Colleges and Universities

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Regardless of the source of program ideas, planners will want to choose programs based on the likelihood that the activities, policies, messaging campaigns, or other interventions will achieve the defined goals and objectives. 

As with any area of campus health and safety, many campus teams find it useful to create a “logic model,” a diagram illustrating how each planned activity will contribute to their long-term goals (e.g., reduce mental health problems, suicidal behavior, and suicide).  By using a logic model, campuses can articulate how and why each activity will result in specific outcomes, increasing the likelihood that these outcomes are achieved.

The term inputs refers to the investment of resources in the program (e.g., staff time, volunteers, and funds).  Activities are the actual programs to be implemented, such as a training, screening program, or awareness campaign. Outputs refers to the number of activities or the level of activity achieved.  If the activity is a communications campaign, for example, then outputs might be the number of PSAs aired, the number of brochures distributed, and the number of students exposed to the message.

Short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes are the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors that are expected to change as a result of inputs, activities, and outputs. There should be a logical connection between program activities and desired results.