The American Council on Education released the results of their latest Pulse Point Survey of college presidents showing that the mental health of students, faculty and staff members has loomed large as a main concern for higher education leadership throughout the pandemic.
In the most recent iteration, 68% percent of the presidents ranked student mental health as a “pressing” issue that surpassed other concerns. Sixty percent of college presidents named faculty and staff mental health as a top issue, a proportion that is larger than previous survey editions; it was ranked second in the latest survey after being third in September.
According to the report, two-thirds of college leaders said they have seen the use of campus or teletherapy mental health services rise due to the pandemic, and 59 percent reported that their institutions invested in the virtual services.
In a column in Inside Higher Ed, Ray Schroeder asks, in the face of the emerging “mental health epidemic of epic proportions” rising out of the pandemic, “Who is leading the effort at your campus to maintain morale, bring sensible flexibility to rules, empower employees to pursue efficiencies and proactively intervene to lift up faculty, staff and students who are falling victim to burnout and looming depression?” Schroeder predicts that rising case and death counts will cause burnout to spread, requiring “a heroic effort to head off this shadow of the deadly pandemic.”
The American Council on Education released Mental Health Task Forces in Higher Education, a new report analyzing 16 college mental health task forces and offering recommendations from 15 colleges and universities over the past decade. Researchers Hollie M. Chessman, Darsella Vigil, and Maria Claudia Soler categorized 469 task force recommendations, finding many fell under three overarching themes: “Focus on the overall campus culture and climate to promote, improve, and foster positive mental health and well-being for all community members; Improve access to services and support for mental health; Make administrative improvements that are long-term and sustainable, requiring changes to policies, protocols, and procedures.”
According to the Cornell Sun, many college students are struggling to acclimate to life off-campus once again, as daylight shrinks, and the weather grows colder. Two Cornell students who ward off stressors by spending time outdoors and with friends find they are turning to individual indoor activities like drawing and baking. The winter weather adds another layer of challenge on top of stressors like finals and traveling away from campus during the holiday season.
The Editorial Board of the Williams Record wrote a piece recognizing the successes of the fall semester for Williams College, including the College’s low recorded virus infection and flexible professors. The Board also noted an area in which the College can improve: supporting students’ mental health. Some are concerned about Williams College first-years who will move in for the first time amid the darkness and cold this winter after beginning their academic careers remotely off-site. Other student subpopulations that need and/or are lacking support include those in quarantine on campus, those off-campus, low-income students, and BIPOC students. The Editorial Board also advocates for a spring break rather than dispersed wellness days.
In Forbes, Michael T. Neitzel, PhD, president emeritus of Missouri State University, wrote about the Gallup and Lumina Foundation exploring the impact of Covid-19 on students’ academic experience this fall. State of the Student Experience: Fall 2020, a survey of 2,000 students enrolled in associate’s degree programs and just under 4,000 students in bachelor’s degree programs, illustrated a number of salient points for institutions to consider as they shift into winter and spring terms. Over 70% of students reported the quality of their education was “excellent” or “very good.” Students who learned fully remotely reflected more negatively on their academic experience than those with any in-person instruction, but more than 70% of this population still reported positive ratings. Students that shifted from all in-person instruction to all remote learning this fall were less likely to report thriving in personal well-being, and less likely to strongly agree that a professor cares about them as a person; that they had a mentor; and that they feel like they belong (all major indicators of student health and wellbeing, which impacts retention rates). In fact, a third of students enrolled reported considering stopping out of courses, and half of students said the pandemic will likely impact their ability to continue their studies. Black and Hispanic students in both associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs were more likely to say it was likely or very likely they would not continue compared to white peers. Furthermore, Black and first-generation students were less likely to report knowing about tutoring and academic support than their white and non-first gen counterparts, respectively. As has been noted across other social, health, and economic measures, the pandemic has disproportionately hit those with fewer resources and/or greater challenges.
The Daily Bruin spotlights Kennya Ramos, a UCLA psychology student who recently launched the mental health PodVibes, which broadcasts her own healing journey and covers topics like making bucket lists, acknowledging pain, and self-care. Ramos says, “Those are the topics I talk about because I don’t think a lot of people do talk about them or don’t get personal about them… So in my podcasts, I’m very transparent about my process.”
In Forbes, Alison Escalante, MD, a board-certified pediatrician and an Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at Rush University argues that colleges that required students to live in the dorms this fall put their mental health at risk. She says this year, a number of her patients came to her for mental health treatment they had never needed before. Dr. Escalante listed the factors contributing to increased depression among these students: the social isolation of being confined to a room alone, a violation of their trust by college administrators (many of whom promised that learning would be in person, only to change their policy once students were on campus), and being helplessly trapped. “With that duty in mind, colleges must change harmful policies that make living in the dorms mandatory,” she writes. “The mental health of our college students requires them to be free to determine where they will live while they attend college online.”
A new peer educator initiative at Texas A&M University aims to raise mental health awareness and prevent suicide. Aggies Reaching Aggies will train volunteer peer educators to deliver Question Persuade Refer (QPR), a suicide prevention training that equips students to recognize the warning signs of suicide, know what to say to someone who might be at risk, and refer them for help. Santana Simple, assistant director of the Suicide Awareness & Prevention Office said, “We want to give students the opportunity to learn from each other and to be part of preventing suicide at Texas A&M.”
NBC Chicago reported on the suicide of Trevor Till, an 18-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to his family, he struggled with the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trevor’s mother, Lisa Moore, said “He was a social person, so being alone was not him.” According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childrens’ emergency room visits related to mental health have increased significantly during the pandemic, a concerning indication of the negative psychological effects of lockdowns and social distancing.
Tufts University’s Counseling and Mental Health Services experienced a decrease in mental health calls from students on campus, which the Director attributes to fewer students living in residence halls: “The decrease correlates with the lower percentage of students on campus, as remote learning makes it possible for students living at home to continue with their care providers there rather than transitioning to on-campus care.” Other colleges have also noted an unexpected decrease in student demand for services due to students’ lack of proximity to campus services for those studying remotely.
Duke University received a $1.5M gift to put towards mental health and wellbeing support for student-athletes. The Katz Family Behavioral Health & Wellness Project for Student-Athletes, supported by an endowed fund from alum Danny Katz and his spouse Nancy, will expand resources and fund research to assess the project’s effectiveness. It will also enable wellness activities like suicide prevention education and technology for enhanced evaluation of student-athletes. “In recent years, prominent figures - professional athletes in particular - have become more vocal about the importance of seeking support for their behavioral health,” said Director of Duke Athletics Behavioral Health Shawn Zeplin. “This has empowered collegiate student-athletes to be more aware of their needs, and, combined with the effects of a global health pandemic, have resulted in a significantly greater demand for services.”
Athletes Connected, a collaboration of the University of Michigan Depression Center, School of Social Work, and Athletics, published a how-to manual for implementing integrated mental health and wellbeing programming for student-athletes. The manual distills key program elements, partners, and program launch tactics, using Athletes Connected’s six years of programming as a case study. This student-mental health program manual is the first of its kind, filling a gap many institutions and athletic departments face: knowing that mental health is a problem for athletes and teams but not knowing how to address it.
A University of Minnesota Student Mental Health Advocacy Board has been pushing to increase mental health resources for community advisors (CAs) and end the involvement of the University Police Department when residents experience a mental health crisis. However, Jessica Gunzburger, the coordinator of residential life at Housing & Residential Life (HRL), said that when a resident is experiencing a mental health crisis, a residence director may call the police department if the situation is thought to be dangerous. “If there is a known risk of harm to a resident or others, we do not ask CAs to go into that situation,” she said.
Two recent polls of students in England found that more than half of those surveyed said they felt their mental health had deteriorated since the start of their term, though only a fifth had sought support. One survey of 2,000 students by the Office for National Statistics found that 57% of those who participated reported a worsening in their mental health and wellbeing during the autumn term. Twenty two percent said their mental health was much worse. Additionally, the Guardian spoke with four university students in the UK who recounted difficulties with online course attendance and access, miscommunication regarding fees and tuition, a lack of campus resources, and making decisions about the holidays and traveling over academic break or not.
A New York Times weekly feature, “Family, Interrupted” explores the way the coronavirus pandemic has upended the lives of American families. This week’s edition was written by Catherine Volcy, a 20-year-old Towson University student who has been studying remotely from her home. She wrote, “The transition took a huge hit on my mental health in the initial stages.” She expressed that while she is struggling, she feels lucky for the resources she does have, and knows some of her peers have it much worse. It has been a difficult year for black students especially, following the death of George Floyd and the spotlight that has been placed on racial injustice. “I just think it’s very hard for students - especially students of color or marginalized students - because we’re facing so many different battles,” writes Volcy. “And if your professor doesn’t really acknowledge it or have any space to talk about, it can just be very difficult and hard to focus on the content when you’re thinking about so many other things that are going on right now.”
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation recently released a report analyzing how historically Black colleges and universities have fostered inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students on their campuses. “Modeling Inclusion: HBCUs and LGBTQ+ Support,” highlights policies at Spelman College, Morehouse College, Bowie State University, Howard University and North Carolina Central University. Alphonso B. David, president of HRC said, “We do not want people to conclude that schools are now, for the very first time, creating inclusive policies and adopting inclusive practices. Many of these colleges and universities have been advancing LGBTQ+ inclusive policies for a number of years and we want to make sure we highlight that for other HBCUs.” Bowie State University focuses on providing inclusive health care and was also the first HBCU to establish an LGBTQ+ Center on campus. NCCU was the second HBCU to open a resource center which offers training sessions and panel discussions.
The Virginia Military Institute removed a statue of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson last week, which will be relocated to the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield State Historical Park. VMI, the oldest state-supported military university in the country, was thrust into the spotlight this year after a Washington Post feature alleged Black cadets and alumni endured “relentless racism” at the school. The university has been reluctant to remove the statue, as Jackson was a professor at VMI before joining the Confederacy in 1861.
In the wake of the death of George Floyd, Minnesota colleges promised to help fight systemic racism and do more to support Black students. The University of Minnesota cut some ties with the Minneapolis Police Department and announced an external review of its campus police force. Some colleges created scholarship funds for students of color and promised to focus on diversifying their teaching ranks. The Star Tribune explores that work six months later, finding that some schools have acted swiftly, hiring diverse faculty and counselors and constructing new campus spaces. Others are in the midst of lengthy systematic reviews that have frustrated some students and activists who hoped for more immediate change.
The College Board rolled out a new AP computer science class four years ago to engage more students in underrepresented groups such as female, Black, and/or Latinx students. The College Board has now published data supporting the success of the course enhancement initiative. Many students and teachers find the course more relevant, and the computer science principles course successfully met the goal of attracting more female, Black, and Latinx students into this STEM field. An AP computer science principles teacher at a high school in Springdale, MD recently connected with a former student who is now a computer science major at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She said, “If I never took computer science in high school I really don’t think I would’ve gone to college.”
WGBH‘s Kirk Carapezza reported on Zoom fatigue in higher ed featuring interviews with a Harvard Kennedy School of Government professor and student. Professor Dan Levy said that zoom lectures are exhausting: discussion is not natural, he misses being in the same physical space with students, and it’s hard to make eye contact. To build community and rapport, he leaves his camera on after lecture to speak with students and answer any questions. Sometimes, they listen to a student-curated playlist together. One advantage to Zoom class, Professor Levy argues, is that the screen can “flatten the hierarchy” because everyone looks the same in their zoom box as there is no front of the class and back of the class seating. Many students do not consider distance learning through Zoom to be on par with in-person learning. One of Professor Levy’s students, Sam Kunz, said Zoom rooms are very stressful because whoever speaks is blown up into a large picture on everyone’s screen. In addition, she said remote learning is lonely, and students say they fear academic consequences of not being able to meet and study with peers in person. Kunz said she will ask for a leave of absence if classes are remote again next fall.
A blog post for EducationNC describes a recent panel where five students discussed the African American male student perspective at North Carolina community colleges, and why community colleges can be a good choice for students in this moment. When asked about challenges during their college experience, the students talked of navigating an unfamiliar system, difficulties with coursework, chronic health issues, and perfectionism that led to academic roadblocks, One college administrator asked the panelists how college faculty can support Black males and promote a sense of belonging and inclusion. One of the students responded, “I really just think being there as a beacon or being there as a supportive platform can go a long way and really make someone feel included and make someone have a sense of agency.” Another answered, “Just keep in mind that we are not monolithic. We are all individuals. Yes, we all fall under that label but at the same time, all our stories are different as each of the panelists and I have shown. So just listen a bit more, and I would say, try to show a bit more compassion.”
The Chronicle reports on one aspect of the disproportionate effect the coronavirus has had on low income students and students of color - the number of high school graduates going straight to college. According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, this year overall, 21.7% fewer high-school graduates went straight to college compared with 2019. But the decline among graduates of high-poverty high schools was much greater - 32.6% compared with 16.4 percent for graduates of low-poverty schools. Furthermore, the decline at high schools with a high percentage of minority students was 26.4%, compared with 18% at schools with a low percentage of minority students.
President-elect Joe Biden is facing pressure from congressional Democrats to cancel student loan debt on a large scale through executive action. Democratic leaders including Chuck Schumer (D, NY), backed by the left wing of the party, are pushing for cancellation of up to $50,000 of debt per borrower on Day 1 of Biden’s presidency. More than 200 organizations including the American Federation of Teachers, the N.A.A.C.P. have joined the campaign. There are outstanding questions over whether debt cancellation is the most efficient or equitable way to fix the student debt crisis. Some economists say that debt relief overall would disproportionately benefit middle- to upper-class college graduates, especially those who attended elite and expensive institutions.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Education Department has set up a hotline where students and staff can report concerns about free-speech violations on college campuses. It is the latest effort by the Trump administration to ensure conservative views are respected at schools they say are bastions of liberal thought.