On this week’s episode, Eric Wood, Ph.D., LPC, the director of counseling and mental health at Texas Christian University, talks about evidence-based initiatives within the counseling center and beyond that expand the scope and definitions of mental health support, including community and campus partnerships and peer support communities.
Main Stories
Inside Higher Ed features an op-ed arguing the mental health crisis on college campuses requires more than hiring more counseling staff. James Herbert, clinical psychologist and president of the University of New England, and Jennifer DeBurro, vice president of student affairs and dean of students at the University of New England, argue that higher education should also build resilience and increase coordination of student services. “We must encourage faculty members and professional staff alike to work as members of a dynamic, interdisciplinary team rather than as isolated units,” write Herbert and DeBurro.
Other News
Muhlenberg College reports on “Gatekeeper training” adding to a culture of care on campus. The mental health training, done in partnership with the Jed Foundation, was mandatory for first-year students this year.
The Harvard Crimson reports on its annual 1,000 backpacks display in Harvard Yard to symbolize the toll of annual college student suicides each year.
The University of California at Riverside’s healthcare professionals respond to questions regarding the anxiety crisis amongst college students.
CNBC reports on new survey findings showing that over half of student loan borrowers say their mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are correlated with their debt.
The Dartmouth newspaper features an op-ed on Dartmouth University’s student suicides and the need to address overarching change. “If it takes multiple student deaths to prompt even incremental change, what does that say about the College,” writes Kyle Mullins, former editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth.
At the annual meeting for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, admissions officials were stumped when asked if they felt prepared to confront a Supreme Court decision disallowing race-conscious admissions policies. Consultants and admissions officials tell Higher Ed Dive that schools should be anticipating this possibility, working with their faculty and other institutions to plan ahead for it.
Inside Higher Ed covers a new report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, revealing that the enrollment of Black students in community colleges has dropped, especially for Black men. Meanwhile, the gap in graduation rates for Black compared to white community college students has also worsened (i.e., doubled). Experts say these results offer an opportunity to reevaluate how community colleges can better serve their Black students.
In 2018, Vanderbilt University opened the first Transgender Health Clinic in Tennessee to provide targeted health care for trans patients. Inside Higher Ed reports that, since its development, the clinic has faced backlash from conservative media outlets. This week, right-wing columnist Matt Walsh published an “investigation” into the clinic on Twitter, accusing it of threatening doctors who refuse to provide gender-affirming care and bullying parents unsure whether they want their children to receive such care.
For The Washington Post, Ethan Ris, assistant professor of higher education administration at the University of Nevada at Reno, considers the implications of how historically Black colleges and universities appear in the U.S. News “Best Colleges” rankings. The highest ranked HBCU on this year’s list, Howard University, comes in at No. 89, while the rest are reserved for an alternative list which Ris describes as including “schools whose national importance they greatly overshadow.” “We long ago decided what counted as quality — wealth and Whiteness, above all,” Ris writes, “so we should not be surprised that so little has changed.
The period to comment on The Department of Education’s proposed changes to Title IX has closed, and Inside Higher Ed reveals that many respondents rejected the idea of expanding mandatory reporting requirements. By forcing almost all faculty and staff to report instances of sexual discrimination or misconduct, advocate argued, victims will have fewer options to ask for and receive help confidentially and safely.
Inside Higher Ed discusses the results of its latest Student Voice survey, which asked respondents about their history with and views of internships and experiential learning opportunities. Most students reported seeing value in internships, with 85% believing them necessary in order to enter their fields of choice. Students ranked gaining critical career skills as the most important outcome of internships, followed by developing knowledge “in an area of passion.”
According to Insider Higher Ed, an announcement last week from the general counsel at the University of Idaho informed faculty and staff that they may only discuss abortion and contraception in “neutral” terms and told those who do not comply with this guidance, could find themselves facing both institutional and legal repercussions. The university will also no longer provide birth control to students, except in the case of rape.
Inside Higher Ed reports new findings arguing that the federal student aid system may be contributing to disproportionately benefitting upper middle class white families. According to a new paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, the researchers say the financial aid system fails to consider a family’s retirement savings or home equity, ultimately leading to racial disparities in the system.
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that Biden’s plan to cancel student debt will amount to around $400 billion. As debate surrounding this plan continues, The Washington Post suggests that this latest insight into the impact will add fuel to the fire. According to GBH News, the proposed cost of Biden’s plan has led experts to refocus on the problem of college affordability more broadly, as it persists with little indication of change to come.
The shortage of K-12 bus drivers this year also applies to college campuses, Inside Higher Ed says, where students are confronting various transportations challenges. With fewer buses running daily, the ones in service are often crowded, while commutes to and between classes are longer. Some schools are responding to the issue with new and creative solutions, including providing taxi vouchers and discounts on Lyft services.
Inside Higher Ed reports on Johns Hopkins University’s controversial plans to develop its own police force. This week, the university announced working with the Baltimore Police Department to patrol the campus area, along with continuing its initiative to have an armed university police force. Students, Baltimore residents, and university and medical employees are opposed, arguing that the new officer group will lead to racial profiling, overpolicing, and potentially police brutality.