In an effort to determine the extent of drug and alcohol use among UW System students, System officials, in conjunction with the UW-Madison Division of Information Technology and the now-defunct System Administration Market Research office, is conducting a System-wide student survey this week.
According to UW System Academic Planner Christine Flynn Saulnier, the UW System Board of Regents asked System officials to compile data not only to determine the magnitude of the drug and alcohol problem, but also to track changes to see if the System's education and prevention programs are working.
\[The Regents] are aware that Wisconsin is one of the highest-drinking states and they were concerned,"" Saulnier said.
According to a system press release, students from around the UW System will be sent an e-mail inviting them to participate in the survey on a campus website. System administrators will send invitations to all students at the UW System's smaller campuses and to a randomly selected group of students at its larger schools, Saulnier said.
Saulnier said this is the third year the system has conducted this survey. He said it has been improved to provide a clearer survey with questions that are ""in line with national data for comparison's sake.""
Saulnier said the System expects about one-third of students invited to complete the survey.
Results will be completed in one to two months, according to Saulnier.
