UW Recreation and Wellness Center Receives 2025 Campus Prevention Network Honor

The University of Wyoming’s Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center has received the 2025 Campus Prevention Network (CPN) Seal of Prevention for the sixth consecutive year. The CPN Seal of Prevention, presented by Vector Solutions, recognizes institutions of higher education that demonstrate leadership in student safety and well-being.

 

Each recipient of the CPN Seal of Prevention has taken action to create a safer campus through comprehensive, evidence-based digital prevention education on issues such as sexual assault, alcohol and drug misuse, and mental health. The CPN Seal establishes guidelines for discerning quality prevention education and implementation practices, and positions prevention as central to key institutional outcomes such as student success, campus climate and retention.

 

The courses evaluated for the CPN Seal of Prevention are managed at UW through the HOPES Program. HOPES stands for Healthy Options for the Prevention and Education of Substances. The HOPES Program takes a more positive approach to substance prevention by focusing on harm reduction and holistic wellness.

 

“This is the sixth year we have received the CPN Seal of Prevention, and each year we are grateful for this honor,” says Aleah Biertzer, HOPES Program coordinator and interim director of the Wellness Center. “Our digital prevention programs continue to help us cultivate a culture of care and responsibility before students even arrive on campus. While this award highlights our digital prevention efforts, our comprehensive approach extends well beyond the digital space and students’ first semester at UW. Prevention efforts span throughout a student’s time here and are made possible through the collaboration of many campus partners who are experts in their fields.”

 

“The CPN Seal of Prevention recipients represent the top institutions nationwide, underscoring their commitment to academic excellence and the well-being of their students,” said Jonathan Cherins, CEO at Vector Solutions. “Our team at Vector Solutions is proud to recognize the great value these leading institutions and organizations are providing students and the commitment we share to making higher education communities safer and stronger.”

 

The CPN Seal of Prevention criteria are based on the Principles of Effective Prevention Programs. More than 1,400 campuses and organizations were evaluated to determine eligibility for the 2025 Seal. Seal of Prevention recipients have, on average, an 8.3 percent higher first-year retention rate and a 9.6 percent higher on-time graduation rate compared to non-Seal institutions.

 

For more information about UW’s CPN Seal of Prevention and HOPES Program offerings, call Biertzer at (307) 766-6776 or email aleah.biertzer@uwyo.edu.

 

About Vector Solutions for Higher Education

Vector Solutions for Higher Education is the industry leader in postsecondary safety and prevention training, serving over 2,000 of the nation’s most widely recognized and prestigious institutions and organizations for more than 20 years. Its programs help drive lasting, large-scale change on the campus issues that matter most, including alcohol and other drugs, sexual assault and harassment, and mental health. Online prevention programs available through Vector Solutions reach over 10 million higher education students, staff and faculty annually. To learn more about the CPN Seal of Prevention, go to https://www.vectorsolutions.com/industries/education/higher-education/campus-prevention-network-seal/.