Use of the delphi technique to support a comprehensive campus alcohol abuse initiative

The Delphi Technique was used to identify areas of faculty/staff and student support for a comprehensive campus alcohol abuse initiative. Through a series of mailed questionnaires, 54 faculty/staff and 35 student leaders identified 20 campus alcohol-related problems and 15 potential solutions. The same group of faculty/staff and students then ranked the problems in terms of seriousness and changeability, and the solutions in terms of priority to the individual and to the institution. The process clearly exposed areas of agreement and support for a comprehensive campus alcohol abuse initiative. The utility of this technique as a means to identify areas of agreement and conflict and as a means of generating support is discussed.