Presidents’ Convening on College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
Last week in Washington DC, 20 presidents gathered with experts in college student mental health and wellbeing for a convening on the role of higher education in stewarding life-long wellbeing in our students. It was co-hosted by Georgetown University, Howard University and the Mary Christie Institute. Highlights included a dinner presentation by the Coalition for Life Transformative Education, a group of presidents dedicated to helping students find identity, agency, purpose and wellbeing through their college experiences. The next day we focused on how Gen Z students enter institutions, in terms of their identities, their psychological profiles and their unique experiences; how they can be influenced by environmental strategies such as flourishing practices; and how they leave institutions and are embraced by the working world. The level of engagement and thoughtful discussion among the group of presidents underscores the urgency of this issue for higher education leaders as the American Council on Education’s series of Pulse Point surveys remind us with the consistent showing of “mental health” as the most commonly selected concern among college presidents.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
Inside Higher Ed reports on the rise of mental health scholarships. In recent years, scholarships for students struggling with anxiety, depression, or other psychological disorders have grown. Often funded by donors who have lost loved ones to mental health conditions, these scholarships aim to support students who have been affected by mental health challenges, either personally or from watching a loved one struggle. “I think there was a perception that being vulnerable or sharing their struggles in the admissions process would ‘hurt’ your chances of earning admissions or scholarship opportunities and it was pretty rare for students to open up about these struggles,” said Will Geiger, co-founder and CEO of Scholarships360 and former admissions officer at Kenyon College. “Students think that they need to be ‘perfect’ or only show their accomplishments, and I believe that with the help of more scholarships and awareness, this is shifting.”
The Hechinger Report covers rethinking campus mental health to better serve LGBTQ+ students and students from underserved groups. Students of minority groups may experience isolation or feel misunderstood, which can contribute to anxiety and depression and proliferate other harms, socially and academically. “When students don’t see themselves reflected in counseling staff, they can be discouraged from seeking treatment or end treatment early if they don’t feel their therapist understands them,” said Reyna Smith, a doctoral candidate at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky.
Other News
The Chronicle reports on how colleges’ use of emotional support animals is on the rise. While more colleges have accommodated students with this support,, students describe that the application process can be long and difficult.
The Chronicle reports that the era of 100% flexible attendance policies is coming to an end at the University of Oregon. This week, an official at the University of Oregon announced to instructors that they no longer need to provide as many learning accommodations for students.
Due to concerns over mental health, Cornell University is capping the maximum number of credits engineers can take from 23 to 20 per semester. “STEM has a tradition of weeding, ranking and sorting students, [which] creates enormous stress. There’s often high-stakes testing and the assumption that if you don’t do well on your first few exams, then you don’t cut it in the field,” said Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
Study International covers how students can cope if experiencing loneliness while studying abroad. The mental health effects from pandemic isolation have magnified the importance of social interactions, with research citing that 9 in 10 professors say their students’ mental health has worsened over the pandemic.
The Chronicle reports on campus administrators considering leaving higher education, due to a rapid increase of responsibilities causing exhaustion and burnout. A new report from NASPA covers the relationship between student affairs and their responsibilities toward student belonging.
Diverse Education reports on the NASPA Conference centering the student experience and meeting students where they are.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Chronicle reports on how the pandemic has hindered the growing number of hispanic serving institutions. According to a new report by Excelencia in Education and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the number of Hispanic-serving institutions declined in 2020-21 for the first time in two decades. “Latinos were projected, prior to the pandemic, to represent the largest growth in college enrollment,” said Deborah A. Santiago, chief executive officer of Excelencia in Education.
The Washington Post reports on the continuation of bomb threats at HBCUs. Over a third of the country’s historically Black schools have been targeted with threats since the beginning of this year. On Thursday, federal lawmakers expressed frustration over the ongoing bomb threats, after another threat targeted Morehouse College in Atlanta this week. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has identified suspects and is continuing their investigations.
Higher Ed Dive reports on colleges seeking better ways to rename buildings. “A lot of us in higher education have evaluated and reevaluated what it means to name a building, what it means to honor a historical figure and what happens to that honor if a figure has a controversial and complicated legacy,” said Joan Gabel, President of University of Minnesota. One solution may be a time limit which adds flexibility that could allow colleges to react and adapt to new information. Student affairs officials say every new generation of the university can then have input and make new decisions.
Student Success
Inside Higher Ed reports on how chatbots are being used to help with community college retention. According to a new study, community college students who receive personalized messages from an artificial intelligence chatbot to complete critical tasks were more likely to stay enrolled. Students received text messages on their cellphones of important deadline reminders from their academic calendars, alerts to pay outstanding balances or apply for financial aid, and directions to campus services.
Inside Higher Ed covers survey findings on students’ perceptions of pandemic learning. According to a new survey, labs, group work and class discussions were among the worst learning experiences in the pandemic. About 60% of respondents said that labs were most negatively impacted, followed by 40% who said group work and class discussions were most negatively impacted by remote learning. The majority of respondents, 96%, said “faculty should be clear and transparent in regularly communicating their teaching approach and curricular design to students” and 92% said student experiences should inform teaching strategies.
Inside Higher Ed reports on recent trends of students applying to law school, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, movements in racial justice, and a strong job market. Law schools saw high application numbers for the fall of 2021. Changes to law school education are also underway, as many schools are shifting their curriculum to include more work experience and consideration for student well-being. More institutions are pairing students to legal work while studying to help apply what they learn in class to assist those who need legal help.
College Affordability
The Wall Street Journal reports that the student loan freeze saves borrowers close to $200 billion as the Biden administration considers an extension. However, researchers say delinquencies may grow sharply. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, many of the 37 million federal student-loan borrowers are likely to struggle with their debts when the moratorium is lifted.
Higher Ed Dive reports that some private college owners must agree to be financially liable in cases where their students require loan forgiveness. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education policy announced that private institutions must comply with the new orders to receive federal Title IV funding, which many institutions require to balance yearly budgets. The order aims to hold institutions accountable, such as targeting for-profit institutions with poor student outcomes.
