Yale alumni use their power to influence mental health policy
After Yale first-year Rachael Shaw-Rosenbaum died by suicide in March 2021, a group of her loved ones, Yale alumni and others came together to form Elis for Rachael. For nearly two years, the organization, which recently acquired non-profit status, has been advocating for the university to make meaningful mental health reform, particularly surrounding medical withdrawal policies. This week, MCI reporter Mollie Ames speaks with some of the alumni leaders of the group about the current state of their efforts. The members discuss the lawsuit Elis for Rachael helped initiate against their alma mater last week and why they believe their position, as graduates, primes them to move the needle forward on higher ed mental health reform.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
The Washington Post continued its breaking coverage of the mental health practices unnerving the Yale community with the news that students and alumni are now suing the Ivy League institution. The advocacy group Elis for Rachael, along with students, are alleging that Yale discriminates against students with mental health challenges. Of major concern are the university’s medical withdrawal policies, as plaintiffs suggest Yale officials have threatened to involuntarily withdraw students in crisis if they did not do so on their own. Other complaints include the university’s failure to provide accommodations students need for their mental health disabilities.
Other News
For Inside Higher Ed, Marcelle Hayashida, the associate vice chancellor of wellness, health and counseling services at the University of California, Irvine, describes how universities can promote student wellbeing beyond traditional mental health programs.
The Washington Post suggests that the state of adolescent mental health is getting worse, not better, even as the onset of the pandemic moves further into the rearview.
Forbes proposes that professors can help students succeed without sacrificing academic rigor by employing widely underused cognitive science-backed teaching techniques.
Diverse Education reports that state funding will now be available for a number of public colleges and universities in New Jersey thanks to a $15 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan.
According to K-12 Dive, the Senate Subcommittee of Children and Families met last week to troubleshoot the dearth of mental health support for young adults in the transition from high school to college.
The Hill reviews a recent study assessing the mental health impact of online coursework during the pandemic, finding that students enrolled in fully remote classes suffered more than those in some in-person classes.
The 74 considers the challenges that university counseling centers are facing in trying to find and retain therapists who are also being recruited by hospitals, private practices, and telehealth companies.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At the current rate of diversification, tenured faculty will never become reflective of U.S. population demographics, according to research featured in Inside Higher Ed. And only if overall faculty diversification picks up to 3.5 times the current rate could parity arrive by 2050. In university athletics, a similar problem dominates, as one columnist at The Associated Press highlights a long history of white football coaches—with hardly any exceptions.
As the Supreme Court deliberates over the future of race conscious admissions, coverage of the challenges Asian Americans face during the college application process continues. In The New York Times, applicants describe not specifying their race as well as leaving certain activities off their resumes in an effort to come across as “less Asian” during the application process to boost their chances of getting in.
What’s in store for women’s colleges? Inside Higher Ed captures the challenges for many such institutions, as they struggle to keep up enrollment numbers and turn to mergers or co-education in response. Students and faculty at women’s colleges continue to tote the value of their unique education.
Student Buzz
The Yale Daily News, as well as The Daily Pennsylvanian, cover the lawsuit Yale students and alumni filed against their university last week for discriminating against students with mental health challenges.
In an op-ed for The Michigan Daily, one student decries the overprescription of psychiatric medications among today’s college students and promotes a more holistic approach to mental health treatment.
Meanwhile, another writer for The Michigan Daily expresses her support for a new law in New York that requires public schools to offer mental health education, in addition to physical health education.
The Editorial Board of The Bowdoin Orient encourages the college to allow students to organize registered social events during the pre-exam Reading Period in the interest of their mental health.
Reproductive Justice
The New York Times spotlights how the emergence of an abortion clinic in a college town in Southern Illinois is dividing the community. The population is more diverse and considered progressive given the presence of Southern Illinois University, but at the same time historically conservative. The facility opened to help serve abortion-seekers in nearby states like Arkansas and Missouri, where access to the procedure is now restricted.
Student Success
The Chronicle offers a picture of how the pandemic affected graduation rates at various colleges and universities across the country. The six-year graduation rate jumped by 1.26% for 2020 and 2021 compared to 2018 and 2019, but this change aligns with yearly increases pre-dating the pandemic. However, 140 of the 1,300 institutions considered experienced decreased graduation rates by five or more points for 2020 and 2021 compared to 2018 and 2019.
As tuition costs rise and loans weigh graduates down, The Chronicle speaks with college students about the major barriers that come with earning a degree and whether they’re worth it. This debate over the value of higher education has become pervasive, as experts in The Hechinger Report stress that professional training programs can’t outweigh the social mobility benefits of a bachelor’s degree, while The New York Times highlights how even the most qualified graduates are struggling to find tech jobs. In part out of this confusion, Inside Higher Ed reports, a new online resource has emerged to help students navigate shifting training, degree and employment opportunities.
College Affordability
After federal judges voted to block Biden’s student debt relief program, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to rule over his case, and it agreed, The New York Times reports. The Court even expedited its typical scheduling process in this instance so that the hearing will begin as early as February 2023.
As borrowers await news about President Biden’s relief program, other initiatives may begin to alleviate the student debt crisis. The Wall Street Journal covers a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, advocating for new regulations so that financial-aid packages cannot confuse or mislead students. According to Higher Ed Dive, legislators have also asked the U.S. Department of Education to reevaluate tuition-share agreements that may be allowing online program management companies (OPMs) to make money off of “[steering] students to costly programs.” Finally, some colleges may simply be cutting tuition costs in the hopes of maintaining enrollment, The Washington Post says.
Basic Needs
The housing crisis continues for college students, CNBC reveals. A recent survey suggests housing insecurity currently affects up to 20% of students overall and more than a quarter in Texas (26%) and Florida (29%). Experts worry this reality may make low-income students less likely to enroll in higher education or more likely to withdraw.
Campus Safety
After four University of Idaho students were murdered near campus in mid-November, The New York Times finds fears of encountering the attacker, still at large, have become rampant among students and locals alike. A third of students opted not to even move back into their dorms after the Thanksgiving break. The Chronicle speaks with the university’s executive Vice President about his reaction to the tragedy and how the community is recovering.
