Quadcast: Dr. Tia Dole, the New Executive Director of the Steve Fund
In this week’s Quadcast, we speak to Dr. Tia Dole, the new Executive Director of the Steve Fund — the leading national organization dedicated to supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. Dr. Dole spoke of her background as a clinician, her work at the Trevor project, her motivation to take on this new role, and her passion for connecting young people from marginalized backgrounds with the support they need to thrive.
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Mental and Behavioral Health
Inside Higher Ed reports survey findings on students’ struggles, stressors, and supports regarding their mental health. According to the latest Student Voice survey, over half of students (56%) rated their mental health as “fair” or “poor.” However, the greatest percentage of students said “now” is the time period when their mental health has been best during the pandemic. Top stressors students identified in the past month included keeping up with coursework (57%), pressure to do well in college (47%), financial concerns (46%), and balancing school and work obligations (41%).
In an op-ed for the Hechinger Report, Alison Malmon, founder and executive director of Active Minds, argues that mental health services are crucially important for student success but are often overlooked. “Much has been written about how to choose the right college, along with annual lists that rate and compare different schools. These great resources, however, too often do not address a central, vital element: mental health,” argues Malmon. “This is the factor given the least amount of consideration in college decision-making, yet it is essential to many students’ success in college and beyond.”
Diverse Education reports on a surge in tech companies targeting student mental health support. A tremendous growth in mental health technology is paving the way at college campuses. In 2021, global funding for the mental health tech industry skyrocketed by 139%, reaching a record $5.5 billion for products on mindfulness apps to telehealth platforms. However, experts warn that institutions should evaluate the technology as tools, rather than cure-alls.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Inside Higher Ed reports on coalitions designing courseware to close racial equity gaps. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, companies, colleges and research groups are developing digital courses to improve learning outcomes for underrepresented students. The introductory courses, first of which will be statistics and chemistry courses, will help increase the odds that students from all backgrounds and academic preparation levels have a higher chance to succeed in college.
The Hechinger Report showcases report findings on how Black women are uniquely burdened by student debt. According to a recent report, Black borrowers are more negatively affected due to systemic racism. Due to their race and gender, the marginalization of Black women often place them as among the lowest earners in the labor market. “We see these degrees to be vehicles of upward mobility. And then the stark realization is we get these degrees and the car is broken. That mobility piece is not there,” said Brittani Williams, coauthor of the report.
Inside Higher Ed reports on a new tool that scores campus climate on religion. The Interfaith, Spiritual, Religious, and Secular Campus Climate Index, or INSPIRES, assesses institutions and their atmospheres when it comes to religious diversity and inclusion. Researchers examined answers and scored colleges and universities based on the criteria of religious accommodations, efforts to reduce bias, and engagement in extracurriculars and academics.
Inside Higher Ed reports on California State University, Fullerton removing the term “probation” from its institutional usage of terms. In hopes of making students, especially students of color, feel less defeated when placed on academic probation, university officials are using the new term “academic notice” when they have less than a 2.0 grade point average. Cal State Fullerton is federally recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution with a 43% Latinx student population.
Student Success
The Wall Street Journal reports on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s reinstatement of SAT and ACT score policies. Nearly 75% of the nation’s colleges have, at the very least, halted the requirement of standardized test scores from applicants due to the pandemic – some of which decided to forgo test scores in their admissions practices overall. Differences in policies are leading high school students feeling uncertain on whether to take exams and if they should submit scores to specific institutions.
In an opinion piece for Higher Ed Dive, Nicole Barbaro covers how online programs can keep students from disengaging and help them feel they belong. Barbaro, a researcher and senior communications content manager at WGU Labs, highlights building virtual communities, a solid UX implementation, and offering students opportunities. “After the pandemic caused it to surge during 2020, 59% of surveyed institutions plan on keeping some or all of their new online learning options,” wrote Barbaro.
The Chronicle reports on community college enrollment rates falling yet growth in specific majors. Enrollment at two-year colleges in fall 2021 has declined by 15% since the pandemic. Enrollment in skilled trades such as agriculture and construction management, however, grew by 41% at two-year institutions in fall 2021.
College Affordability
The Biden administration will provide more borrowers with the chance of debt cancellation. On Tuesday, the Education Department announced granting federal student loan borrowers with income-driven repayment plans (IDRs) and will immediately forgive 40,000 student loans. The change will bring 3.6 million borrowers 3 years closer to debt forgiveness. All borrowers’ past payments on Direct Student Loans and Federal Family Education Loan Program loans will qualify toward having loan debt forgiven under IDR. Additionally, the Biden administration is looking to double the maximum pell grant.
The Boston Globe and Higher Ed Dive report on Williams College moving to grant-only financial aid packages. On Wednesday, Williams College announced that the school would be eliminating loans and work requirements from its student financial aid packages, starting this coming fall. College leaders hope that the changes can simplify the financial aid process for students and promote affordability.
The Hechinger Report and The Washington Post report on momentum building for the three-year degree in order to lower college costs. As part of a program known as College in 3, roughly 14 institutions have agreed to consider three-year degrees for some majors. In response to the pandemic’s uncertainty and impatience amongst parents, employers, and students, more institutions are considering launching three-year degree programs combined with offering graduate degrees in the fourth year.
Diverse Education reports that 80% of college graduates believe higher education was worth the investment. Satisfaction of their degrees depended on graduates’ financial concerns and career success. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of graduates said, “if they were to do college again, they would choose a different major.”
Campus Security
Inside Higher Ed reports on a number of college police departments demilitarizing uniforms and repainting their cars to lessen intimidation and earn students’ trust, following the era of George Floyd. “Sometimes people in our underrepresented student groups have this image of the police, because they may have had a bad interaction somewhere else, and that police uniform might be a barrier for them to feel that you’re approachable, that you can come up and be spoken to, that you can have a conversation,” said Jason Berthon-Koch, Central Washington University police chief.
COVID-19: Safety and Reopening
The Chronicle reports that Howard University has announced it is finishing the semester online due to a COVID spike – the first known university to move online because of the BA.2 variant. Other schools have reinstated indoor mask mandates. Campus officials stated that the COVID-19 positivity rate has risen from 2% to 5% in the past week, and as a result, exams will be held online after April 22.
Inside Higher Ed reports on the bustling return of college town life and their economies since the onset of the pandemic. “A lot of our economy is driven through tourism—the hospitality areas, retail, associated with not only the students that are here, but those coming to visit on a regular basis,” said Greg Scott, president and CEO of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County.
