The transition from home to college is a change unlike many others. Within the collegiate environment the new-found sense of freedom, independence and autonomy is a temptation that can trip up some students, bringing them to bend to the pressures of newly acquainted peers or push the proverbial envelope to see just how much the university is willing to tolerate. One question that deserves further examination is, “What exactly happens if a student finds him or herself in a bit of hot water?”
Students are quick to find that life at Ohio State can feel as though it exists in a bubble, wherein the notion of a city within a city is not far from the truth. Some students will experience alcohol before their 21st birthday; others may find themselves in a physical confrontation; others will simply not grasp the notion of designated quiet hours. Whatever the case — students will experience situations that challenge what they know and lead them to explore areas they have yet to discover.
Students arriving to campus will quickly familiarize themselves with both the Code of Student Conduct and the Residence Hall Handbook — two documents that lay forth the expectations for student behavior. Outcomes for student behavior range in application and are tailored to the student’s best interests. After all, as educators, we are the first to acknowledge that student behavior is a learning process.
Motivational Interviewing
My colleagues across campus and I have found great value in the skill of motivational interviewing (MI), a counseling practice of focusing on a student’s behavior and attitude to elicit a positive change for the future. As a Hall Director at OSU, I have the regular opportunity to engage students with respect to their behavior. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with a student documented for a pattern of regular and excessive alcohol consumption. The student cited “little wrong” with how often he drinks and demonstrated little desire to change. Through our many discussions, we talked about the impact of his social life on his academic performance, relationships with family and friends and the strain on his finances. When bringing these areas into focus, the “A-Ha” moment arrived! Through subsequent conversations, the student and I were able to agree on changes in his social behavior, the student demonstrating the motivation to make the change.
Understanding compounding factors that can be attributed to a student’s behavior is important when making outcome decisions. Time and time again, being able to point out behavior patterns to a student is key in helping him gain ownership of their actions and, more importantly, motivating them to find alternative choices for the future. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of seeing similar students move from a state of ambivalence to ownership over all aspects of their life. The processes of self-reflection and establishing commitment remain constant in MI.
Beyond University Housing, a host of other departments rely on this practice of helping students to identify the “why” and “when” to ensure that the future picture shows a road beyond the first year. After identifying contributing factors to a particular behavior, we can establish steps, goals and milestones for curbing that behavior. These may be a gradual reduction of behavior or connecting a student with Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) to talk with a trained professional. A student’s ability to engage with staff only magnifies the potential outcomes we can have in achieving success and developing better choices for the years ahead. There are few rewards more satisfying than helping students find the motivation for their actions, behaviors and words — helping students to find success is what it’s all about!
For more information on motivational interviewing at Ohio State please visit CCS’s website at http://www.ccs.ohio-state.edu, or for general information about MI visit http://www.motivationalinterview.org.
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