Bringing Your Whole Self to Work: An Interview with Rick McKenney, President and CEO of Unum Group
There was once a time when talking about mental health at work would be on the “what not to do” list for entry-level employees. But a new generation of recent graduates is taking their determination to normalize the conversation around mental health right into the workforce. The question is: how will corporate America respond?
Rick McKenney, the President and CEO of a fortune 500 employee benefits company, views young employees as helping to reduce stigma and connecting a multi-generational workforce around a universal issue. He’s made mental health a pillar of Unum’s corporate culture. “It’s all about bringing your whole self to work,” he says.
Read the new Quarterly article here.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
The Boston Globe is hosting a conversation about student mental health on college campuses, tonight at 8pm (EST). Students will share how they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as anxiety and depression rates continue to grow. This Wednesday night, via Twitter Space, students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dartmouth College, Northeastern University, and Harvard University will discuss their needs and how higher education leaders can better support their mental health.
NPR reports on the growing demand for college mental health peer counselors. GBH News reporter, Kirk Carapezza, covers the mental health crisis on college campuses and how young people are turning to each other for help. The story cites new national survey findings from Born This Way Foundation and the Mary Christie Institute showing that interest in peer counseling has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Insight into Diversity also reported on MCI’s new survey, highlighting the finding Black, transgender, and first-generation college students are particularly likely to say it is “very important” to find a peer counselor with similar identities or life experiences as them.
Other News
The Williams Record reports on a newly formed student mental health advocacy club. The Mental Wellness Advocacy Group will communicate the state of student mental health to William College’s administration.
The University of Utah Health announces “Healing Out Loud,” a student film contest to increase mental health awareness. The winning videos will also be showcased into a statewide suicide prevention awareness campaign.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Chronicle reports that beginning in 2023, the new Carnegie Classification will have a category examining how well institutions contribute to students’ social and economic mobility. Universities have often looked to Carnegie Classification results in its ranking of institutional prestige and its research, yet the new system of classification will now create incentives for colleges to fill equity gaps in hopes of better serving diverse students.
The Chronicle reports on the decline in college enrollment of Hispanic students and the impact it may have on their communities. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the enrollment of Hispanic undergraduate students dropped by 7% from 2019 to 2021. The decline is concerning to experts, considering that Hispanic students, previously the group with the least degree attainment in the country, have become the fastest-growing demographic enrolling in college.
Inside Higher Ed reports on a new program in Chicago that helps single moms complete college. The New Moms project will provide a monthly stipend of $500 to single mothers, age 24 or younger, to spend on food, clothes or other essentials. Portia Polk, director of learning and advocacy at Generation Hope, says student parents have fewer resources and less support than their childless peers, and such disparities have only worsened from the pandemic.
Inside Higher Ed reveals findings from a new report that shows the pandemic could reverse the progress made for Black and Latinx students in California. According to findings from the Campaign for College Opportunity, the COVID-19 pandemic may “threaten to offset and undo years of improvements for California’s high schools and community colleges.”
Inside Higher Ed reports on anti-Asian text messages that were shared on social media at Occidental College. Students criticized the administration’s lack of disciplinary action and delayed response. According to a new, unpublished study from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S. skyrocketed by 342% in 2021.
Higher Ed Dive reports that the Education Department has dismissed a complaint against Brigham Young University discriminating against LGBTQ students. In 2020, a complaint alleged that BYU discriminates against students in same-sex relationships in that they violate the university’s Honor Code. However, a recent letter stated the private institution has religious exemptions from Title IX.
Higher Ed Dive reports that 64 higher education groups have signed a letter calling on Congress to take action after a series of bomb threats have targeted HBCUs. On Monday, the American Council on Education and 63 other higher ed associations and organizations signed a letter asking Congress to expedite the hearings on “the persistent issues underlying these crimes,” describing the bomb threats as racially motivated acts of terror.
Inside Higher Ed reports on the increase in diversity among college presidents since 2020 and covers whether the hiring trend will continue. In the months following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, an Inside Higher Ed analysis showed that 35.4% of newly hired American college presidents and chancellors were of racial minority groups.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
Inside Higher Ed reports that Harvard University allegedly obtained a Title IX complainant’s external mental health records without consent. In a lawsuit filed by three anthropology graduate students, a complaint alleges that Harvard obtained one of the plaintiff’s “private therapy records without her consent and disclosed them to Prof. Comaroff” in its internal investigation.
Student Success
The Hechinger Report features an article on the growing number of students dropping out of college during COVID. Approximately 26.1%, or 679,000 out of 2.6 million students who enrolled in college in the fall of 2019, did not return to college in the following year. Experts say the number of enrollment drops could continue to grow from the uncertainty of the pandemic and the Omicron surge.
College Affordability
Inside Higher Ed reports that the Department of Education is proposing regulations to measure the gainful employment of graduates at for-profit colleges. The proposals would examine graduates’ earnings versus their college debts and mandate institutions to provide data on degree attainment, debt, and other trends by each program offering.
Inside Higher Ed reports on new legislation that will expand Pell Grant eligibility yet would exclude online learning. Congress widely supports the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility for students enrolled in programs for short-term skills and trade job training, however, the bill would not extend it for students to attend the programs online. Advocates for virtual learning and community college leaders say it could be a mistake.
Inside Higher Ed reveals data showing that almost one-third of colleges and universities do not pay off for students after enrolling compared to peers with only high school diplomas. According to data from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the majority of students at one-third of institutions earn less than those with a high school diploma 10 years down the road.
Inside Higher Ed reports that more states are considering legislation to require high school students to complete FAFSA applications upon graduation. The six states of Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New York and South Carolina are examining policies for public high school students to complete federal aid forms or sign waivers to opt-out in order to boost state college enrollment numbers and affordability.
Covid-19: Safety and Reopening
Inside Higher Ed reports on public colleges following states that are lifting mask mandates. States across the country, such as California, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Oregon, have been loosening mask mandate restrictions. Some states will still require colleges and K-12 schools to continue with the mandates.
The Chronicle reports on colleges relaxing COVID restrictions and experts urging caution. As case numbers continue to drop on campuses and throughout the country, Gerri Taylor, co-chair of the Covid-19 task force for the American College Health Association, worries about whether officials have the correct numbers with many people now using rapid at-home tests.
Inside Higher Ed reports global survey findings on the public’s views on colleges’ roles throughout the pandemic. According to the study by the World 100 Reputation Network, 46% of the general public said universities had an important role in helping the world in the pandemic.
