Opinion: The University needs to do more to support students’ mental health
Pass/fail changes are a start, but more action is required
WILLARD WEST/THE EAGLE
By Zach Hill | April 12, 2020
After receiving the explosive emails in my student inbox informing me that the school year was being cut short, I booked a plane ticket in a frenzy, making my last day and a half in D.C. a blur. I remember staring out the window at the sun setting, painting a particularly vibrant pink and orange sunset that seemed fitting for my final night in D.C. No more gazing at the not-so aesthetically pleasing construction machinery or the half-finished science building. My entire first year at AU was now delicately packed into two gigantic suitcases.
The month of March has felt like an entire year. First promised a spring break extension, students were then told to return to campus immediately to pack up their belongings. Stressed-out students like me traveled from all around the country (for some, the world) just to leave again. “Unstable” seems to be the word that appropriately describes this time.
Our mental health has undoubtedly taken a blow. Some have family members or friends sick with COVID-19. Many suffer from mental illnesses that make the combination of a quarantine, leaving college and the ever-growing global pandemic disastrous. Everyone’s lives have been majorly disrupted by COVID-19.
This semester has not been a great one in terms of AU’s prioritization of mental health. Things started out bumpy with an email many criticized as blaming mentally ill students, further diminishing the Counseling Center’s already substandard reputation. Despite enormous pushback, neither the administration nor the Counseling Center responded to outrage from the email. The Counseling Center has since moved online and allows students to meet virtually with counselors.
No one can really blame the University or the Counseling Center for this situation. No one was prepared correctly for the crisis we find ourselves in. But one thing is clear and emerging: the University needs to be doing more to support their students and their mental health, especially given events that unfolded earlier in the year.
Allowing students to change grades to pass/fail is a critical first step that must be followed with more affirming action. The singular action of allowing for optional pass/fail grades is far from enough. Many students do not have a safe or comfortable environment to return to. Others are suffering because of time zone differences, with international students suffering the worst. While grades are one significant component, the wellness spectrum is multifaceted, and students are struggling.
Some professors have reached out to support me and my peers, extended deadlines or offered asynchronous activities to complete if unable to make it to class. Other professors have continued to plow through the workload as if there’s no difference, failing to consider the diverse needs of their students.
So what can the University do to support our mental health? First, it can remember that virtual learning can still bear a community. While most organizations and clubs have been forced to cancel events, the University must attempt to offer opportunities for students to come together and connect, even if online. Many clubs and student organizations have already organized Zoom meetings and activities, and the University should continue to support these practices.
Second, the University can identify resources for students in unsafe environments. Domestic abuse rates rose globally in the last three months and most experts point to quarantine and being stuck at home in abusive settings as a cause. The University made a decision to astronomically change student life and yet failed to reach out to students to check in with them and ensure their safety. Steps must be taken to offer resources and emotional support for those suffering from physical or emotional troubles. The precedent already exists, with organizations like the Center for Diversity and Inclusion holding webinars for students offering mental health and study tips and reaching out to protect LGBTQ+ students.
Finally, the University can communicate all these messages to professors. There is no academic emergency happening. Learning, of course, needs to continue, but the climate we find ourselves in is far from the norm. Professors should make every effort to accommodate the situation and relax our workload. It may be frustrating, but the mental wellness of the student body should take priority.
Other than social distancing, not much can be done at this point to control the pandemic. What the University can do, however, is offer support for its students. There have been few comparable times that called for AU to ramp up their resources and protect their students now. In following months, the actions taken by our university and others around the world will define their legacies. Now is the time to see what universities will stand with their students, and which will fail them.
Zach Hill is a freshman in the School of Communication and a columnist for The Eagle. To submit a comment or op-ed, click this link or email opinion@theeagleonline.com.