Issue 16

Schools that prepare students for a meaningful life Neuroscience tells us that late adolescence is a period of intense personal development, making the college years among the most influential times of our lives. For institutions where students live and study, this can be either an undue burden or a remarkable…

Kent Syverud’s earnest participation at the Presidents’ Convening on College Student Behavioral Health in September of 2019 prompted a follow-up interview at the school’s central New York campus. It was clear from his remarks at the Convening that the subject was of personal importance to him. On a panel discussion,…

1. AAU Campus Climate Survey Update An extensive report on campus sexual violence found significant levels of sexual mis- conduct and disparities in the prevalence of sexual misconduct among different categories of students. The report is the second iteration of a major effort by the Association of American Universities (AAU),…

Conference highlights leadership’s role in addressing campus substance use In November 2019, The Mary Christie Foundation and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) convened a group of higher education leaders, trustees, and clinical experts for an event focused on addressing college drinking and drug use. “Everything to Gain:…

Marcia Morris, MD Dr. Marcia Morris wears a lot of hats. A psychiatrist at the University of Florida, Morris is an author, a blogger, an administrator, a professor and a parent of two young adults. In addition to teaching at the University of Florida Medical School, she is the Associate…

Leadership needs to look beyond the tragic headlines in order to avoid them in the future More than 1,500 college students die from alcohol-related incidents each year. Some of these tragedies make headlines when they are associated with hazing deaths, but they only represent the most visible part of a…

Discussing diversity and inclusion with the president of Harvard University’s senior adviser and strategist This past October, Harvard University won a closely-watched lawsuit that kept at bay an effort to overturn affirmative action in higher education, making Harvard a standard bearer once again. As the leader in charge of the…

A new model for health, wellness and recreation at Syracuse Just walking through the brand-new Barnes Center could make you feel better. The massive, multi-functional health, wellness and recreation facility at Syracuse University is all light, energy and strength—an epicenter of intermingling activities supporting university members of all needs and…

Campus dining services quite literally fuel student wellness, and the challenge of meeting dietary needs and requests calls for all kinds of innovation Historically, a meal in a college dining hall—like most institutional food service operations—meant a bland, calorie-laden journey of getting the mealtime job done. A dining hall was…

A Steve Fund event at Georgetown University The Steve Fund launched in 2014 as a national resource—and leading voice —on the mental health of college students of color. Since then, it has made significant contributions to both young adult mental health and higher education. From its ground-breaking research on the…