“Designing Your Life” May Help College Students Find Meaning
The new issue of LearningWell magazine is out, featuring a look at life design classes taking off across colleges and universities. Modeled after Stanford’s popular “Designing Your Life” courses and workshops, similar classes on campuses throughout the country ask students to look for purpose and meaning in their career choices and encourage experimentation in less then predictable pathways. Also in LearningWell: a profile of Arizona State University’s Work+ program, an op-ed on student loneliness by mental health advocate and National Youth Council President Carson Domey, a profile of UMass Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Life and Wellbeing Betsy Cracco, and a conversation between Boston Globe columnist Kara Miller and Academically Adrift author Richard Arum.
Mental and Behavioral Health
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced technical assistance centers to support student wellbeing. The centers aim to accelerate learning, address the mental health crisis among students, and expand academic opportunities. The awarded funds will be used for various technical assistance centers, including a Comprehensive Literacy State Development Center, a National Technical Assistance Center for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and a Student Support and Academic Enrichment/Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections Technical Assistance Center.
Professors and university officials at Hollins University in Virginia found that current college students, many of whom completed high school in isolation during the covid-19 pandemic, experience high levels of social anxiety and lack appropriate coping mechanisms, Inside Higher Ed reports. During last year’s January term, the university hosted a three-week course on resiliency and courage, which included activities for environmental and spiritual wellness, including yoga and meditation. The course will focus on conflict resolution in the 2024 J-term.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California’s latest statewide survey on mental health, more than 80% of California adults believe that the US is currently experiencing a mental health crisis. Three in ten people think their mental health is good, while about half rank it as excellent (18%) or very good (31%). Different groups’ demographics, incomes, and other characteristics vary, nevertheless. The majority of adults who report having poor mental health are African Americans, teenagers, and adults whose family income is under $40,000. Most adults believe they can deal with their mental health concerns extremely well or fairly well. However, persons who identify as African American, Asian American, younger, and/or lower income have a reduced likelihood of coping successfully. The CARE Court program in California and Governor Newsom’s mental health initiative seek to address overlapping issues.
A total of $5.9 million was granted to five nonprofit organizations in Arkansas by the Blue & You Foundation to address the crisis in adolescent and young adult mental health brought on by trauma, substance abuse, and suicide rates. The recipients of the grants hope to improve access to care in the state, where many counties lack child and adolescent psychiatric services. With the help of the grant, addiction recovery and mental health programs will be able to expand their services and outreach across the state.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Inside Higher Ed reports that introductory mathematics courses can pose challenges for students, particularly underrepresented minority students. In order to close equity gaps, instructional changes are required, according to a report from Education Equity Solutions. The study contends that certain instructional strategies can improve Black and Latino students’ academic performance to parity with their white and Asian peers. The success of students is greatly influenced by factors like the professors’ qualifications and teaching methodology. It was discovered that underrepresented students benefited from openness in assessment and grading procedures, as well as fair accommodations for missed work.
Mentorship has a positive effect on young adults’ career outcomes, according to a recent report from Gallup and Amazon. The report finds that low-income professionals are, however, less likely to have mentors. According to survey results, young adults who have role models report greater career satisfaction and financial stability. The report found that family members may also play a significant role in career development, but low-income people are more likely to rely on outside mentors or to lack mentorship entirely.
Free Speech and Academic Freedom
Student organizations at U.S. colleges and universities, including chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine, have faced criticism for supporting the Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens, The Washington Post reports. At Harvard, a letter by the Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and Harvard Graduate Students for Palestine stating that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” was signed by more than 30 student organizations, leading to controversy on campus and online. Former Harvard president Lawrence Summers wrote on X, “I am sickened. I cannot fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement.” Student groups at other universities have made statements on social media, with one post from the SJP chapter at Ohio State University praising “our heroic resistance in Gaza who have shown the world yet again that the spirit of the Palestinian people cannot and will not be trampled.” Some universities faced backlash for taking days to respond to the situation, with critics questioning their silence when compared to responses to other geopolitical events, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Inside Higher Ed reports on a recent conference on academic freedom and cultural perspectives at Hamline University, a Minnesota university that stirred controversy for allegedly rescinding a tenure offer to adjunct Professor Erika López Prater after a Muslim student filed a complaint against the professor for showing historic paintings of the prophet Muhammad in a global arts course. Fayneese Miller, Hamline’s president, emphasized the importance of balancing academic freedom, demographics, and cultural perspectives. The American Association of University Professors investigated the incident and criticized the administration for promoting a campaign against the professor, which they saw as undermining academic freedom. The AAUP’s report concluded that the university had carried out “a de facto campaign of vilification against professor López Prater that also represented an assault on fundamental principles of academic freedom.” The incident adds to the ongoing debate surrounding student free speech, equity and inclusion, and faculty academic freedom in higher education.
In an opinion piece in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jennifer Stefano, vice president of the conservative-libertarian Commonwealth Foundation, argues that conservative college students often feel that they do not have the same freedom of expression as their liberal peers, pointing to experts who suggest that censorship of conservative ideas might contribute to the mental health crisis among college students. The article highlights Bucknell University’s Open Discourse Coalition, which was formed to bring diverse viewpoints to campus after the university was ranked last in the state for freedom of speech. The coalition, labeled “a glimmer of hope in higher education” in the Wall Street Journal, has gained support from national thought leaders for promoting civil discourse. “Rather than practicing censorship,” Stefano argues, “leaders on college campuses should refocus their energy on teaching students the art of rhetoric and debate. This, in turn, will strengthen their students’ minds and ideas.”
Campus Safety
Morgan State University announced plans to enclose 90% of its campus to limit access after a shooting occurred last week, The Washington Post reports. The plan includes increasing security personnel at entry and exit points across campus. The proposed enhancements are projected to cost $22 million. Homecoming activities at the historically Black university were canceled or postponed as a result of the shooting. The university has increased security patrols and added cameras. Police believe two shooters were responsible and the victims were not the intended targets. Additional photos of people of interest were released, and a reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
College Access and Affordability
Financial wellbeing is a crucial aspect of student success and retention, Inside Higher Ed reports. According to data from Trellis Research, 73% of college students have experienced financial difficulties, which can negatively impact academic performance and mental wellbeing. East Carolina University has established a Financial Wellness Hub to provide resources and support for students in managing their finances. Kevin Sutton, director of financial wellness, suggests that universities focus on three key points to effectively engage students: identifying unique needs, determining delivery methods, and prioritizing essential financial topics such as budgeting and credit.
The Biden administration is entering a regulatory negotiation process in the latest stage of its ongoing attempts to cancel student loan debt, Higher Ed Dive reports. The negotiation committee must agree on regulatory language, and if they can’t, the Education Department can write the rule themselves. Unlike the administration’s previous plan, there is no specific amount of debt targeted for cancellation. The focus is on helping vulnerable borrowers with excessive loan balances. However, this regulatory process is much longer than Biden’s original plan and may face legal challenges similar to the previous loan forgiveness plan.
Inside Higher Ed reports on a new Community College Research Center report that examines the benefits of increasing participation in dual enrollment programs for a wider range of student populations. The proportion of students enrolled in both high school and college concurrently is rising, despite an overall decline in community college enrollment. The dual enrollment population is disproportionately composed of White students, the report finds, with lower representations of Black, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander students. University officials and higher education experts suggest bringing college tutors to high schools and bolstering outreach efforts in order to create a more equitable dual enrollment system.
Some institutions have seen short-term enrollment gains from cutting their tuition prices, but it does not guarantee long-term change, Higher Ed Dive reports. While some colleges have experienced immediate benefits from this strategy, growth usually tapers off in a matter of a few years. Tuition resets have become more common among private colleges since 2015. Research shows that institutions that reset tuition saw an increase in applications and enrollment, but the momentum slowed over time and did not affect retention rates.
Higher education enrollment and retention are affected by rising living costs across the U.S., Inside Higher Ed reports. Many institutions lack on-campus amenities, which makes it difficult for students to find inexpensive accommodation. According to a survey on institutional support for student well-being conducted in 2023, 64% of respondents thought there were enough accommodation options on campus. According to Temple University’s Hope Center, 4.6% of graduate students and 8% of undergraduates experienced homelessness within the previous 30 days. 85% of participants in the rapid rehousing program at Fort Lewis College have found permanent or stable housing.
Student Buzz
An article in The Harvard Crimson examines Harvard University’s mental health leave of absence policies and mental health resources in light of recent policy changes at Yale. Though Harvard theoretically has a robust mental health support system, the student argues that many still struggle to trust and navigate these resources. Student surveys show an increasing incidence of mental health conditions on campus, in line with national trends. Mandatory leave policies there have faced criticism for depriving students of support. Yale University recently revised its forced leave policies in response to student activism. Harvard has yet to adopt similar policies.
The Daily Princetonian reports that Princeton University will host Community Care Day, its first day devoted to promoting student wellness, on October 27. The day will encourage mindfulness, relaxation, and community-building. The event comes amid ongoing conversations about mental health and student wellbeing on campus, following the deaths of four students and one staff member by suicide in the past two years. Organizers hope the new initiative becomes an annual tradition.
