Higher Education’s Response to Roe v. Wade
The nation’s colleges and universities continue to respond in the aftermath of last week’s Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, a historical landmark ruling from 1973 that established a constitutional right to abortion over the past 50 years. Below is a series of recent news highlights on higher education’s response and the potential effects for women in college.
The Washington Post covers a brief lesson on Roe v. Wade’s history and background from nonpartisan sources.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and The Chronicle report on what the supreme court ruling will mean for the reproductive health of college students, particularly medical students. Some are wary that medical schools and residency programs in states where abortion is banned may no longer offer critical instruction on miscarriage management and related emergency procedures.
The Chronicle and Forbes cover whether Roe v. Wade will have implications for women’s decisions about where, or if, to attend college. While some may now be less apt to enroll at schools in states where abortion bans have become certain or likely, others who no longer have access to abortions may not attend college at all.
The Hechinger Report and Politico report on how campuses are preparing for a post-Roe world. For colleges in states in which abortions are likely or certain to be banned, administrators will need to begin making decisions about how, or whether, they will help students with access to sexual and contraceptive health care.
Inside Higher Ed reports on the religious colleges celebrating the demise of Roe v. Wade. While some are publicly celebrating the decision, others have taken a more neutral stance. One religiously-affiliated school, Emory University, also notably condemned the ruling.
Higher Ed Dive covers higher education leaders decrying the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Leaders of the University of California System, as well as those from women’s colleges like Wellesley College and historically Black colleges like Spelman College have spoken out against the ruling.
Eight law students at American University are being investigated by the school for criticizing the leaked draft opinion of Roe v. Wade in a private group chat. A ninth student filed a harassment complaint after feeling that the criticisms in the group chat discriminated against his religious and political beliefs.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
The Chronicle reports on policies around sending away college students in mental health crises. Depending on the school, students struggling with their mental health may be forced to leave campus regardless of personal preference. While some colleges insist that these mandated leaves serve the best interests of the students, others consider that the time away could aggravate existing mental health issues. As a result, inconsistencies abound among college approaches to medical absences, leaving uncertainty as to whether and where students are receiving the best care.
Telehealth became a critical tool for many college counseling centers to serve students and cut down waitlists throughout the pandemic. Now, Higher Ed Dive reveals that remote therapy is continuing to play an important role by allowing school therapists to reach students during the summer. Schools have been contracting independent telehealth providers to expand not only their calendar but the number of counselors available for students. At the same time, some experts express concern about remote therapy, suggesting it may be a practical alternative to in-person therapy but not a replacement.
Other News
A recent Student Voice survey reveals that college students tend to be much more likely to feel safe on their campus than not, but efforts to understand lasting concerns — particularly from female, queer, and non-White students — continue. Inside Higher Ed covers the survey’s findings, which assess anxiety surrounding sexual assault and campus shootings, as well as trust in campus police.
Diverse Education reports on a new study of college grads who say the pandemic increased the importance of work-life balance. Eighty-nine percent of college graduates said work-life balance was important to them, and 69% said the pandemic’s circumstances increased its importance.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The recent attack of a Ph.D. student from China at the University of Wisconsin at Madison has sparked demands to bolster protections for Asian students, according to Inside Higher Ed. While police say they cannot confirm that the attack was racially motivated, school administrators acknowledged the incident’s potentially “adverse impact” on Asian students. An open letter authored by several student groups reveals continuing lack of confidence in the school’s investigation of the events and its ability to prevent similar ones going forward.
International enrollment in U.S. colleges may be back on the rise after falling significantly — more than any other demographic group — during the first year of the pandemic. A survey from the Institute of International Education reveals that 65 percent of colleges reported an increase in international applications for the 2022-23 school year, while only 12 percent reported a decrease. Last year, 38 percent of schools saw international applications decrease. Read more about the latest trends in international policy in higher education here.
Inside Higher Ed reports an increased interest in addressing historically-low college participation and high attrition among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. In 2019, only around 11 percent of Native Hawaiians, 12 percent of Pacific Islanders, and 18 percent of Filipinos over 25 had at least an associate degree — numbers that likely continued to suffer as a result of the pandemic. Now, a recent grant from the Lumina Foundation is allocating $575,000 for the University of Hawai’i System to increase attainment rates for these demographic groups.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
The Chronicle publishes an interview with Ann Olivarius, who became one of the earliest advocates of the enforcement of Title IX when she sued her college, Yale University, over sexual harrassment in the late 70s. Now, 50 years since the introduction of Title IX, Olivarius reflects on what inspired her to take action as an undergrad and how colleges today can continue addressing the problem of sexual harrasment and assault on their campuses.
Inside Higher Ed considers how changes to Title IX policy over recent years have made students less likely to report violations, as school procedures increasingly mirror those of the federal court. The Trump administration transformed Title IX by limiting the definition of sexual harrassment and mandating “lengthy prescriptive procedures” for schools in response to complaints. In turn, staff of Title IX offices have noted particular fear of reporting among victims and less willingness to go through a formal complaint process.
Now, the Biden administration has proposed a new rule for Title IX which would protect school community members from discrimination not only on the basis of sex, but also on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The rule would also remove certain changes made to Title IX under the Trump administration, namely those mandating that victims undergo cross-examination. The 60-day comment period that will now follow the proposal is expected to garner highly-contested debate. Read more about the proposed changes here, here, and here.
Substance Use
After Virginia Commonwealth University student Adam Oakes died of alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party, 11 members of the Delta Chi fraternity found themselves charged with misdemeanors. Just over a year since the incident, a bill that would have made hazing a felony in Virginia failed to pass. The Chronicle considers why this anti-hazing bill failed in Virginia, when similar ones have passed in other states.
Student Success
The Washington Post reports on the University System of Maryland dropping SAT and ACT testing requirements in admissions. The university’s board of regents voted on Friday to remove the requirement for prospective students in its system of 12 schools. The President of University of Maryland College Park, Darryll J. Pines, remarked on the history of disproportionate accessibility for minority students as an influence in the board’s decision. Other university systems, such as the University of California and California State University, are also dropping standardized testing in admissions practices.
The Chronicle interviews Scott Freeman, a researcher who has analyzed the best ways to teach STEM coursework. According to a meta-analysis, students in STEM classes performed better in active-learning techniques as opposed to standard lectures in their STEM courses. “In an active-learning classroom the students are talking to each other, the professor is responding and saying, ‘I don’t know, I never considered that before,’ or ‘you got almost all of it! Think about this.’ You’re getting a lot of feedback, and the whole classroom changes to be very supportive, very community, very much ‘you belong here; I believe in you,’” stated Freeman.
Inside Higher Ed reports on a new service that will flag inappropriate or offensive social media posts to prevent them from being shown to potential employers. Social media can be a double-edged sword for young people, said Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, a career service platform for entry-level positions.
College Affordability
Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle report on findings of faculty pay declines amidst rising inflation. According to a new report from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), full-time faculty salaries increased by 2% in the academic year 2021-22. However, salaries actually declined by 5% in adjustment to the highest inflation rate in forty years, making it the largest academic salary decline recorded. The report also found that gender was a factor in faculty pay and greater challenges for adjunct faculty in counterpart to full-time faculty members.
The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post report on the Education Department agreeing to canceling $6 billion of student debt to over 200,000 defrauded borrowers. The class-action lawsuit will settle the borrower defense claims for students who attended mostly for-profit schools, such as the for-profit chains known as Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical. Investigations by the department revealed schools engaged in “institutional misconduct” and misled students with falsified data to get them to enroll.
Physical Health
The Chronicle reports on the public health effects of Coca-Cola and Pepsi branding on college campuses. Since the 90s, colleges have contractually agreed to “pouring rights,” advertising major soda brands in exchange for large rewards. A new study examines the public health effects of pouring rights at large public universities in America. Public health researchers say the penalization of big universities from these marketing agreements for not meeting certain sales quotas can lead to serious health consequences, such as increased rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and more.
Inside Higher Ed considers the historically limited research into guns and gun violence – especially considering the major public health problem researchers say it presents – as well as why the trend may be changing. Although the National Rifle Association has tried to block gun-related research in the past, money is increasingly being directed toward the area. Now, pioneers of the field will need to consider the influence of their research as it relates to advocacy and policy change.
