Quadcast Ep. 31 – Born This Way Foundation’s Maya Enista Smith and Dr. Zoe Ragouzeos on how peer counseling can help address the campus mental health crisis
In a new survey with Born This Way Foundation, we learn students’ perceptions and experiences with peer counseling, revealing its increasing value as a resource. Defined as “the process of confiding in trained peers (fellow students, not friends) for mental health support, peer counseling may help ease the mental health crisis on college campuses, as we continue into the 3rd year of the pandemic.
Maya Enista Smith, Executive Director of the Born This Way Foundation, and Zoe Ragouzeos, Executive Director of Counseling and Wellness Services at New York University, present key findings and implications of the report, placing this new data in the context of college life and youth voices. Listen to the new Quadcast episode here, on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
The Boston Globe reports on mental health remaining a top concern for colleges as students return to campuses for the spring semester. To meet the increased needs of students due to the stressors that have been caused by the pandemic, institutions report that they have begun to move away from a singular focus on therapy and, instead, towards fostering a stronger sense of community on campus. Expanding efforts to help students form close-knit friendships and provide a more supportive campus culture has become a goal for many schools, especially after students have been isolated for so long. “There is such value with just connecting as a community and interacting with each other… that bring(s) us back to the fundamentals of sitting across from someone,” said Carrie Landa, executive director of student wellbeing at Boston University.
The New York Times reports on high school students coping with the pandemic’s continuing uncertainty, noting their feelings of anxiety and instability. Many students report having taken on more adult responsibilities and struggling with prolonged periods of isolation from remote learning. Others have experienced adverse physical side effects, such as intense migraines, from the hours of screen time. “We’re growing up through a pandemic. And that’s definitely affecting our development,” said Kyla Chester-Hopkins, an 11th grader from Milwaukee.
Other News
A new guide from The Steve Fund and the National Center for Institutional Diversity addresses how institutions can improve the mental health of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students.
In an op-ed for the Daily Tar Heel, students argue that UNC’s Counseling and Psychological Services should evolve and advocate for more funding to meet students’ mental health needs.
PennState News reports on a new paper that examines how college students’ sense of belonging can be related to mental health during the pandemic.
The Steve Fund and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) partnered in hosting a mental well-being conference for HBCUs.
Campus Technology reports on our new survey of students’ interests in peer mental health counseling, especially in marginalized groups.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Washington Post, Higher Ed Dive, and The Chronicle report that a third wave of bomb threats have targeted historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), jeopardizing students’ sense of safety on campuses. On Tuesday, Howard University warned its campus of bomb threats after at least eight HBCUs were threatened on January 4th and another estimated six schools were targeted on Monday. Over a dozen HBCUs were forced to clear their campuses and cancel in-person classes on February 1st, the first day of Black history month. Federal law enforcement and authorities are investigating the threats, raising alarm to the Biden administration. “It’s communicating that you’re not safe as a Black person,” said Paulette Granberry Russell, the president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.
The Washington Post covers affirmative action’s role in college admissions. After the Supreme Court agreed last week to hear two cases ruling on the lawfulness of race-based college admissions, Natasha Warikoo, professor of sociology at Tufts University, outlines an analysis on the necessity of keeping affirmative action: “1) Simply put, American society continues to suffer from racial inequality, so affirmative action provides more equitable opportunities for a top-notch college education; 2) Affirmative action benefits all students by exposing them to diverse perspectives on campus. 3) Affirmative action leads to more-diverse leadership, which is essential for sound decision-making and legitimacy,” states Warikoo.
The Chronicle reports on how the pandemic may affect the progress of a successful U.S. program for migrant students. The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is a federal program that assists migrant and seasonal workers by helping their children navigate their first year of college. CAMP serves 2,000 first year students on 57 campuses and has a proven track record of achieving high retention rates surpassing national averages. CAMP directors, however, report that the pandemic’s effects on enrollment declines are interfering with the program’s success. With many of these students being English-language learners, Robert Garcia, director of the CAMP program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, argues that such students may qualify as “the most marginalized group in higher education.”
Inside Higher Ed features findings from a new study showing women earn more at women-led colleges. According to a new analysis from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, colleges and universities with female presidents have a lower pay gap for women compared to their male counterparts and higher percentages of women in top administrative job categories. The report also found that for every dollar male presidents earned, female presidents earned $0.91. “One of the things that I hear most often from women—and this is why it’s often a little bit hard to even compare job titles and pay—is that their roles have a great deal more responsibility than their job title would tell,” said Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges. About one-third of colleges and universities have female presidents.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
Inside Higher Ed reports that a federal appeals court has sided with the University of Arizona in a lawsuit brought on by a former student. Mackenzie Brown, who was physically assaulted off-campus by her ex-boyfriend, Orlando Bradford, a former football player at the university, argued that the university was at fault for “deliberate indifference” from the perpetrator’s prior physical abuse of two other women. In court documents, Brown filed a claim stating, “U of A administrators had actual notice of Bradford’s escalating behavior in the months prior to the attack, but chose only to attempt to separate Bradford from one victim—another valued student-athlete—taking no steps whatsoever to address the underlying danger.”
Student Success
The Hechinger Report provides an examination on what impacts could result from the College Board’s shift to an all-digital SAT. Recently, the College Board announced moving the SAT online starting in 2024, however, their own research found that Hispanic students scored better with pencil and paper at times. Their study examined scores from students who were randomly assigned to the computerized version and another half assigned to the paper version. The findings showed advantages for students taking the tests on screens when it came to reading questions, answering more questions, and more.
Higher Ed Dive reports that the City University of New York has permanently ended transcript withholding. On Monday, a board of trustees voted to overrule a policy in which CUNY withheld transcripts and refused re-enrollment for students with outstanding balances and unpaid tuition fees. Over 260,000 students are logged in the university system. The policy change comes from Governor Kathy Hochul, who proposed discontinuing transcript withholding and is advocating to end transcript withholding at all of New York’s higher education institutions.
College Affordability
Higher Ed Dive reports on the Education Department’s preparation on the resumption of loan payments. According to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the agency plans on providing outreach to specific borrowers and offering flexibility for when repayment restarts. Payments have freezed for over 42 million student loan borrowers, half of which will be at risk of becoming delinquent. Student loan repayments and interest accrual halted in March 2020 and are set to resume in May of this year.
The Washington Post covers how sudden, small expenses can cause low-income students to drop out of college. Some institutions and nonprofits are hoping to combat these barriers and financial inconveniences, such as dorm deposits, rides to campus, by providing services to students. “The number one reason that low-income students drop out is financial. And often it’s a little thing that a middle- or higher-income family wouldn’t even think twice about,” said Alice Anne Bailey, a researcher and adviser on higher education policy with American University’s Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success.
COVID-19: Safety and Reopening
The Attorney General of Virginia recently announced that public colleges may not require student vaccinations against COVID. On Friday morning, Attorney General Jason S. Miyares of Virginia issued a legal statement that public colleges in the state may not mandate students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in requirement of enrollment or in-person attendance. As a result, public universities, such as the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, are changing their policies.
Inside Higher Ed reports on Stanford University’s initiative to offer more grants and pre-tenure for COVID-19 affected professors. Last winter, Stanford University announced that pre-tenure faculty would be allowed a quarter dedicated to research, without teaching or service. Additionally, junior faculty are also being offered childcare and another year of pre-tenure to alleviate burden and the significant impacts caused by the pandemic. Faculty hope other institutions follow suit and provide additional pandemic support for their faculty as well.
Inside Higher Ed reports that the University of Florida has discontinued updating its COVID-19 dashboard, which publishes data on infection case counts. Since the beginning of January, the university now directs these requests to the Florida Department of Health. While other universities have not followed suit, the move raises questions on when, and for how long, colleges will report their campuses’ COVID numbers.
