ECOLOGY MODEL

An Ecological Approach for Student Success

Why an ecological approach?

The generation of students currently enrolled in post-secondary education - and the generations that will follow it -- have grown up in a world in which HIV/AIDS has always existed. They have been taught the basic facts about the disease, its means of transmission, and its debilitating nature; yet many continue to believe they are not personally at risk and many engage in HIV risk-taking behaviors. Through the campus ecology approach, HELP hopes to encourage administrators, faculty members, and staff that serve students to consider health as an organic part of a student's life and learning and to implement a new emphasis on health beyond the traditional clinical health service or curricular models.

The campus community is a prime environment in which to educate youth about the prevention of HIV and other health risks. An ecological perspective examines all the factors and relationships that prompt or sustain health risk behaviors among students and the multiple, complex influences on students' health-related attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives. Such an approach to HIV prevention and education cannot simply be the responsibility of health services and student peer educators; it needs to move beyond the traditional roles and boundaries of health education. The same approach promises greater success in other areas of prevention that are important on campus as well - such as alcohol, other drug, and tobacco abuse.

What is an ecological approach?

Emerging generations of students are holistic learners who do not segregate health from other aspects of their lives. Faculty, staff, and administrators need to coordinate services and students' interactions with the institution in ways that will cultivate collaborative learning among students and those with whom they interact -- a process that we term an environmental or "ecological" approach. Using an ecological approach to addressing health and HIV issues can result in positive outcomes for students and provide them with opportunities to recognize and be a part of many communities on campus. As students move in and out of those multiple communities-academic, social, cultural, and ethnic -- each social and learning environment should be developmental and integrated with the mission of the institution. A comprehensive program of education about health, including HIV prevention, can be reinforced in all the communities in which a student is involved.

Implementation of the ecological approach

HELP established a Campus Ecology Team comprised of 6 NASPA members, three senior student affairs officers, a residence director, and two health educators; the Team assumed responsibility for creating and producing the document, Leadership for a Healthy Campus. The first phase of the campus ecology approach was piloted on nine NASPA-affiliated campuses beginning in Fall 2002. These campuses utilized the HELP ecology model to:

  • Assess the overall health and wellness of the campus
  • Identify four critical areas in which campus health could be improved in an effort to reduce student's HIV risk-taking behaviors
  • Develop strategic plans to address the four areas.

The nine campuses selected from applications for this planning phase were:

  • Arizona State University
  • California State University, San Bernardino
  • Northern Illinois University
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • Prince George's Community College
  • University of Nebraska-Omaha
  • University of Texas, El Paso
  • Western Washington University
  • William Rainey Harper Community College

Early lessons learned In reviewing the work of the demonstration sites included:

  • The ecological perspective will yield results when used
  • It is important to hear from students and learn their perceptions about health on campus
  • It is important to make use of both qualitative and quantitative research
  • The ecological perspective allows all areas of the campus to gain knowledge of what other college community members are involved in
  • The process provides identification of health issues and programming needs
  • When using the ecological framework, the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes may take up to 2-3 years before results are seen