Coalition building: a strategy for creating HIV/AIDS awareness on a college campus

Coalition building was a successful strategy for creating HIV/AIDS awareness on the Dillard University campus. The purpose of the coalition building was to increase University students' knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS. The success of coalition building is predicated upon knowing whose assistance is needed and the development of positive relationships with those individuals. Coalition building in this instance required building relationships within the internal and external environments of the University. Hence, students, their organizations, faculty and community agencies were involved. An invitation to participate in the coalition was extended to twenty-one active campus organizations represented by the Student Government Association (SGA). The Santa Filomena Student Nurses Association (SF-SNA) served as the lead student organization. Faculty liaisons were solicited during a University faculty forum. Community agencies played a significant role in HIV/AIDS awareness at Dillard. One agency provided training and curriculum development, targeting minority health care providers. A questionnaire (Assessment Tool) was developed to obtain demographic data and a self-assessment of students' knowledge of HIV/AIDS. After meetings with coalition members, a HIV/AIDS Awareness Program was conducted on the University campus. The project was funded by Project FACE of Florida A&M University Foundation. Since students responded very favorably to the project, plans were made to provide ongoing HIV/AIDS awareness on the University campus.