Looking Ahead with Gratitude
As we enter another unpredictable new year, the Mary Christie Institute would like to thank all of the remarkable people who are working in college student behavioral health for their courage, consistency and unwavering dedication to the mental and emotional wellbeing of our next generation of leaders.
At MCI, we close out a busy year where we continued our mission to help higher education leaders support and enhance student wellbeing through research, reporting and convening. Like many organizations, we pivoted to online forums to communicate findings, share best practices, and converse with experts about what we were learning. We continued to expand the breadth and depth of our publications – the Mary Christie Quarterly, the Quadcast and the MCFeed – where we highlight the groundbreaking work of the country’s leading experts, administrators and advocates. We are so grateful to the individuals and organizations who work with us on this important reporting.
We look forward to new initiatives in 2022 that we believe will bring even greater knowledge and insight to the work of supporting and enhancing student wellbeing. In January, we will release the findings of a new survey of college students on their experiences with peer counseling on campus, conducted in partnership with The Born This Way Foundation. In March, we join Georgetown University and Howard University for the Presidents’ Convening on College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing in Washington, DC. We expect that much will be learned and shared as this group of presidents and national experts come together to address one of the most pressing issues of our time. We are excited about the work ahead and the continued connection with all of you.
Thank you and have a happy holiday season!
The MCI staff and Board of Directors
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy has issued a rare public health advisory on the
youth mental health crisis. According to the
advisory, symptoms of depression and anxiety have doubled during the pandemic, with 25% of youth experiencing depressive symptoms and 20% experiencing anxiety symptoms. Murthy calls for action across 11 sectors, including government, social media companies, schools and within families. Recommendations include recognizing that mental health is an essential part of overall health and ensuring every child has access to high-quality, affordable, culturally-competent mental health care.
University Business reports that colleges in West Virginia are experiencing an overwhelming strain on their counseling centers. Candace Layne, the director of Marshall University’s counseling center, said that when she started at the school in 2018, 683 students visited the counseling center. This semester alone, 967 students have gone to the counseling center.
Other News
The George Washington University Faculty Senate heard from student affairs representatives that the
pandemic has exacerbated mental health concerns and created new barriers for many. “We are seeing changing trends with students, mainly in the form of mental health needs significantly increasing,” said Jessica Parrillo, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, who presented to the senate with Colette Coleman, senior associate dean of students. Ms. Coleman suggested ways faculty can help students manage stress and anxiety, such as adding a statement to syllabi to reiterate support resources and reaching out to students of concern and finding support. The same day, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Christopher Bracey reminded faculty about the recent end-of-semester message he shared earlier in the week emphasizing the importance of continued empathy and support for students. This summer, MCI published the
Faculty Guide on Student Mental Health which includes suggestions on how to support student mental and emotional wellbeing.
Last week, Diverse Education hosted a panel of experts for a virtual discussion on how to better support the mental health needs of minority students. Recommendations included hiring and retaining diverse mental health staff, focusing on cultural competence, paying close attention to student needs, moving beyond the walls of the counseling center and into the community, and exploring alternative models, including digital modes of support.
University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson told the The Daily Iowan on Thursday that the university has hired more mental health counselors this year and instituted the 24-hour UI Support and Crisis Line. “Every university is challenged right now to figure out how to manage the mental health and wellness needs of students,” she said. “Do we have it figured out? No. Are we doing better than we were six months ago? I hope so.”
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Chronicle reports on a new paper that suggests that once enrolled, underrepresented minority students face hurdles during college that limit their future earnings. According to “College Major Restrictions and Student Stratification,” the disparity in the economic value of college majors earned by underrepresented minority graduates compared with their white and Asian counterparts has increased more than threefold since the mid-1990s. The report identifies entry requirements like GPA restrictions as one cause for this disparity. At many institutions, students wishing to major in competitive, high-earning fields like computer science, engineering, finance, and nursing, had to achieve a 2.3 GPA or better in their introductory courses – a requirement the authors say has resulted in disproportionately pushing Black, Hispanic, and Native American students toward fields that pay less.
Georgetown University student leaders are pressing the school to act more quickly on their 2019 promise to
help descendants of enslaved people sold in the 19th century to pay off debts at the school, according to The Washington Post. Nile Blass, the student body president, said she thinks most students assume the university has been donating money since it first announced that it would commit at least $400,000 annually to fund community-based projects to support descendant communities. But Blass and other students say that in the two years since that promise, “Nothing has happened.”
College Affordability
CNBC explores why the student debt crisis disproportionately affects the Latinx community. According to a 2020 study from the Student Borrower Protection Center, around 72% of Latinx students take out loans to attend college, compared with 66% of white students. The study also found that 12 years after starting college, the median Latinx borrower still owes 83% of their initial student loan balance, compared to only 65% for the median white borrower. CNBC attributes this disparity to the lack of knowledge of the financial aid system, fear of accumulating more debt or the lack of support experienced during college and beyond.
The Wall Street Journal highlights the problems with the federal Plus student-loan programs that have plunged millions of families into debt, and why lawmakers are not eager to fix them. The Plus loan programs allow parents and graduate students to borrow essentially unlimited amounts towards the total cost of attendance – tuition, room and board, books and personal expenses – for as long as it takes to get the degree. These programs have left many with balances they struggle to repay, but congress has repeatedly neglected to change them amidst questions as to why. According to the Journal, lawmakers don’t want to restrict disadvantaged students’ access to funds, are afraid of angering universities, and the programs have made money for the government.
Starting next fall, Ohio State University and Smith College will take loans out of their financial packages and instead use philanthropic dollars towards more grant aid for undergraduates. According to the Washington Post, the national conversations about student debt is forcing colleges to confront their role in the lending system. Removing student loans can help colleges attract and retain strong students, but scaling the policy is challenging.
Student Success
The Washington Post reports on a surprising reason that many students do not finish their education – affordable, reliable transportation. The vast majority of U.S. college students are commuters, many of whom struggle with getting to and from their classes on a daily basis. According to the College Board, transportation can account for almost 20% of the cost of college for commuters. The Post cites a study listing four ways that transportation can be a barrier for students: the cost; stops or stations aren’t close enough to where they live or work; available routes and times don’t sync with college schedules; and it’s unreliable.
Many community colleges have used much of the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund money invested in non-academic support to help students navigate barriers that keep them from getting a degree. But with the federal relief money coming to an end, leaders are concerned about how they’ll keep paying for the changes, which they say are helping students succeed.
Greek Life
This fall, massive student protests at colleges across the country were calling on administrations to permanently remove certain fraternities from their campusues, often in response to allegations of sexual assault. The Chronicle tracked more than two dozen institutional sanctions against fraternities and sororities this semester, finding that none have been expelled. More than two dozen fraternities and sororities were suspended by their institutions this semester, but the suspensions ranged widely, from a matter of days to years. For most though, the timeline is unknown, as colleges and universities work to complete investigations. Activists argue that suspensions won’t deter sexual violence or other common problems in Greek life.
