Kylie Unell’s Leap of Faith
A new Quarterly article features a profile on Kylie Unell, a multi-dimensional non-profit leader, influencer, and doctoral student who is helping young people like herself grapple with their faith and in doing so, discover themselves. The founder of “Rooted” – which creates environments to help young Jews embrace Judaism on their own terms and “Models of Faith” – a photo blog sharing spiritual and religious journeys of individuals of all faiths, says it’s not what comes out at the end, it’s about what happens in the middle that matters.
Mental and Behavioral Health
The Washington Post and The Hechinger Report report on how the pandemic has led colleges to revise and improve their mental health efforts. While students have been demanding better mental health care even before the pandemic, Covid stressors have made issues more urgent. According to the Fall 2021 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment survey, 73% students reported moderate or serious psychological distress. “The pandemic has spurred conversation and openness around mental health in ways we have not seen before,” said Becky Fein, director of training and engagement for Active Minds. Students themselves are taking the lead. For example, Dartmouth graduate, Sanat Mohapatra, launched the mental health peer support app “Unmasked.”
Other News
The Williams Record reports that students at Williams College express mixed feelings on the use of an anonymous community app.
In an interview with Warner School of Education assistant professor, Tricia Shalka, the University of Rochester reports on college students with PTSD and the role of trigger warnings.
Indiana University features an article on a renewed focus on students’ mental health and wellbeing.
North Carolina State University reports that its College of Education will offer Wellness Wednesdays, a weekly series of programming designed to offer students opportunities to center their mental health and well-being.
Florida State University hosts its Fresh Check Day event. Fresh Check Day “is an uplifting mental health promotion and suicide prevention event.”
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Washington Post reports that the FBI found at least 57 bomb threats to HBCUs and other institutions since January of this year. The bureau is investigating the incidents as hate crimes. Lawmakers, such as the Governor of Virginia, have already called for emergency funding to enhance security at historically Black colleges and universities. Authorities said the investigation is labeled as “highest priority,” and 31 field offices are working with local, state, and federal law enforcement.
Inside Higher Ed reports that contrary to misconception, women are not publishing less than men during the pandemic. The study, which was published in the Journal of Information Science, notes that gender inequality has grown in certain fields with quarantine and increased caregiving demands, specifically more so in the fields of psychology, math, and philosophy. The report says the findings “clearly indicate that COVID-19 bias in gender publication patterns is not clear[;] the picture is complicated, and calls for further studies.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that lawmakers in Florida are moving forward with a measure to restrict teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. Democrats, civil-rights groups and other critics of the proposal, which is being called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, would censor discussions about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and isolate LGBTQIA+ children who are vulnerable to bullying.
Substance Use
Inside Higher Ed reports that while adderall misuse has decreased during the pandemic, experts are concerned about an increase in alcohol and marijuana consumption. . In 2020, stimulants like Adderall dropped to a 10-year low among college students. The study also found that marijuana consumption actually reached a historic high among 19- to 22-year-old full-time college students in 2020. One in five students reported having ever used stimulants, including those who did and did not have prescriptions, and 8.9% percent reported using stimulants within the past 30 days.
Activism
Inside Higher Ed and The Washington Post report on how the crisis in Ukraine has affected higher education, spreading student protests of solidarity for Ukraine on college campuses. Leaders of research centers and academic institutions are speaking out against Russia’s invasion across the country. The Executive Committee of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies declared in a statement condemning “Russia’s military assault on Ukraine,” and opposing the war. Higher education groups are also calling for special protections for Ukrainian students at American colleges. Some Congress members have even advocated for the expulsion of Russian students.
Student Success
The Chronicle reports on how colleges can improve classroom experiences for large seminar classes with hundreds of students. With many first-year students needing to take introductory coursework, such as chemistry or calculus, placing hundreds of students in the same lecture hall could be a resourceful way to meet high demand. However, experts emphasize the importance of improving large enrolled courses through various and engaging ways.
College Affordability
Inside Higher Ed reports on a recent survey that examined students’ personal finances, revealing the need for stronger financial literacy education and support. According to a recent Student Voice survey, 1,550 out of 2,000 undergraduate students have student loan debt following graduation. When asked how worried students were about needing to drop out of college for a financial setback, such as a large car-repair bill, 35% of students reported being very worried and 29% said they were somewhat worried.
COVID-19: Safety and Reopening
The Chronicle and Inside Higher Ed report on how the pandemic has exacerbated struggles for adjunct faculty members. A study from the American Federation of Teachers shows that contingent faculty experience challenges from COVID conditions and policies. About 48% said they faced job insecurity since employment is often guaranteed from term to term for only three out of four faculty members. The report states that in addition to limited health coverage, “They faced an academic year of uncertain enrollments and employment prospects, compounded by the anxieties of being asked to return to the classroom amid a checkered public health response to the pandemic.”
