Keele University and Keele Students’ Union has been working with Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) since 2015, when we first started to look at alcohol use on campus, and how we could promote a productive, healthy, and inclusive student culture surrounding drinking. Since then, we recognised the need to expand this to include a holistic approach to creating healthy, inclusive cultures around drugs.
Traditionally, the university took a zero-tolerance approach to drug use, which typically focussed on punitive/disciplinary measures for students using substances. Since embarking on the SOS-UK Drug and Alcohol Impact programme, we now have a more educational and supportive approach towards student substance misuse.
One key outcome has been the development of a strong and effective partnership between the university and students’ union. A significant achievement of this partnership was the development of the ‘Joint Approach to Student Substance Use’; the policy between the university and KeeleSU that outlines our harm reduction approach. This policy outlines the educational and supportive approach towards students who are found to be using substances, as well as potential outcomes for students who are responsible for repeated minor, or major, breaches of the discipline regulations. This work is delivered in four main tiers ranging from universal provision aimed at developing an informed and capable student community, through to in-patient provision aimed at our most at-risk students who require clinical intervention.
