Mental and Behavioral Health
Following a focus group two years ago that identified gaps in the school’s addiction safety net, Boston University launched a new Collegiate Recovery Program, a support group that augments the school’s existing treatment programs for addiction. BU wellness counselor Leah Barison says the goal of the program is “to connect students in recovery with other students in recovery. The idea is that if students in recovery have a wider network of support, they’ll be more successful at avoiding relapse. It’s not a therapeutic program; it’s more a peer support program that offers community, networking, and opportunities for fun.”
In recent years, Harvard students have created organizations that advocate for increased diversity among health services counselors. While the administration recognizes the need for a diverse counseling staff and is taking steps to recruit counselors from different backgrounds, they have faced challenges including a limited pool of minority candidates.
Colleges countrywide are turning to online platforms, apps, and text messaging services as they struggle to meet the increased demand for mental health counseling. These digital tools can act as virtual counselors, asking students questions about their well-being and directing them to the appropriate campus resources. Though these types of telepsychology services have shown some promise for issues like anxiety, experts are still determining whether or not they are effective for other mental health issues.
A recent tongue-in-cheek petition at Williams College called on the administration to sell several slabs of marble in the new library quad to pay for the salary of another therapist at the Health Center for one year. The petition was meant to call attention to the lack of mental health counselors and the lack of diversity among counselors on campus.
In a special series, The Atlantic reports on the increase in demand for mental health services on college campuses over the past 10 years, and casts doubt on the widespread belief that students have become more sensitive and less resilient. The article cites leading college counseling experts believe the increased demand is explained by a more nuanced web of cultural, social, and political changes.
Diversity and Inclusion
The New York Times examines tensions between Wheaton College, an Evangelical Christian school, and Larycia Hawkins, the school’s first tenured black female professor who wore a hijab in solidarity with Muslims. Hawkins was put on leave and eventually fired.
The divisive dialogue surrounding the presidential election, coupled with high profile racial incidents nationally, may be particularly stressful for students of color. As a response, Penn’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is offering peer support specifically for students affected by marginalization and discrimination. The discussions will be facilitated by a CAPS psychologist.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
The University of Minnesota’s Aurora Center for Advocacy and Education is holding events throughout the month of October that focus on healthy relationships and domestic violence. Two student coordinators at the Center created a social media photo campaign, highlighting the healthy relationships of students on campus.
The University of Maryland administration agreed to hire more staff for the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct after the student government voted to impose an extra student fee to raise funds to address deficiencies in the office. Student leaders say a shortage of staff has limited the ability of the office to handle claims of sexual assault, with cases taking around 140 days to investigate, more than double the maximum of 60 days advised by the federal government.
After the University of Tampa student newspaper published a front page story on sexual assault in Greek life at the school, entire stacks of that edition were removed. Three men, members of one of UT’s fraternities recently involved in a sexual assault case, were captured on tape discussing their plan to get rid of the papers. The editorial board had strong words for them: “Instead of using this as an opportunity to speak out against sexual assault and distance UT’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter from the incident, these students made a statement that symbolically endorsed an alleged rape.”
Guns on Campus
In the New Yorker, Minkah Makalani, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, argues that campus carry laws — which allow students to bring firearms onto campus — take a toll on an institution’s intellectual integrity. “Many of us entered the profession without knowing that we would have to consider whether a student who is upset about his grade, uncomfortable with a lecture on black queer sexuality, or disagrees with our placing slavery and white supremacy at the center of American history might have a gun holstered on his waist,” she writes.
Hunger and Homelessness
A new report suggests that hunger and food insecurity is a significant problem among college students. A survey of nearly 3,800 students at eight community colleges and 26 four-year colleges revealed that nearly half the students were food insecure and almost one-quarter were hungry.
Safety
College Choice, an online publication that publishes rankings and reviews of colleges and universities, published its 2016 ranking of the Safest Large Colleges and Universities in America. Of the ranking, the editor of College Choice Christian Amondson said, “Campus safety doesn’t just mean low crime rates and the lack of a party scene—though it could mean those things—it also includes low rates of discrimination, a strong VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) presence, and a number of services and programs that maintain the holistic wellness of their students.” Thomas Edison State University took the top spot. The CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College and the University of Houston—Downtown rounded out the top three.
Physical Health
Students at the University of Washington have started the first peer support group for type 1 diabetics on campus through the College Diabetes Network. Read more about the network and its founder in the fall issue of the Mary Christie Quarterly.
