Making Students' Mental Health a Priority

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In the past year, as we have negotiated the surreal environment of the pandemic, the issue of students' metnal health has emerged as one of significant concern.  I would bet that virtually every faculty member, front-line administrative/support professional, and dean have worked with students whose level of stress has accelerated , often due to a combination of both educational, financial, and personal factors. 

As we continue our campus conversation about priorities for our return, I ask that you consider the importance of expansion of mental health services to assist our students as they emerge from the pandemic and try to re-claim a semblance of a normal life (although how normal is defined these days is completely up for debate).  I recommend for your reading and consideration this excellent article from EdSource about the concerns surrounding mental health, examples of what other schools are doing, and potential additional funding sources.

Thank you for continuing to keep the welfare and success of our students your first priority.