College is an exciting milestone for both you and your student. It is a time of new experiences, a time of transition, and a time of great opportunity and promise. Ball State takes an active role in educating students about wellness issues and empowering them to make healthy, safe choices. But the university cannot rely solely on staff and faculty to convey these messages; we want to partner with you—whether you are a parent, guardian, or friend—to ensure your student will make a positive transition to college and make good decisions regarding alcohol and other drugs.

Even if you have addressed these topics with your student in the past, it is important to revisit them, demonstrating your care and concern, throughout their college experience. Keep the lines of communication open; your student will be more likely to try to live up to your expectations if you set clear guidelines regarding alcohol and other drugs. Studies have shown that family and peers can influence drinking behavior actively, by explicitly discouraging irresponsible behavior, or passively, by role modeling positive drinking behavior (NIAAA, 1997).

Our Comprehensive Approach

All incoming students are required to complete EduRisk, an online program that provides students with a comprehensive foundation in the areas of alcohol and drug awareness, sexual assault awareness, and bystander intervention. EduRisk uses an engaging, thoughtful approach to provide students with the tools they need to navigate the risks of life in college. Ball State hopes parents will partner with us to reinforce the importance of students completing the course before classes begin.

Prior to the beginning of Fall Semester, students will receive an official Ball State email that provides instructions for taking the course. Please note that the responses to questions are confidential.

How You Can Help

Completing this course is a critical step on your student’s journey toward a rewarding college career. We invite you to talk with your student about this course and to keep in mind that our campus is a community that looks out for each other and encourages all members to do the right thing. We hope this program helps our students to think deeply about these critical issues.