Lessons Learned in Creating a College Consortium (McBEE)

• In Event: Multi College Bystander Efficacy Evaluation (McBEE)

Abstract

We present lessons learned in creating a college consortium to evaluate bystander components on campuses across the country. Recruitment has included engaging 50 campuses with varying campus climate strategies, infrastructure for implementing bystander programs and survey administration. Regulatory requirements for creating such a consortium have included individualized certificate of confidentiality coverage, memorandums of understanding, Institutional Research Board approval and survey elements. Strategies for identifying campuses and contacts will be discussed. One of many lessons learned is this project has demonstrated a silo effect of violence prevention researchers and violence prevention bystander interventions on campuses. We have been able to use recruitment to connect silos of an institution. With the same goal of making their campus safer, educators implementing bystander interventions may not be in direct contact or connection with faculty or staff in departments such as sociology, public health and psychology. Communication will continue to be vital in recruitment, retention and collaboration with colleges going forward. This multi-faceted project has combined multiple technologies to perform project management.

Authors

• Emily Clear, University of Kentucky

• Ann L. Coker, University of Kentucky

• Heather Bush, University of Kentucky

• Danielle Davidov, West Virginia University

• Bonnie S. Fisher, University of Cincinnati