Quadcast: From classroom to conference room: Supporting the mental health of young professionals
This time on the Quadcast, MCI associate director Dana Humphrey hosts Sarah Lipson, PhD, EdM, principal investigator of the Healthy Minds Network (HMN). Together, they review the results of a new survey: the mental health of young professionals, a partnership between MCI, HMN, the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Although prominent researchers like Dr. Lipson have spent years investigating the mental health of college students, much less is known about what happens to these young people after they leave campus. From their survey findings, Dana and Dr. Lipson discuss what leaders in both the workplace and university setting can take away to help support the wellbeing of this population. The survey was conducted by Morning Consult.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
MCI’s new survey, The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young Professionals, reflects the responses of over 1,000 22-28-year-olds with at least a bachelor’s degree and provides new insight into this population’s emotional and behavioral health, particularly as impacted by their work. Among the survey’s many findings, The Hill calls attention to the fact that more than half of recent graduates reported feeling burnout once a week or more. Meanwhile, Inside Higher Ed and Higher Ed Dive highlight that nearly 40% said their college did not prepare them for the emotional impact of transitioning to the workplace.
Other News
Ed Surge explores the benefits of peer support, including one program, Bandana Project, through which college students learn to support their friends’ mental health until they get professional help.
Inside Higher Ed covers the latest effort at the University of Maryland to support student mental health: a one-credit course designed to help students learn emotional regulation skills.
Higher Ed Dive reviews the results of a survey, finding that over a third of higher education supervisors plan to leave their jobs in part due to being overworked and under-supported.
NPR Illinois reports faculty threatening to strike at the University of Illinois Chicago are demanding higher pay in light of expectations that they support student mental health, as well as free psychological testing for students.
CNN explores why scientists and politicians alike are concerned about the mental health impact TikTok is having on today’s young people.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
While Stanford’s decision to remove harmful language from its website received intense scrutiny from the public, Inside Higher Ed reveals that a host of universities have also been reckoning with the impact of language—just more covertly. Yet the University of Southern California has not been able to avoid backlash after an office in its School of Social Work announced it would strike the word “field” from its curriculum. NPR explains that the word, like the phrases “going into the field” or “field work,” may have ties to slavery, and the USC office said it hopes “this change supports anti-racist social work practice.”
Student Buzz
According to The Daily Princetonian, student and administrative groups across campus are making plans to expand mental health resources after a student, Misrach Ewunetie, died by suicide.
Iowa State Daily considers the unique set of pressures for students on the women’s basketball team and how they contribute to mental health challenges.
Student Success
As colleges suffer declining enrollment without an upward turn in sight, The Hechinger Report anticipates that a number of schools will be forced to close or merge this year. On the other hand, The Chronicle suggests that the number of overall college applications exploded over the last decade—increasing by nearly 50% from 2011-2021 for four-year colleges. The Chronicle also reports that the number of students enrolled in distance-education dropped in 2021 from 2020 but remained close to double what it was in 2017, pre-pandemic.
The release of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot that can write essays, debate issues, and even pass portions of the bar exam, has sparked controversy in the world of academia. Given the controversy surrounding whether this tool will inspire cheating or improve teaching, Inside Higher Ed presents advice from educators and students about how to navigate the impact of this new technology. Meanwhile, The Washington Post finds that a Princeton student developed an app that may be able to distinguish between AI-generated and authentic writing.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
A federal judge in Oregon ruled in favor of the Education Department in a lawsuit brought against it by current and former LGBTQ students of Christian universities. Their suit, The Washington Post says, alleged that the exemptions for their schools from Title IX anti-discrimination rules are unconstitutional because the schools receive public funding. As a result of the exemptions, the plaintiffs said, a lack of protections for LGBTQ students begot undue harm unto them.
College Affordability
Inside Higher Ed covers the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to rework the student loan system, even as its debt relief initiative remains on hold awaiting review by the Supreme Court. The Education Department recently announced plans to reform the current income-driven repayment (IDR) program and, Inside Higher Ed reveals, publish a list of post-secondary institutions with low financial value. Both changes have their share of dissenters, although an op-ed in Inside Higher Ed argues that the new proposed IDR program “would provide significant financial relief to millions of borrowers, with the most benefits going to those most in need.”
Basic Needs
NBC News highlights the creative measures historically Black colleges and universities are taking to combat the student housing crisis on their campuses, as enrollment increases alongside rent costs. Fisk University made headlines for converting shipping containers into dorm rooms, while others are making use of hotels or local abandoned properties. But beyond building new housing options, maintaining those facilities plays a key role in attracting students, according to an Inside Higher Ed op-ed from Rich Michal, the former head of facilities operations at Butler University.
Campus Safety
The New York Times reports an 18-year-old student at Indiana University was stabbed several times in the head while waiting for the bus doors to open in Bloomington, the college town. Following the attack, the police, with the help of a passenger on the bus, apprehended the assailant, 56-year-old local Billie R. Davis. According to NPR, the incident has left the Asian American community in and around campus reeling, as the suspect said she was motivated by the fact that the victim is Chinese.
Physical Health
Inside Higher Ed surveys what it says is the highly variable terrain of Covid-19 safety measures on college campuses across the country. Three years into the pandemic, some universities are changing their masking and vaccine expectations, especially where boosters are concerned. Others have entirely done away with vaccine requirements, as disputes over best practices linger.
