New Quadcast: The Healthy Minds Study – Translating Data Into System-Level Intervention in Higher Education
In this week’s Quadcast, co-Principal Investigators of the Healthy Minds Network, Sarah Ketchen Lipson, PhD, EdM, and Daniel Eisenberg, PhD, discuss the most recent data from the Winter/Spring 2021 Healthy Minds Study – an annual survey studying mental health and related issues amongst undergraduate and graduate students. Their research reveals recent trends in college student mental health and the pandemic’s effects – from loneliness and isolation to increasing rates of anxiety and depression. They also identify interventions considered most effective.
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Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
Inside Higher Ed reports on tribal colleges increasing efforts towards mental health services for Native American students affected by hardships wrought by the pandemic. College administrators report that the tribal community has disproportionately struggled with high COVID-19 infection rates and deaths. Students from tribal colleges are facing issues related to managing academic responsibilities, financial strains, taking care of family, and losing loved ones to the virus. “With COVID, we’ve seen an uptick in overdoses, domestic violence situations, suicide attempts and completions,” said Russell Swagger, president of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College in Wisconsin. The article notes that college administrators around the nation are offering free teletherapy services to Native American students, considering the lack of mental health workers in tribal communities.
Other News
PBS News reports on college students’ high stress levels and interviews college health experts on prevention strategies to help student mental health. The American College Health Association found that nearly half of college students reported being lonely.
St. Louis NPR interviews Washington University psychiatrist Dr. Jessi Gold on college students struggling with mental health. “We need to be thinking about better solutions. We need to be investing with money, long-term money in mental health,” says Dr. Gold.
US News publicizes research showing that women are less likely to ask for deadline extensions than men. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, studies included 5,700 college students and adults.
The Daily Targum, student newspaper of Rutgers University, interviews the Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program & Psychiatric Services (CAPS) director on the increased demand for mental health services.
Boston University names Carrie Landa as the executive director of student wellbeing in efforts to promote social belonging, increase connectedness, and help students develop the tools to succeed and thrive.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Inside Higher Ed covers higher education programs aimed at teaching students about culturally insensitive Halloween costumes. At Scottsdale Community College, a photographer was hired to take photos of indigenous students and staff in native dress as part of the school’s “My Culture is Not a Costume” campaign. Ana Cuddington, the college’s American Indian director, hopes to educate a broader audience by showcasing the campaign online throughout November for Native American Heritage Month.
The Chronicle reports on a new survey showing that over 40% of Chinese scientists report feeling profiled by the U.S. government. Conducted by the University of Arizona, approximately 2,000 research faculty and graduate students at over 80 universities felt they were being surveilled. About 25% of scientists who were Asian but not Chinese also said they experienced racial profiling. Jenny L. Lee, a professor of educational-policy studies at the University of Arizona, said U.S. policies and limitations on visas “also affect perceptions of how welcoming the United States is to Chinese students and scholars.”
Inside Higher Ed features the National Education Equity Lab’s model helping first-generation and low-income high school students connect to elite colleges. Founded by attorney Leslie Cornfield, the program partners philanthropists and top universities to provide free college-level courses with Zoom technology. Ninety percent of the high school participants are minorities, and the majority are also first-generation college students.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
On Tuesday, the Association of American Universities announced that it was adopting eight new principles to prevent sexual harassment at universities. The rules include: “fostering a climate and culture where sexual misconduct is unacceptable; sharing findings of sexual misconduct with prospective employers when requested; requiring job applicants to provide personnel information from their prior employers about sexual misconduct; holding students, faculty, administrators and staff accountable for violations; and completing all investigations into sexual misconduct.” Experts, such as Tracey Vitchers from It’s On Us, say institutions should partner with nonprofits to provide more preventative education.
Student Success
Inside Higher Ed outlines nine strategies and tactics to increase relationships between students and mentors and expand opportunities. According to a Student Voice survey of 2,003 students, half of college students could not name a mentor to provide advice on navigating college and postgraduate plans. Strategies to help students find mentors include understanding student backgrounds to help them find a mentor match, making students more comfortable asking for help, encouraging in-person and virtual mentoring, and offering formal and informal mentorship opportunities.
In an op-ed for Higher Ed Dive, Danette Howard, senior vice president and chief policy officer at the Lumina Foundation, emphasizes the importance of restructuring to a hybrid learning model for college students. Howard argues that while attempting to return to pre-pandemic normalcy may be appealing, the current time period presents itself an opportunity to “permanently restructure the college learning experience into one that meets the complex needs of today’s students and prepares them for an increasingly remote workforce.”
The Hechinger Report examines data findings from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, revealing that more young adults are choosing work over college. It is expected that another drop in the 2021-22 academic year will surmount to a 6.5% plunge in the number of undergraduate students than in fall 2019. Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, says it would be the largest enrollment decline “in at least the last 50 years.” Young adults from low-income families attribute to the largest enrollment declines, given the nationwide labor shortage and rising wages in the blue-collar workforce.
College Affordability
Inside Higher Ed reports that college tuition increases are remaining at a steady low rate for the second year in a row. According to the College Board, after adjusting for inflation, college tuition actually decreased during the 2021-22 year. The average tuition for in-state students at public, four-year institutions increased by 1.6% to $10,740. The average tuition for private, nonprofit four-year institutions increased by 2.1% to $38,070. Enrollments have steadily declined for all types of higher education institutions.
Basic Needs
Higher Ed Dive reports on a new survey indicating that two-thirds of students lacking basic needs did not apply for emergency aid during the pandemic. The report, conducted by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, comprises survey results from 195,000 students and recommends colleges and universities invest in emergency aid practices and developing aid apart from financial aid.
Inside Higher Ed reports on two nonprofits, Swipe Out Hunger and University Food Bank Alliance, who have partnered to reach and provide resources for food insecure college students. Swipe Out Hunger works with universities to implement antihunger programs, such as Swipe Drive, which allows students to donate dining swipes from meal plans to peers who face food insecurity on campus. Over 2.5 million meals have been donated so far.
Coronavirus: Safety and Reopening
Inside Higher Ed reports on a growing number of universities announcing employee vaccination mandates in compliance with the Biden administration’s order, which mandates vaccination against COVID-19 for employees of federal contractors by late November and early December. Not complying to the federal order would put universities at risk of losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. Universities in conservative states where state laws have restricted vaccine mandates have announced plans to comply with the executive order. The Chronicle has updated a list and map of colleges that will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
