How does college contribute to a purposeful life and wellbeing?
This is the question a national consortium of higher education institutions is exploring, guided by strong evidence that how you learn in college—in addition to what you learn—influences your identity, agency, and purpose in life. The Coalition for Life Transformative Education(CLTE) which is explained in this Mary Christie Institute article, includes presidents, provosts, faculty and administrators from colleges and universities across the country and a range of institutional types dedicated to improving the long-term flourishing and wellbeing of college graduates. The CLTE is building a broad and inclusive network of leaders in higher education who believe that it is their job to ensure that college is a transformational experience that sets students on a path to success and fulfillment as they construct their lives. The CLTE will be holding a national meeting (with remote options) on March 13 and 14 at Arizona State University. Check the CLTE conference web site, where you can sign up to receive conference updates.
Keynote Speakers will include Bill Burnett, Adjunct Professor and the Executive Director of the Life Design Lab at Stanford; and Robert Waldinger, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
This week, Inside Higher Ed hears from several experts about the major mental health challenges plaguing students at both the graduate and undergraduate level. First for Inside Higher Ed, Christiann Gaines and Rebekah Layton, who both earned doctoral degrees and work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, draw attention to the issue of graduate student mental health and urge anyone struggling—as they have—to address and be open about their problems. “Academic culture constantly encourages us to associate our work with our worth,” they say, but there are ways to shift this “norm.” Meanwhile, also for Inside Higher Ed, Hamilton College president David Wippman and Cornell University professor Glenn C. Altschuler contemplate how to balance academic rigor and student stress, suggesting that each individual school and department need to tailor their approach to homework based on a historical analysis of how and why expectations may have changed.
Other News
The New York Times announces the district attorney’s plan to devote $9 million to a mental health initiative that will support interested parties after their arrests in Manhattan.
For The Tampa Bay Times, a member of the Duke varsity softball team describes the worrying state of student-athlete mental health, which can be impacted by perfectionism and the pressure of feeling defined by their sport.
After the retirement of two star athletes for mental health reasons, Insider engages sports psychologist Mark Aoyagi who explores why today’s players are taking alternative paths.
PBS homes in on the issue of loneliness for Americans in general but especially during the holiday season and suggests how those struggling can start to reach out and make connections.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette probes how college students are forging new communities in an effort to fight back against pandemic-induced isolation and mental health challenges.
In Forbes, author and college counselor Brennan Barnard proposes that focusing on where students find joy can offer relief in the midst of mental health challenges, especially for stressed high schoolers applying to college
Also for Forbes, one columnist discusses how colleges and companies should be preparing and adapting for Gen-Z students and workers. “They need to be able to be themselves and they need to not have to hide themselves.”
The Hill covers a national poll released by Effective School Solutions, revealing that 90% of school administrators believe the country is confronting a youth mental health crisis and another 60% believe the situation is the same or worse since last year.
K-12 Dive offers several ways schools can improve student mental health and therefore academic achievement, including by training educators and prioritizing cultural literacy.
In an op-ed for The Connecticut Post, a Yale student pursuing her master’s in public health argues that the rampant problem of teen suicide is preventable and advises schools on how to intervene.
In The Oklahoman, another op-ed highlights the need to support faculty and staff and suggests that “[overhauling] the current disregard for mental health services” is the way to relieve the pressure now pushing educators away.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The news of Harvard University appointing Claudine Gay, the current dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as its next president has appeared in many of the nation’s top papers, including The New York Times. Though the 4oth to serve in the role, Dr. Gay will be the Ivy League institution’s first Black and second female leader—at a moment when The Chronicle reports minority employees at private universities represent around a third of total staff and a quarter for management positions. Notably, the issue of diversity and cultural insensitivity made waves on other campuses this week, as The Washington Post reports a chancellor at Purdue University offended the community after mocking Asian languages in a commencement speech.
From dozens of interviews with Jewish students, The Wall Street Journal reveals that antisemitism is on the rise on college campuses, leading many to try to hide their religious beliefs due to hostility and harassment. For Inside Higher Ed, Naomi Greenspan, who directs a non-profit initiative partnering with administrators to help them support Jewish students, further describes how colleges are struggling to tackle antisemitism—especially when it comes from typically “progressive” students.
Student Buzz
By calling attention to the problem of college student suicide and suicidal ideation, one writer for The Daily Texan assures peers they aren’t alone and points them to campus resources.
The Indiana Daily Student explores the impact of post-graduation depression, brought about by leaving college for the world beyond, and how students can prepare for the potential toll of this transition.
Student Success
In The Chronicle, Barbara R. Snyder, the president of the Association of American Universities, and Holden Thorp, the former chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, suggest that universities are stretched too thin and need to refocus and prioritize student wellbeing and quality teaching above all. Yet teachers are overworked and overwhelmed and leaving their positions at every level, including at community colleges, according to The Chronicle, and elementary and secondary schools, according to The New York Times. Moreover, teachers are necessary for training the next generation, given that Higher Ed Dive reports higher education offers the most successful alternative teacher preparation programs.
While The Hechinger Report explores how small regional colleges are garnering more applicants and funding by offering niche majors, The Washington Post says rural institutions are suffering the opposite problem: being forced to cut programs due to budget and enrollment concerns. The same is true, The Chronicle notes, for New Jersey City University, which is cutting just shy of half its undergraduate programs to save dollars. Other schools are focusing on growing graduate offerings to combat enrollment and budget issues, although Higher Ed Dive wonders whether that approach may “run dry.”
Sexual Assault & Title IX
Serious accusations of sexual misconduct are plaguing more than one university this week. At The Juilliard School, NPR reports, more than 500 people signed a letter calling attention to allegations of abuse against Robert Beaser, the former chair of the composition department, and requesting his removal, at least temporarily. Meanwhile, Inside Higher Ed reveals the community at California State University, Chico is in duress, after professor David Stachura allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a student and then threatened colleagues who reported him.
The Chronicle considers why women continue to be vastly underrepresented among peer reviewers in academia. Women make up over half of non-tenure faculty positions but less than one-third of peer reviewers, despite a supposed shortage of these experts. The article notes this dynamic is likely reflective of the time constraints that tend to affect women more than men and limit their ability to publish regularly, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.
Greek Life
According to The Chronicle, colleges are increasingly publishing the disciplinary records of student organizations, specifically Greek ones, to help inform parents or students who are concerned or interested in joining. And while becoming more common, this tactic is controversial—supported as a way to increase transparency and challenged due to privacy and efficacy concerns.
College Affordability
With the Supreme Court set to hear arguments around Biden’s student debt relief plan in early 2023, Americans are struggling with debt management issues and experts are looking for solutions. The Washington Post looks into how the Education Department ended up garnishing borrowers’ wages months after pandemic repayment pause went into effect. NPR conveys the dismay of millions, after they received notice from the Ed Department reversing its previous approval of their debt relief applications. On the other hand, The New York Times says, rich Americans are creating 529 saving plans that can accrue millions to put toward the education of their children and future generations beyond them. For those less fortunate, Inside Higher Ed suggests the Ed Department “is working on a more far-reaching and costly plan to overhaul how people pay back their loans.”
Basic Needs
The Los Angeles Times describes how university health insurance often saddles families with costs they don’t anticipate and can’t afford. The fees associated with these medical plans can amount to several thousand dollars depending on the college, and many students can’t get out of them because their existing insurance doesn’t meet school requirements.
Campus Safety
The Washington Post highlights not only the grief but the grievances of the family of D’Sean Perry, one of the University of Virginia football players who died after a campus shooting last month. The Perry family believes UVA could have prevented D’Sean’s death, given that administrators received reports earlier in the semester that his killer had a gun. Going forward, D’Sean’s parents say they plan to advocate for tighter gun control policies and increased mental health awareness at the university.
