University of Iowa and the Iowa City/Coralville community have been named to a coalition that will head a project aimed at curbing high risk drinking among students. Appointments were made by UI President Mary Sue Coleman and Iowa City Mayor Naomi Novick.

The project, called "Stepping Up: A University/Community Action Partnership to Change Alcohol Policy and Use," is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation of Princeton, N.J., the American Medical Association, and the University of Iowa. The goal of the project is to establish a coalition of people representing a wide range of community and university interests, activities and programs to provide planning for a comprehensive effort to curb high risk drinking.

The "Stepping Up" grant proposal was written by staff members of the UI Student Health Service and Health Iowa, the educational branch of Student Health, and was supported by a number of community groups, including the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce and Iowa City City Council.

The Stepping Up Coalition initially consists of a steering committee and an executive committee. Several task forces will be added later to incorporate more community participation during the planning and implementation phase of the project.

Members of the executive committee are: Iowa City Mayor Naomi Novick, Johnson County Attorney J. Patrick White, Dale Helling, assistant Iowa City city manager; Carolyn Cavitt, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors; Jim Clayton, Iowa City Downtown Business Association; Joan VandenBerg, Iowa City School District Youth/Family Coordinator; Phillip Jones, UI vice president for student services; Dr. Mary Khowassah, UI director of Student Health Services; Allison Miller, president of the UI Student Government; and Nancy Hauserman, UI faculty representative.

Three other UI staff members will be ex-officio members of the executive committee: Julie Phye, coordinator of the Stepping Up program; Pat Ketcham, director of Health Iowa; and Steve Parrott, associate director of University Relations.

Steering Committee members were drawn from city and county officials, the Iowa City School District, other community organizations, local legislators, and the University community. They are:

City/County officials: Coralville Mayor Jim Fausett, Coralville Police Chief Barry Bedford, Iowa City Police Chief R.J. Winklehake, Johnson County Sheriff Bob Carpenter, and Joe Brisben of Healthy People 2000.

Community: Chuck Wanninger, Iowa City Press Citizen; Dick Corcoran, community representative; Pat Clifford, League of Women Voters; David Schuldt, Campus Ministry. Deb Hammes, MECCA; and Dan Holderness, Chamber of Commerce.

Iowa City School District: Mickey Piette, Districtwide Parents Organization.

Legislators: Representative Dick Myers and Senators Bob Dvorsky and Mary Neuhauser.

University: Maggie Van Oel, Residence Services; David Grady, Office of Campus Programs and Student Activities; Chuck Green, Public Safety; Christie Munson, Rape Victim Advocacy Program; Kristi Finger, Office of Campus Programs and Student Activities; Fred Mims, Athletics; Juanita Limas, Student Health Advisory Committee; and Dr. Carol Scott-Conner, UI Hospitals and Clinics.

4/1/97