New Quadcast: President of Vassar College, Elizabeth Bradley
Ep.28 of the Quadcast features Elizabeth Bradley, President of Vassar College, who discusses the role of higher education in stewarding student mental health and wellbeing.
In this interview, President Bradley provides insights from her soon to be released paper, Mental Health on College Campuses, a comprehensive overview of the state of college student mental health, from prevalence trends and capacity issues to prevention, education and emerging service strategies. Listen and subscribe to our channel on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
In an op-ed for The Harvard Crimson, student Serena G. Pellegrino writes about the 1,000 backpacks that covered Harvard Yard last month in efforts to raise awareness about college student suicide. Pellegrino writes, “The contents of our backpacks are probably quite similar for the most part. But we each carry very different things, too. These are the things no one can see. … They’re our stories and memories, expectations and regrets. We carry worries and doubts and things we can’t take out, even if we wanted to. The things that aren’t things occupy the most space. But zipped up tightly behind us, no one might ever know what’s really inside.” Despite the display and advocacy surrounding mental health, Pellegrino argues that there is still need for more work: “No matter how much we promote seeking help or talk about the importance of mental health, we never really address it.”
Diverse Education features an article on exploring whether chatbots should help students navigate the mental health crisis. Studies are underway to look at the benefits of affordable AI-powered chatbots to combat the worsening mental health crisis on college campuses. “Chatbots are available 24/7, but therapists are not. Also, this is scalable. One chatbot can help many students that suffer from a mood disorder,” said Dr. Eduardo Bunge, associate professor of psychology at Palo Alto University. Among support for these services, experts point to drawbacks including concerns around equity, effectiveness, ethical issues, crisis intervention, and privacy.
The Wall Street Journal reports on schools across the country canceling classes to allow mental health days for teachers and students. The return to in-person schooling has led to increased pressure on K-12 educators to make up for lost curriculum, sudden closures for quarantine, and burnout from stress. According to Burbio, a data company monitoring school closures, many school districts across the nation subsequently decided to cancel classes for the entire week of Thanksgiving, though some educators argue that time away is not the solution.
Other News
Diverse Education reports on higher education’s response to the urgent need for more health care workers. Dr. Danielle McCamey, founder, CEO and president of DNPs of Color, hopes to increase diversity in recruitment and retention efforts for those seeking healthcare degrees to better serve underrepresented patients.
Indiana University News reports on an annual survey that showcases findings on mental health issues and substance use among Indiana college students. Almost 40% of students reported feeling depressed or experiencing periods of sadness.
The Daily Tarheel reports on the University of North Carolina community reflecting on the impact of mental health this semester. After multiple student deaths, the campus responded with a teletherapy service to eliminate wait times for students.
The University of Washington is addressing the shortage of mental health professionals by developing a psychotherapy training program for undergraduates. Upon completion of training, students would receive a talk therapy certification and practice as “behavioral health support specialists.”
The Salt Lake Tribune covers how social media has changed perceptions surrounding mental health care for younger generations. According to the American Psychiatric Association, Gen Z and millenials are quicker to seek treatment than previous generations.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
According to a new study, gay men earn degrees at the highest rate in comparison to any other group in the United States. The study’s author, Joel Mittleman, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame, said “sexual orientation measures are finally being added to a lot of our large-scale population representative surveys.” The study found that 52% of gay men in the U.S. have bachelor’s degrees, opposed to 36% of all adults and 35% of straight men. The article includes a connection to mental health. Erica Riba, the director of higher education and student engagement at the Jed Foundation, said “When you think about what homophobia and bullying does, obviously it can contribute greatly to mental health issues such as anxiety … [and] anxiety can sometimes push us and enforce motivation in us to succeed.”
A new report outlines practices from community colleges to better help single mothers in college. Education Design Lab selected Central New Mexico Community College, Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis and Monroe Community College in New York to launch initiatives to aid single mothers in their communities. According to the study, 89% of single mothers attending college are low-income students, and only 28% will earn a degree in six years. For every level of education completed by a single mother, the probability of her living in poverty declines by 32%.
The Washington Post features an article on prisons revamping education programs and training inmates in technical education to reduce recidivism. Postsecondary education will expand for prison systems from criminal justice reform legislations: the First Step Act criminal justice reforms; updates to the federal Perkins Act for career and technical education; and the latest expansion of Second Chance Pell college grants for prisoners. Prisoners who undergo correctional education are 43% less likely to return to prison. “We have this population in our prisons that have a lot of skills … but no one will [hire] them because they’re felons,” said Tim Leigh, Idaho Department of Correction reentry manager.
The Washington Post covers the “racial reckoning” occurring at Virginia universities evidenced by the renaming of landmarks and the recent promotion of diversity. Virginia’s history of Jim Crow laws, stories of American slavery, and ties to confederacy have fueled criticism at Washington and Lee University, the University of Richmond, the University of Virginia, the College of William & Mary, Virginia Military Institute, and more. “George Floyd’s death had a catalytic effect in terms of a sense of urgency to do it now, to create an environment where everyone can feel welcome,” said Aashir Nasim, Virginia Commonwealth University’s vice president of institutional equity, effectiveness and success.
Student Success
Higher Ed Dive showcases data that fewer Common App colleges are now requiring test admission scores. According to a new report, now only 5% of approximately 900 colleges require test scores for the 2021-22 admissions cycle. In the past, over half of Common App institutions required standardized test scores. First-generation and underrepresented minority students are less likely to submit test scores, and test-optional admissions can increase student diversity. Experts predict that test-optional admissions trends will continue even after the pandemic.
The Hechinger Report highlights research from think tank New America which shows that half of all states have now approved programs from some community colleges’ to create four-year bachelor degree programs. Flexible online community college coursework for these degrees appeal to working parents or students in their early 30s, and commonly granted degrees are in business, health care, and education. According to Pew Research, the pandemic compounded losses and financial struggles for Americans without bachelor’s degrees.
College Affordability
As lottery-funded state scholarships become increasingly popular, Inside Higher Ed covers how they may actually be disproportionately hurting the demographics these scholarships are intended to help. While a significant amount of lottery shares provide fiscal aid to public higher education, Celeste Carruthers, an associate professor of business and economics at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville said the practice can be regressive: “Because tickets cost the same for everyone, low-income people on average spend a higher proportion of their income on the lottery than high-income people.”
