EdTech Connect: Ep. 74 - Charity Stutzman: Future Proofing Student Wellbeing with Data Driven Prevention
Host: Jeff Dillon
Guest: Charity Stutzman, Senior Director of Higher Education Strategy, Vector Solutions
Date: February 13, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the newly released Campus Prevention Network National Insights report from Vector Solutions, spotlighting rapid cultural shifts among college students related to alcohol and cannabis use, student well-being, and the role of data-driven prevention. Charity Stutzman, a national leader in campus strategy and former assistant dean, shares perspectives on leveraging data to future-proof student support systems, adapt prevention models, and align well-being initiatives with evolving student priorities.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Roots in Student Support & Prevention
- Charity’s formative college experience led to her understanding of the profound impact educators and campus staff have on student decision-making and well-being.
- Quote:
"She says, oh, Charity, dear, just keep crying. Life only gets harder... you will know yourself... decisions will still come to you that will be difficult, but you will know yourself."
— Charity Stutzman (03:18) - This story grounds her ongoing commitment to designing programs that create spaces of belonging and purpose for students.
2. The Big Shift: Data Trends Breaking Old Stereotypes
- Dramatic Increase in Students Citing Health Concerns:
- 2023: 55% of incoming students cited negative health consequences as a reason for not drinking or engaging in high-risk drinking.
- 2025: This jumps to 64%.
- “That shift... in a matter of three years, two years, but three cohorts of students. It surprised me and I think validated this need to use data to drive the decisions you’re making.” — Charity (08:43)
- Rise of the "Healthy Majority":
- Younger students themselves are leading the cultural shift toward moderation or abstinence, not just responding to policy.
- The pace of change is much faster than previously expected.
3. Implications for Prevention Programs: From Risk to Resilience
- Moving Beyond Fear-Based Messaging:
- Old “warning label” models are outpaced; prevention must now reinforce positive decisions and self-reflection.
- “There needs to be a focus on reinforcing those positive decisions... and maintaining. The ongoing efforts that need to take place to maintain those healthy decisions.” — Charity (10:57)
- Skills-Based Approaches:
- Emphasizing personal reflection, self-understanding, and recognition of peer/community influences.
4. Responding to Cannabis Normalization
- Challenge and Opportunity:
- Changing laws and norms around cannabis use vary by state, complicating messaging and campus policy.
- Importance of data-driven approaches to understand emerging risks, motivators, and comorbidities with mental health.
- “It will be unique to their environment, which is standard principle of effective prevention... continue to understand and use data to drive those efforts.” — Charity (12:32)
- Course Customization:
- Vector Solutions’ Cannabis Edu adapts content and survey tools based on evolving trends and local needs.
5. Protective Factors: What’s Driving Healthier Student Choices?
- Stacking Positives:
- Mental health prioritization, smaller friend groups, financial pressure, and focus on academics all intersect to make abstention from risky behaviors more common.
- Campus Recreation as a Hub:
- The rise of campus recreation as not just athletics, but central to mental and physical wellness and peer connection.
- “Campus recreations are kind of becoming this integral part of an institution... most utilized resource and service.” — Charity (15:07)
- Three Buckets of Protective Factors:
- Course Modality: (Online, hybrid, in-person)
- Living Environment: On-campus/off-campus lifestyle
- Campus Involvement: Co-curricular and student org participation
6. Holistic, Coordinated Student Support
- Breaking the Silos:
- Calls for upskilling faculty/staff to engage with all dimensions of student wellness.
- Case management approaches for more personalized student experiences.
- “Faculty may not be comfortable to engage directly with critical situations, but they certainly should be a space where students feel safe… and then you can direct them to those appropriate services.” — Charity (18:14)
7. Real-Time Data and Tailored Intervention
- Vector Solutions Tools – More than Compliance:
- Alcohol Edu & Cannabis Edu provide benchmarking, real-time insight, and foundational common language for campuses.
- “You can benchmark with other like institutions. ... It’s more than just a compliance. ... We want to reinforce those positive decisions; those critical skills students need to be successful.” — Charity (20:26)
- Custom Pathways:
- Trauma-informed options in sexual assault prevention courses.
- Non-drinking pathways in Alcohol Edu to reinforce positive decisions.
8. Institutional Barriers and Change Management
- Challenges:
- Budget limitations, slow institutional pace, entrenched policies and silos.
- “Higher ed moves slowly by nature and we have deeply institutionalized our policies and procedures and those often can act as those barriers…” — Charity (25:27)
- Adaptability is Key:
- Pandemic-era pivots revealed the necessity (and feasibility) of more agile approaches.
9. Empowering Student Affairs Staff
- Central Role, Insufficient Authority:
- Need for clarity in how prevention staff fit into institutional strategic goals.
- Recognition that their work directly impacts retention, graduation, and student well-being.
- “If you are in a position as a university leader where you have staff doing this work day to day, it's critical to empower them... you play a role in that [student success].” — Charity (27:00)
- Reducing Burnout:
- Leveraging scalable tools frees time for deeper, higher-touch student engagement.
10. Future-Proofing Student Support: Career Readiness Connection
- Directly Linking Programs to Lifelong Outcomes:
- Student affairs and prevention work should be clearly connected to career readiness and ROI for students.
- “If your programs and your services and your educational opportunities are not closely linked to those skills that students need to earn a job... then I think you’re missing the mark.” — Charity (29:33)
- Embedding well-being and skill-building fosters both personal and professional success.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On rapid change:
“Things can shift so quickly for students in a matter of two years.” — Charity (08:52) -
On building programs:
“I’m passionate about education... I wanted to go back to doing prevention work and working towards creating those safer campus environments.” — Charity (05:47) -
On holistic support:
“Students don’t want to go to five different offices and retell their story... They want that case management approach... where every interaction they have, it feels as if they are being taken care of in a very intimate way.” — Charity (18:41) -
On future-proofing:
“If you don’t see the skills and the outcomes directly tied to the career readiness that students will need, then you’re missing the mark.” — Charity (29:40)
Timestamps by Segment
- Personal Story & Motivation: 02:22 – 05:43
- Overview of Data Shifts (CPN Report): 08:09 – 08:43
- Changing Prevention Paradigms: 10:26 – 11:55
- Cannabis Trends & Policy Complexity: 11:55 – 14:12
- Protective Factors & Campus Rec: 14:12 – 17:37
- Holistic Student Support & Case Management: 17:37 – 19:56
- Real-Time Data, Benchmarking, Custom Pathways: 19:56 – 24:54
- Obstacles to Institutional Change: 24:54 – 26:33
- Empowering Student Affairs: 26:33 – 28:58
- Future-Proofing Advice: 28:58 – 31:01
Final Advice to Campus Leaders
“Embedding kind of student success, prevention, well-being and safety deeply into your program services and student support structures and tying that to career readiness... If you’re not doing this work and addressing the needs of students... you’re missing the mark.”
— Charity Stutzman (29:33)
For access to the full report:
- Visit the Vector Solutions website (link provided in show notes).