Q&A: Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker and Dr. Lauren Wadsworth, authors of “Did That Just Happen?”
In a new Quarterly Q&A, MCI interviews Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker and Dr. Lauren Wadsworth, authors of “Did That Just Happen?” – an in-depth guide using real-life scenarios that illustrate how organizations can create and sustain diverse and inclusive environments.
Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, PhD, is the founding director of McLean Hospital’s College Mental Health Program, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and the McLean Hospital-Harvard Medical School’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. Lauren Wadsworth, PhD, ABPP, is a senior advisor on the Anti-Racist, Justice, and Health Equity team at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School and the founder and director of the Genesee Valley Institute of Psychology.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
The Healthy Minds Faculty and Staff Survey (HMS F&S) is a new annual survey from the Healthy Minds Network, piloted in the Spring of 2021 with support from the Mary Christie Institute and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. The comprehensive, confidential online survey is designed to: understand the mental health needs among faculty/staff, identify challenges and opportunities that exist for faculty to recognize and respond to student needs, and inform investments in new programs to support faculty/staff mental health as well as the key role that employees play in shaping student wellbeing. Learn more about HMS F&S here. If interested in the HMS Faculty and Staff Survey, please fill out this Preliminary Interest Form or email hms-coordination@umich.edu.
Inside Higher Ed highlights how colleges are planning for the fall semester, including buttressing their mental health services in anticipation of particularly high need. As young adults reported dealing with especially high rates of anxiety and depression during the pandemic, schools are preparing for their challenges transitioning back to campus by hiring more counselors, training faculty and staff, expanding peer services, and creating space for reflection on the last year. The pandemic’s disproportionate impact of students of color, coupled with the national attention on widespread racism and police violence is of particular consideration.
Other News
Associate director of the Healthy Minds Network Dr. Sarah Lipson speaks with Forbes about the underutilized potential in peer support on college campuses. Peer counselors can identify and provide support in the face of mental health issues, while eliminating the cost of therapy for students and lightening the demands for mental health counselors.
As schools cope with the direct loss of some of their community members as a result of Covid-19, Diverse Education highlights how some campuses are supporting students through their grief.
The University of North Carolina is piloting a program to provide community members with mental health first-aid training that allows them to effectively identify and provide support for people with mental health issues. The training, which could reach as many as 10,000 people this year, helps students confront substance abuse, mental illness, crises, and more.
In the Journal of Racial and Ethnical Health disparities, a new study finds that , cultural considerations, language barriers, financial concerns, and discrimination may be among the reasons that Asian and Latinx students are less likely than white students to seek mental health support.
The Harvard Political Review reports on the conditions that make college students susceptible to suicide — the second leading cause of death among this group. College forces students to acquire new social, emotional, and financial “basic life skills” while uprooting them from their regular support system, and the stress of these compounded factors is “the perfect storm” for some.
In an op-ed for Forbes, Denison University student Cynthia Guerrero discusses her negative experience as a first-gen Mexican-American student, seeking help from a white counselor at her predominantly white institution. She stresses the necessity of therapists of color to help serve students of color dealing with unique pressures related to family and culture, finances, and underrepresentation.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
A recent study of academics finds that women in fields that are considered reliant on natural “brilliance” over training are more likely to feel imposter syndrome than their male counterparts. Experts tell Diverse Education that these results are a call to shift the culture in academia and recognize someone’s outward success does not always reflect the emotional reality.
After the pandemic took a major toll on international student enrollment in the U.S., colleges hope to raise numbers again — in part given the subsequent loss of revenue over the last year. While the Biden Administration has also stressed its interest in international education, NPR suggests that foreign students are increasingly exploring options in higher education beyond the U.S. and questioning the reality of the “American Dream.”
A new report assesses the statements and actions of 300 different colleges in the U.S. in response to the murder of George Floyd last May. Within two-weeks of Floyd’s death, the majority of schools had released related statements, although they varied in their acknowledgement of systemic racism and police violence. Although only one-tenth of these letters included actionable items, around one-third of schools ultimately made diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the following eight months. Read more about the results here or here.
Diverse Education reports on a partnership that facilitates the transfer of students at California Community Colleges to four-year historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) around the country. Transfer students with a minimum 2.5 GPA will be admitted wherever they apply but with varying scholarship opportunities. And while 39 HBCUs have now signed on to participate, and 400 students have transferred since 2015, the issue of raising awareness around the opportunity threatens to slow the program down.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
According to Higher Ed Dive, a federal judge has ruled against a Title IX policy instituted by former education secretary Betsey Devos that requires any participants in sexual assault cases to face cross examination. The policy also states that any final decision on these cases cannot take into account comments made outside of the examination. Still, the recent ruling against these conventions may not change the education department’s official regulations.
As students return this fall, some are hoping reforms within the Greek system will better prioritize consent and safety. According to The Chronicle, thousands of University of Vermont students marched on campus this spring to demand that the college reforms how it deals with sexual assault cases. One of the demands issued by a student-advisory group at UVM called for “every recognized fraternity to attend sexual violence, harassment, or healthy-relationship training each semester and report attendance rates.” Meanwhile, the campaign to abolish Greek life has gained popularity over the past year. In July, eight sororities at Dartmouth College issued a list of interim requirements for social engagements with fraternities when reports of sexual violence in Greek life emerged.
Student Success
Inside Higher Ed reports on a new study finding that students learning virtually receive lower grades than peers learning in person and are less likely to complete them. Experts, however, say the paper’s design has methodological flaws and question the conclusions. Researchers published the paper this week in the National Bureau of Economic Research, using a large-scale data set to compare how studying in-person and online affect course completion rates and grades relevant to before and after the pandemic.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution homes in on the dynamic playing out at colleges this fall, as both first-years and many sophomores step onto and learn to navigate campus for the first time. As schools try to incorporate two classes into one orientation or develop entirely new programming for sophomores, the goal is to facilitate a smooth transition so that all students feel like they belong.
In an op-ed for The Hechinger Report, president of Western Governors University Scott Pulsipher and director of the Charles Koch Foundation Ryan Stowers stress the need for change in higher education, referring to declining enrollment numbers and a waning belief in the cost efficiency of college. While some of this disinterest may be a result of the pandemic, Pulsipher and Stowers encourage educators to consider how the system fails to serve non-traditional students. They advocate for a highly individualized approach to education, including hybrid and competency-based learning.
President of Bellevue University Mary Hawkins writes for Higher Ed Dive about the diverse and impressive histories that transfer students bring to her campus, often coming in with not only college but professional experience and skills. She therefore recommends that schools take into consideration transfer students’ profiles and mold the curricula to make it more relevant to their lives. Transfer students tend to be highly motivated and deserve to have their education and transfer process tailored to their needs, she adds.
The Hechinger Report discusses the particular impact that the pandemic and remote learning had on Native students and their opportunities to attend college. Native student college enrollment dropped by almost a quarter in fall, 2020, as financial concerns and an inability to access the internet prevented students from logging into their classes — let alone planning for college matriculation. Students and teachers went the extra mile to support themselves and one another, but many still struggled without access to typical in-person resources and as a result of needing to help their families at home during the year.
College Affordability
The Washington Post reports that on Friday, the Education Department announced that it will extend the suspension of federal student loan payments from its projected date on September 30th, 2021 to January 31st, 2022. A group of congressional democrats and advocates urged the Biden administration to extend the date after the pandemic and public health crisis left many Americans financially struggling. The Education Department announced that it would notify borrowers about the final extension in the coming days and provide resources on how to plan for the restarting of payments at the end of the moratorium.
A wave of colleges and universities are forgiving unpaid student balances. Students receiving short-term relief from outstanding bills can enroll in classes or access transcripts. However, higher education policy experts and advocates argue that the relief is not enough in comparison to the bulk of loan debt students still owe. Wesley Whistle, former senior advisor for education policy and strategy at New America, says freeing up small debt “helps institutions” by allowing students with cleared account balances to re-enroll. A growing list of HBCUs and minority-serving institutions have also announced taking similar steps.
The Hechinger Report features an article on how many “adult promise programs” offering “free tuition” is not enough to retain adult learners returning to college. Experts in higher education remark that college is much more feasible for 18-to-22-year-olds who have flexible schedules and are supported by parents, yet adults wishing to achieve college degrees often have full-time jobs, childcare responsibilities, loan defaults, and anxieties about returning to school. The pandemic has highlighted economic disparities, calling for more educated workers.
In GBH news, reporter Kirk Carapezza showcases the effects of the pandemic on struggling colleges in New England. The Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, one of New England’s oldest technical colleges, struggles to stay afloat with declining enrollment, despite federal relief funds from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan. With declining student enrollment rates, especially during the pandemic, more small private colleges are closing and considering mergers with other institutions. Professor of Education Robert Kelchen notes that “students were frustrated with the online experience, and a lot of families had less of an ability to pay.”
Inside Higher Ed reports that a provision in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act can create the “Affordable Connectivity Program,” which would provide discounted broadband service to Pell Grant recipients and low-income households. Advocates lobbying for broadband affordability say the infrastructure bill will help with students’ success, particularly after the pandemic showcased the need for college students to have access to reliable and affordable broadband connection. The bill would also supplement colleges and universities to provide their students with equipment such as internet bills, laptops, routers, and Wi-Fi modems.
An analysis by The Wall Street Journal found that recent graduates of the University of Miami School of Law have the largest gap between debt and earnings among the top 100 law schools ranked in the U.S. News and World Report. Graduates who used federal loans borrowed a median of $163,000. According to the analysis, federal data suggests that the return-on-investment value of a law degree from non-elite schools has diminished. Salaries for entry-level lawyers have not matched the cost of tuition, approximately over $250,000 at private law schools, and increasing inflation over the past 20 years. According to the National Association for Law Placement, graduates who completed law school in 2019 earned a median income of $72,500 the following year, which is about the same salary as law school graduates from a decade earlier.
Higher Ed Dive reports on public universities looking to balance budgets after a year of financial loss by increasing their tuition rates. University systems in states such as California, Iowa and Minnesota have raised tuition prices. Despite the boost in public and state funding from the past year, financial experts say higher education institutions are still in need of incoming revenue. Although colleges were planning for a near-normal fall, a degree of economic uncertainty remains due to the rising rates of the Delta variant.
Coronavirus: Safety and Reopening
The Chronicle’s live Coronavirus updates detail more vaccination mandates and new research findings amid the spread of the Delta variant. The updates include a list of colleges modifying vaccine and mask requirements prior to the start of the fall semester. According to a new national poll, Americans are divided on whether universities should mandate college students to get vaccination shots against the Coronavirus. The age group supporting vaccine requirements most were participants aged 65 and over. Results were also divisive based on political opinion and gender. Additionally, a mathematical model built from Ursinus College shows that despite having an expected 90% student vaccination rate, it will not be enough to prevent an outbreak for its small 1,500 residential campus.
According to Diverse Education, college students are purchasing falsified vaccination cards. Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are reportedly purchasing counterfeit cards. The fake cards can reportedly cost up to $200 for students to skip testing or college entry requirements. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported looking into another counterfeit vaccination card band in Chicago.
The Chronicle reports that many college campuses anticipating a return to campus at full capacity may not have the space and designated quarantine housing to isolate students this fall. With the higher transmission rate of the Delta variant, the need to isolate infected or exposed students will be difficult in communal housing and dorms. Mississippi State University utilized hotel rooms to isolate students last year, however, many hotels are booked this year. A limited number of rooms to quarantine in may become problematic in areas where vaccination rates and mask wearing is low. The American College Health Association discouraged campuses from sending students home to quarantine since traveling students could spread the virus.
