student housing and mental health

Introduction: 

Introduction Over the past 15 years, educators from around the country have been submitting research on graduate education. Topics have covered a variety of areas from the general, (Association of American Universities 1998, Graduate Education Report), to the specific, (Committee on Science and Engineering 1995); (Committee, G.S.R. 2001), (Issac, A. 1998). Some researchers have reported on the need to or the revamping of Ph.D. programs, (Curran 2001), and still others have proposed that in today’s fast paced world, the ability to survive has often resulted in behaviors which have rendered some complacent and lazy, for any number of reasons. In talking to friends and colleagues it feels like the sense of commitment to ourselves and the value that comes from working for something is an all but lost art form of life with segments of this younger generation. If we can’t get it, have it, or do it right now, it has no value. We find lives that are chaotic at best, and the promise of a better life is but a perception of a standard of someone other than ourselves. Our society has become very impatient and immediate gratification has become the norm for our measure of satisfaction.

Slide2: 

All across the nation, there is a growing crisis impacting a generation of young adults, a bi-product of which has seen an increase in mental health related issues on college and university campuses. Incidents like Columbine, …… are clear indications that something is distorted with the way we perceive our realities and the strategies that we employ to manage them. This crisis has never been more evident and visible than in our educational institutions. At campuses across the country large numbers of students are so preoccupied with academic achievement that they are often void of any desire or need to have balance in their lives. An increasing number of those who manage to come without issues, sometimes find they are not adequately prepared to support themselves by embracing a broader based educational experience. Issues related to finances, cultural and language parameters, social and political values, just to name a few, are very much an active part of the collegiate experience, particularly in a residential community. At a time when spaces in graduate programs have become extremely competitive, management of these “non-academic” variables is a critical component in the provision of a comprehensive educational experience. One that is essential to the success we all hope students are able to experience as they navigate through an ever increasing, and diverse society.

What do we do about it?: 

What do we do about it? The campus of UC Irvine is a prime example of an environment that is attempting to not only identify he issues, but more importantly, utilize what it has to provide solutions. In an environment that is competitive in its goal to be a campus of choice, the Long Range Development Plan calls for growth to reach 30,000 students by the year 2010 and potentially 32,000 by 2015. As a strategy for achieving this ambitious plan, the campus is utilizing its housing resource as an incentive for attracting what it terms the best and the brightest. Realizing that housing is a viable component of the incentive package, the plan calls for housing 50% of the student population. It will attempt to do this by offering guaranteed housing for two years to all incoming freshman, and similarly a guaranteed offer of housing to all first year Ph.D. and M.F.A. students. Ph.D. students will be allowed to stay for one year less than the published normative time to degree and MFA students are allowed to stay for two or three years depending on the program. Providing a place to sleep is not enough. We must take the extra step to provide a comprehensive educational experience to our students. We must equip them with knowledge and information that assists them in their matriculation, and ideally is transferable to life skills upon their graduation.

Student Housing and Mental Health; A Collaborative Approach : 

Student Housing and Mental Health; A Collaborative Approach Tier 3: Comprehensive approaches to creating healthier learning communities. Presented by: Gerald Parham, James A. Parker, and Dr. Thomas A. Parham © 2007

ASSUMPTIONS : 

ASSUMPTIONS On campuses experiencing growth, there will be an increase in the number of students seeking mental health services. There is a need for additional resources to assist with the management of population growth on college campuses There is a need for increased awareness of mental health resources on the Irvine campus. Providing collaborative programming in campus residential communities can help serve as a preventive measure with some mental health related issues.

Summary of Findings UCI Mental Health Report: 

Summary of Findings UCI Mental Health Report In the Spring of 2006, the Mental Health Task Force at UC Irvine conducted a survey to collect data on the mental health needs and knowledge of mental health resources available on campus. This survey is similar to the one done at UC Berkeley, and some of the findings closely matched what UC Berkeley found in relation to graduate students and mental health. Some of the important findings include the following: Over three thousand, (3073), community members responded to the survey. Five hundred three, (16%) were graduate students 30 % of graduate students have used a campus or non-university resource for themselves or to refer someone else. However, 41% of graduate students reported that they were “not at all aware” of campus or non-university resources. 31% of graduate students see barriers to accessing campus based mental health resources for students. The barriers most commonly cited included; confidentiality, cost, limited number of visits, wait time for appointments, lack of knowledge about services, and social barriers such as the stigma of admitting a problem and seeking help as well as cultural taboos.

Summary of Findings, UCI Mental Health Report: 

Summary of Findings, UCI Mental Health Report Stress is perceived as the most common mental health issue on campus followed by relationship issues, anxiety, depression and lonliness. Awareness of campus mental health resources is divided into three roughly equal camps with one-third being not aware of resources, one-third being generally aware and the remainder knowing of at least one specific mental health resource. Graduate students were more likely to know nothing about campus mental health resources than others in the sample.

Perceived Incidence of Mental Health Issues on the UCI Campus : 

Perceived Incidence of Mental Health Issues on the UCI Campus

Summary of Findings UCI Mental Health Report: 

Summary of Findings UCI Mental Health Report Self-Reported Experiences with Mental Health Issues 90% of graduate students report ‘Occasional’ or ‘Frequent’ experience with stress, with 50% indicating ‘Frequent ’74% of graduate students report ‘Occasional’ or ‘Frequent’ experience with anxiety, with 28% indicating ‘Frequent’ 64% of graduate students report ‘Occasional’ or ‘Frequent’ experience with loneliness, with 16% indicating ‘Frequent’ 67% of graduate students report ‘Occasional’ or ‘Frequent’ experience with depression, with 18% indicating ‘Frequent’ 17% of graduate students report experiencing ‘Occasional’ or ‘Frequent’ suicidal thoughts/behaviors. 20% of graduate students report ‘Occasional’ or ‘Frequent’ experience with alcohol and drug abuse. 20% of graduate students report ‘Occasional’ or ‘Frequent’ experience with eating disorders.

Slide10: 

2005-2006 18% of CC clients were Graduate Students Graduate/Medical Students 57% were Female 51% were Caucasian vs. 30% of all CC clients 20% were Asian American Academic Majors 23% Humanities 14% Medicine 11% Biological Sciences 11% Social Sciences 10% Engineering 9% Physical Sciences Residence 37% Palo Verde 28% Off Campus 22% Verano Place 6% Vista del Campo 3% Declined to state 2% With Parents 2% Other Referral Source 45% Self 18% Declined to state 16% Friend 6% Faculty/Staff 6% Other (i.e. website, flyers) Mid-Year 2006-2007 21% of CC clients were Graduate Students Graduate/Medical Students 59% were Female 50% were Caucasian vs. 28% of all CC clients 20% were Asian American Academic Majors 16% Humanities 23% Medicine 8% Biological Sciences 24% Social Sciences 14% Physical Sciences Residence 38% Palo Verde 24% Off Campus 24% Verano Place 7% Vista del Campo 5% Declined to state 2% With Parents 0% Other Referral Source 42% Self 13% Declined to state 17% Friend 7% Faculty/Staff 10% Other (i.e. website, flyers) Graduate Student Demographics Report

Graduate Student Demographics Report cont’d: 

Graduate Student Demographics Report cont’d Top 10 Presenting Concerns 2005-2006 70% Stress Level / Mood changes or intense emotions 56% Relationship Difficulties 53% Academic Performance 37% Career/Graduate School/Major/Job related difficulties 30% Social/Communication Skills 22% Adjustment to UCI/Plan to remain a student 17% Panic Attacks 16% Questions/concerns about body image or eating habits 16% Financial or Legal concerns 15% Self-destructive thoughts or behaviors/ Self-inflicted bodily harm or thoughts of harming Top 10 Presenting Concerns mid-year 2006-2007 69% Stress Level / Mood changes or intense emotions 55% Relationship Difficulties 46% Academic Performance 35% Career/Graduate School/Major/Job related difficulties 30% Social/Communication Skills 21% Panic Attacks 17% Adjustment to UCI/Plan to remain a student 15% Questions/concerns about body image or eating habits 15% Grief, death or dealing with trauma 13% Self-destructive thoughts or behaviors/ Self-inflicted bodily harm or thoughts of harming

UCI Strategic Plan…I. Vision: Growth with Excellence: 

UCI Strategic Plan… I. Vision: Growth with Excellence …..UCI will attract the best graduate students in the U.S. and the world through programs that offer the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research under the direction of renowned faculty. The university will provide students with state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and access to material and resources necessary for their work, and it will present opportunities for extensive interdisciplinary research outside their own departments. For those students who live and study on campus, housing and work spaces will create a quality of life unequaled even at other top-ranked universities.

UCI Strategic Plan III. Graduate Education: 

UCI Strategic Plan III. Graduate Education Graduate students and programs are essential to a research university, and UCI’s graduate programs are improving and growing. The total graduate and professional student enrollment of 4,925, including general campus graduate students and health sciences students, is 19.8 percent of UCI’s total enrollment, the highest percentage since the early days of the campus. Excluding health sciences (medical students and residents), 16 percent of students are graduate-level, the highest ratio of graduate students at UCI since the early 1980s. The quality of many graduate programs at UCI is very high and is an important part of our national reputation. We have maintained that quality in the best programs and improved many others while increasing enrollments by substantially increasing the funds devoted to graduate student support: $63 million in 2003-04 compared to $30 million in 1998-99, counting fellowships, need-based aid, compensation for teaching assistants and research assistants, and graduate health insurance. Fellowship and need-based aid alone increased from $9.2 million to $18.6 million annually between 1998-99 and 2003-04. Support per student at UCI is relatively high compared to other UC campuses, yet it is still less than what will be required if we are to remain competitive with other top universities in the U.S. Selectivity of admissions and yields from offers of admission have increased in many programs, but we also must improve the time-to-degree in individual doctoral programs and the placement of their graduates, as well as the total production of doctoral degrees per faculty member. More generally, we must continue to expand graduate enrollments relative to undergraduate students if we are to continue building our academic programs and to keep pace with the best research universities.

UCI Strategic PlanIV. Principal Objectives : 

UCI Strategic Plan IV. Principal Objectives The strategic plan is based on 10 principal objectives that inform all of the specific goals and strategies described in the plan. Continue our pursuit of the essential research and educational mission of UCI as a public research university by maintaining and strengthening core academic disciplines. Continue our state-supported growth to reach 32,000 students by 2015, with 25 percent of that enrollment at the graduate level in our academic and professional programs. New professional schools and programs will be developed to help support that growth in graduate enrollment. Reinforce existing centers of excellence across the campus and elevate more of our academic and professional programs to the top of their fields through the differential allocation of resources. Included in those resources are more than 300 new faculty positions associated with enrollment growth over the next decade. Develop innovative programs in emerging disciplines, support interdisciplinary collaboration and establish new research centers by reserving some of the growth resources for these initiatives. Make UCI the best choice for the best graduates of California’s high schools by strengthening our undergraduate programs, increasing the number of majors across the campus, and expanding undergraduate research opportunities in all fields. Enhance the quality of our educational programs and enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the campus by increasing the diversity of our faculty and students. Support recruitment and retention of the best faculty, staff and students by expanding housing for all segments of the UCI community, including accommodations for 50 percent of our graduate and undergraduate students on campus by 2010. Increase the transfer of innovation from the campus to the community by expanding collaboration between the university and the extraordinary regional strengths in business and industry. Expand our contributions to the region, state and nation by improving health care for our community, developing more effective social and public policies, supporting the arts and enriching the cultural vitality of the area, and preparing more teachers for service in our public schools, particularly in the fields of science and mathematics. Support those aspects of the strategic plan not funded by the state by launching a major fundraising campaign. These objectives will guide centralized planning for the university as a whole over the next decade, and they will help coordinate the more localized planning conducted within academic units and administrative offices across the campus.

STRATEGIC PLANNINGVISION, MISSION & VALUES: 

STRATEGIC PLANNING VISION, MISSION & VALUES UCI Student Affairs Mission Statement UCI Student Affairs supports the University’s academic mission from outreach to alumni participation. We offer comprehensive programs and services to advance co-curricular learning, foster student leadership, enhance the quality of student life, and promote the general welfare of the campus community. Student Housing Vision Statement Student Housing will serve as a gateway to success for undergraduate and graduate students as they enter UCI and advance through their educational careers. Student Housing Mission Statement Student Housing provides a variety of learning-centered residential communities that are safe and secure, well-maintained, and affordable. We promote academic success and individual and community development through a wide array of educational opportunities and support services. By providing staff with the necessary resources, and building partnerships with campus and community constituents, we create and sustain rich residential environments for a diverse student population.

UCI Housing Strategic PlanningGoals and Strategic Initiatives : 

UCI Housing Strategic Planning Goals and Strategic Initiatives Student Housing fulfills its Mission and Vision through the following goals and initiatives. Goal 1: Increase capacity, maintain affordability and optimize accessibility to housing in the interest of recruitment, retention, and academic success. Goal 2: Support UCI's strategy for academic development by creating outstanding residential experiences through housing programs and services that promote the highest levels of student life, student development, and academic success. Goal 3: Ensure safety, longevity and appeal of housing facilities, grounds, and programs that are designed to meet the needs of resident students.

HOUSING EXPANSION/GRADUATE GUARANTEE: 

HOUSING EXPANSION/GRADUATE GUARANTEE In the fall of 2006, UCI implemented a long-standing goal of guaranteeing on campus-housing for all new first year PhD and MFA students. In order to achieve this goal, beginning in 2004, an expansion of 1400 new graduate student bed spaces was added to the on-campus housing inventory. Approximately 80% of the incoming students will choose to live on campus, thus making the student housing communities the connecting point between the University and the new graduate student cohort. Student Housing has created the Graduate First Year Initiative,(GFYI), to more intentionally “front load” University resources to this targeted population.

Slide18: 

THE GRADUATE STUDENT FIRST YEAR INITIATIVE OVERVIEW UC-IRVINE’S “GATEWAY TO SUCCESS” A RESIDENTIAL FIRST YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT INITIATIVE National reform initiatives in Graduate Education have begun to transform the traditional curricular and co-curricular components of the graduate student experience. This reform movement closely parallels similar recommendations that were made over 20 years ago to improve undergraduate education. Over the last two decades, significant strides have been made to enhance student learning, student development and retention in undergraduate education across the United States. In an effort to improve and support the needs of graduate students, national efforts have begun to create new visions for what graduate education should provide (Golden & Walker, (2006) Envisioning the Future of Doctoral Education; The University of Washington, Re-envisioning the PhD Project; The Woodrow Wilson Foundation, (2005) The Responsive Ph.D.). These efforts are resulting in a greater focus on retention, expanded career development, inter-disciplinary and student development for graduate students.

Slide19: 

The Department of Student Housing at the University of California Irvine has embarked on a progressive effort to enhance and support the academic and co-curricular experiences of our graduate students. UCI has established a strategic goal to become a national model for curricular and co-curricular graduate education by providing an “on-campus experience for graduate students [that] will be among the best in the nation, with exceptional opportunities for research, housing, and co-curricular activities.” In support of this goal, The Department of Student Housing is developing a unique outcomes- based residential program that supports both the transitions of new graduate students to the campus and their academic success. With the majority of new graduate students living on campus, The Graduate Student First Year Initiative (GFYI) is designed specifically to address the transitional and developmental needs of our graduate students through the provision of coordinated resources and services within their residential communities. Ultimately, this Initiative will support the recruitment and retention of new graduate students and lead to more successful academic careers.

The Graduate Student First Year Initiative Program: 

The Graduate Student First Year Initiative Program was designed to fulfill identified needs drawn from a series of assessment activities including surveys, focus groups and University and National research findings. From these assessments, a Graduate Student Learning Outcomes document was developed in order … to provide a structured framework to the programs and services that would be provided, and the assessment activities that will be implemented to enhance the program into the future. In addition, the demographics of the graduate student population have created opportunities for incorporating specialized programs and services to address the needs of specific target populations. These populations include students with partners (41%), families with children (16%), and International students (32%).

The GFYI has three main areas of focus:: 

The GFYI has three main areas of focus:

THE GRADUATE STUDENT FIRST YEAR INITIATIVE FALL 2006 PROGRAMS BY LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

THE GRADUATE STUDENT FIRST YEAR INITIATIVE FALL 2006 PROGRAMS BY LEARNING OUTCOMES Campus Resources Awareness 2006 GFYI Programs: Welcome Picnic, Campus Walking Tour 2006 Verano Place Programs: Spouse Welcome & Resource Fair 2006 Palo Verde Programs: Newsletter, Postings throughout the community Community Resources Awareness 2006 GFYI PROGRAMS: Welcome Picnic 2006 Verano Place Programs: Spouse Welcome & Resource Fair 2006 VDC & VDC Norte Programs: Angel Tree Program with Salvation Army, Wine Tasting, 2006 Palo Verde Programs: Newsletter, Postings throughout the community Academic Development & Support Services 2006 GFYI PROGRAMS: PhD Comic Guy, Imposter Syndrome (support) 2006 Verano Place Programs: Finals Week Extended Café Hours with Free Cider and Cookies 2006 Palo Verde Programs: Newsletter, Postings throughout the community Personal Development Resources 2006 GFYI PROGRAMS: Financial Program, Yoga, 2006 VDC & VDC Norte Programs: Yoga Program, Resident Appreciation Week 2006 Palo Verde: PV Organic Garden Social Networking Opportunities 2006 GFYI PROGRAMS: Queer Graduate Caucus (support) 2006 Verano Place Programs: Kids Day Out, Verano Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast, Annual Verano Thanksgiving Potluck, and Weekly Playgroup for Young Children and their parents. 2006 Verano Place Resident Council: Community Welcome BBQ, Halloween Party for Adults 2006 VDC & VDC Norte Programs: Monday Night Football, Wine Tasting, Haunted House, Coffee Appreciation Week, Vegetarian Cooking, Café Soiree, The Happiest Place on Earth, Ultimate Frisbee & BBQ, Pizza Night, and Holiday Grading Party. 2006 Palo Verde: Trick or Treat 2006, Halloween Gathering, Kids Day Out, HA World Cup. PV Organic Garden 2006 Palo Verde Resident Council: PV Welcome Party

Collaborative Partners: 

Collaborative Partners Academic Departments Counseling Center (i.e. international coffee house) Center for Gender Education Cross Cultural Center Career Center OEOD Disability Services The ARC LGBT UPD International Center Verano Place

PROGRAMS IN THE WORKS FOR THE FUTURE: 

PROGRAMS IN THE WORKS FOR THE FUTURE Monthly Jazz on the Green in Palo Verde Guided Tour of Little Saigon Cross- Cultural Communication Workshop Research Presentation Coffee House Elevator Speak: Explaining Your Research in a Minute “Connecting Your Research to the Community” Panel Balancing It All: Faculty Panel on How to Manage the Ph.D. Experience Vox Sapientis: Voice of the Wise - Emeritus Faculty Mentor Program Teaching in the American Classroom- TA Panel International Food Festival Individual School Socials Alumni Panel

Slide27: 

FUTURE PLANS The GFYI will expand its service and program offerings in the future to support students’ developmental and career goals. Collaboration with a variety of academic and academic support agencies will be essential to successfully fulfill the articulated outcomes and goals of the campus. In addition, a comprehensive assessment model is being developed. Other possible options include The development of a residential living-learning program for graduate students modeled after the Preparing Future Faculty Initiative (Council of Graduate Schools). The creation of “Professional Interest Groups” to enhance the graduate career preparation along with co-curricular clubs and organizations. The development and creation of a campus-wide graduate student resource center. As UCI continues to prioritize the importance of ensuring the successful transition of our graduate students from their undergraduate experiences, we are striving to create a campus environment that provides the resources and tools that will allow them to lead successful careers at our institution and beyond

Assessment /Evaluation Tools: 

Assessment /Evaluation Tools Graduate and Family Housing Annual Assessment Program evaluations Campus Mental Health Assessment

Summary: 

Summary The information here is a small snapshot of things to come. As the Board of Regents, the Office of the President, Chancellors and other campus administrators deliberate on our State’s educational goals, it is readily apparent that additional resources are necessary in order to provide the support services needed for our clients, customers, indeed our children to be prepared as they grow and mature. While the educational arena is not for everyone, those that choose to pursue it as a course of action must have the support services necessary to take advantage of the educational resources that will allow them to successfully participate in the larger society upon completion of their education. Counseling centers, student mental health clinics, and medical school psychiatric departments cannot provide, by themselves, the requisite skills or services that will be required to manage the mental health of a college campus. It is, or should be part of every campus plan to initiate partnerships with other campus and community resources in an effort to provide what should be a comprehensive educational experience. One that adequately prepares successive generations to make and affect change in productive and positive ways.

References: 

References Association of American Universities. (1998). Graduate Education Report: Final Draft. Washington, DC: Author. Boyle, P.& Boice,B.(1998). Best Practices for Enculturation: Collegiality, Mentoring and Structure. In M.S. Anderson (Ed.), The Experience of Being in Graduate School: An Exploration (Vol26,pp. 87-94) Breneman, David W. (1977). “Efficiency in Graduate Education: An Attempted Reform. A Report to the Ford Foundation.” Brookings Institution. Brenner, M. L. (1999, April 6-9). The Role of Structure in Promoting New Directions in Graduate Education. Paper presented at the The Broadening Scope of Graduate Education (1999 Proceedings of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools), St. Louis, MO. Campus Assessment on Mental Health Resources, (2006). Cohen, W. (2000). The Economics of Doctoral Education in Literature. Publication of the Modern Language Association of America, 115(5), 1164-1187. Coleman, M. S. (1999, April 6-9). Defining Graduate Education for the 21st Century. Paper presented at the The Broadening Scope of Graduate Education: 1999 Proceedings of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools, St. Louis, MO.

References: 

References Committee, G. S. R. (2001). Review of Graduate Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences. London: The British Academy. Committee on Science Engineering and Public Policy. (1995). Reshaping the graduate education of scientists and engineers. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Curran, C. (2001). Graduate Programs Look to Revamp PhD. Retrieved August 20, 2001, from the University of Cincinnati website: http://www.uc.edu/news/phdedu.htm Golde, Chris M., George Walker, and associates. (2006). Envisioning the Future of Doctoral Education: Preparing Stewards of the Discipline. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Graduate Voice, (Fall 1998); The first years of graduate school: Meeting the challenges. Office of research and Graduate Studies, Irvine, CA. Isaac, A. (1998). African American student's guide to surviving graduate school. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ** Additional references can be found in the Graduate Student First Year Initiative Resource Guide. The guide can be found at www.housing.uci.edu/gfyi/resoueces.asp

References: 

References Parker, James, (2006); Graduate First Year Initiative; An Overview and Resource Guide. Student Affairs, Student Housing. Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. (2001). The Responsive Ph.D.: An Initiative to Improve the Doctoral Experience in the Arts and Sciences. Retrieved February 13, 2001, from: http://www.woodrow.org/responsivephd/ UCI Mental Health Survey, (2006); Summary of Findings, UCI Mental Health Initiative Assessment Sub-Committee UCI Strategic Plan 2005-2015; (2006) University of California Irvine UCI- Student Housing 2005 Strategic Plan, (2005).Student Affairs, Student Housing.