Problem Statement: This is a pilot study that is conducted to gain and understanding of why

students may or may not agree with alternative medicine. Alternative medicine can be very
controversial since it is not approved by the FDA, however alternatives medicine has been
practiced in many cultures around the world for centuries. By motivating students to partake in
alternative medicinal practices such as herbalism, phytotherapy, aromatherapy, yoga, etc. the
financial burden of extreme healthcare costs would theoretically be reduced. It is not to say that
people should replace modern medicine with alternative medicine but be open to the idea of
incorporating both and not solely relying on modern medicine to meet their health and wellness
needs.

Methods: I will be developing a survey to gather data on student’s attitudes, behaviors, and
knowledge regarding alternative medicine. The survey will be distributed throughout campus
using a three-pronged approach. I will send my survey out to front page though my internship
supervisor and chief sustainability Officer, Lori Hamilton. The email will be forwarded to
different chairman across campus who will then forward it to at least five professors from 5
different colleges. The professors will then forward the email to their students. The survey will
also be advertised on the Office of Sustainability Instagram. The goal is to have at least 50
students take the survey. After two weeks the survey will close, and I will begin analyzing the
data and noting any trends. That data will be used to create an informative presentation that will
be given to students.

Procedures and Tools: The survey will be officially created using Qualtrics. I will also use
Qualtrics to identify any trends in the data. The survey will be distributed across campus through
front page and will be open for two weeks. Once the survey is closed, I will begin analyzing that
data and drawing conclusions. Using the results from the survey, I will create an informative
presentation for students to educative them on alternative medicine.

Recruitment: I will use a multiprong approach to recruiting participants. I will send out an email
to frontpage that will include a description of my research project as well as an attached link to
the survey. That email will then be forwarded to different chairman who will forward the email
to professors. The professor can then choose to forward the email to their students if they would
like to do so. The survey will be optional for students but will be highly encouraged. To
encourage students to take the survey, I will work with Kara Nitschke, the Office of
Sustainability Program and events manager to post an advertisement on the Instagram page
@gcgogreen.

Subject Impact: There are few personal questions within the survey that may be triggering such
as questions regarding religion. This may be a sensitive topic for some students. The questions
are designed anonymously to reduce as much potential harm as possible.

Subject Motivation: The participants in the study will be encouraged to take the survey through
personal interest. I hope to encourage students to take the survey to allow them to report their
feelings and opinions towards the controversial topic through advertising the project on social
media, specifically the @gcgogreen Instagram page.
Benefits: Benefits to students participating in the survey mainly include gaining an
understanding or interest in alternative medicine. The overall goal would be to encourage more
people to use alternative medicine so that they no longer need to rely on expensive health
services. One of the factors that causes healthcare prices in the United States to remain high is
the fact that health services are abused. This creates longer wait times and higher demand for
medical professionals which drives up the price. If we reduce the demand of these health
services, it could ultimately reduce healthcare costs.

Consent: *included in the survey*

Assent: This research project is intended to be sent out to only college students who are all over
the ages of 18.

Risk and Data Security: Participants in the study have the right to remain anonymous. The
questions are worded in a way that does not directly identify anyone. The survey will be created
using Qualtrics rather than forms. Google forms does save IP addresses so the survey will be
created using Qualtrics, so students are protected from any risk of exposing personal
information. This project will be completed by the end of the semester so the data will be deleted
by May 1st, 2023.

Legality: The data collected does not relate to any illegal activities.