SUPPORTING FACULTY IN ADDRESSING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

Student mental health is a growing concern across colleges and universities with almost half of students reporting some type of mental health condition, predominantly depression and anxiety. While services exist on campuses to support students in crisis, faculty are often being placed in the position of being front line responders to students who are experiencing crises in and out of the classroom setting. Without the necessarily education or training, faculty are often uneasy and unsure about how to effectively respond. In response to a series of complex student situations involving mental health that required significant faculty time and engagement, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa developed a college wide strategy to assist faculty and staff respond to student mental health. Through a joint collaboration between the Dean of Student’s office, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Programs office (CLAS-UP), and the dean, a multi-part plan was developed to provide faculty with education about mental health and college resources and a structured response format for addressing student mental health. An evaluation was conducted in May and June and the response protocols were seen as highly effective and useful for faculty. The process was refined over summer 2023, with new policies to support student mental health also developed for implementation academic year 2023-2024.