Disturbing recruiting incidents have made headlines recently, but there has been little consensus in the media regarding what athletics departments can do to prevent such events from happening at their institutions.

For the past 13 years, the University of Virginia, with significant financial support from the NCAA, has worked with athletics departments around the country to improve substance-abuse prevention programs, including recruitment practices, through the Athletic Prevention Programming and Leadership Education (APPLE) conferences. More than one-third of all NCAA-affiliated institutions have attended one of the weekend-long conferences at which participants use the APPLE model to evaluate their athletics department's programs and policies and develop a customized action plan for their school.

The APPLE model provides a framework for athletics departments to assess and improve their substance-abuse prevention programs by examining seven areas, or "slices," that affect student-athletes: (1) recruitment practices; (2) departmental expectations and attitudes; (3) alcohol, tobacco and other drug education programs; (4) policies; (5) drug testing; (6) sanctioning procedures; and (7) referral and counseling. The APPLE model provides guiding principles or best practices for each of the seven areas. Exemplary athletics departments not only have written policies that embody the guiding principles, but they also regularly disseminate these policies to all members of the department.

A model athletics department:

Does not promote nor condone illegal messages -- verbal or written, formal or informal -- and all contacts with recruits are consistent with the school and departmental policies.

Recognizes that the behavior of the recruit will be the responsibility of the student host and that the department bears the legal responsibility for the recruit's alcohol, tobacco or drug use.

Although such statements seem obvious, many schools that have attended the APPLE conferences report that they do not have detailed policies that address recruitment practices or, if such policies are in place, they are not regularly communicated to all members of the department. Student-athletes who attend the APPLE conferences report that alcohol is frequently involved during recruiting visits; as a result, more than a quarter of participating schools over the last four year chose to focus on ways of improving their recruitment practices.

Schools that successfully improved their recruitment practices as a result of developing an action plan at the APPLE conferences took several common steps.

Most began by making sure they developed uniform guidelines and policies that met the needs of their unique environments.

Schools included those policies in student-athlete and coaching handbooks to ensure that every member of the athletics department became familiar with the recruitment guidelines. Policies and procedures must be in writing, consistently enforced, and communicated annually to all athletics staff and student-athletes.

Student-athlete involvement was essential in creating real and lasting change in recruitment practices.

Student-athletes should be included in the process of improving recruitment practices since they provide knowledge of current hosting practices, enthusiasm for change and peer influence. The administration and coaches provide structure, stability and support and can therefore empower student-athletes to make real change.

Other recruitment programs developed by schools attending the APPLE conferences:

Surveying student-athletes to gauge their experiences as recruits and as hosts of potential student-athlete;

Incorporating training on the school's recruitment guidelines and policies into an existing student-athlete mentor organization.

Developing workshops to educate current student-athletes.

Hosting recruiting workshops for high-school athletes.

Coordinating panel discussions with student-athletes and coaches.

Creating wallet-size checklist cards for student-athlete hosts.

Developing brochures that list healthy activities for recruits.

The University of Virginia's experience in hosting the APPLE conferences suggests that the key to successful recruitment policy and program development requires administration, coach and student-athlete involvement. Written policies are essential, and they must reflect the culture and environment of each school.

Susan Bruce directs the Center for Alcohol and Substance Education (CASE) at the University of Virginia. Paige Allen Hawkins is the CASE health educator.