Assessing the relationship between campus programs, student self-efficacy, stress, and substance abuse.

Abstract: 

Student life educators continue searching for ways to assess campus programs. This is an exploratory study for an alternative assessment approach based on a hypothesized relationship between participation in campus activities, student self-efficacy, and student dispositions toward aspects of mental health and substance abuse. Focusing on the psyche of our students is desirable, especially in light of litigation holding colleges liable for student suicide, and may prove useful as an outcomes measure for assessment and evaluation in the future. Bandura's concept of self-efficacy is used as a conceptual framework for the survey. The authors surveyed nearly 10% of underclassmen at a public research university. Despite having the hypothesis contradicted in several analyses, results have implications for campus health policy and student life programming.