Spring 2019
Committee:
Legislative Affairs Committee
WHEREAS, in a national survey conducted from 2016-2017 a total of 39 percent of college students surveyed experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a Healthy Minds Study published in an article by former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, titled Generation Stress: The Mental Health Crisis on Campus;
WHEREAS, there are an increasing number of college students seeking help for mental health concerns according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, and has led to 34 percent of college mental health counseling centers putting students on waitlists according to the Association for University and College Counseling Directors, and emphasizing that students between the ages of 18-24 comprise of 56 percent of students attending public two-year institutions, research shows that nearly three-fourths of all lifetime psychiatric disorders occur by age 24; and
WHEREAS, the connection between mental health and academic success is substantial, and students with mental health problems, such as depression, are outstanding predictors of lower GPA and higher probability of dropping out of college;
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges direct all community colleges in California to develop a mental health survey in conjunction with their school’s office of institutional research, or an equivalent department, to acquire data and statistics related to mental health on their campuses to understand the extent of mental health barriers of students that impact the academic success in California community colleges;
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocates that all community colleges assess the effectiveness of their mental health services offered to students, and that California community colleges increase mental health awareness through more mental health campaigns, in order to destigmatize negative connotations of mental health; and
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges gather all data from each individual California community college to issue a report of the compiled statistics to further evaluate the impact of mental health on California community college students’ retention rate, transfer rate, and GPA; to set a strong foundation for future resolutions requesting funding and resources be appropriated for mental health on California community college campuses.
Citation 1: Burwell, Syliva Mathews. "Generation Stress: The Mental Health Crisis on Campus." Foreign Affairs 97.6 (2018): 150-157. 26 January 2019
Citation 2: Holterman, Ally. Health News. 25 August 2016. 26 January 2019
Citation 3: College Board Research. "Trends in Community Colleges: Enrollment, Prices, Student Debt, and Completion." (2016). 28 January 2019.
Citation 4: Michael, Mason J., Nikola Zaharakis and Eric G. Benotsch. "Social Networks, Substance Use, and Mental Health in College Students." Journal of American college Health 62.7 (n.d.). 28 January 2019.
Citation 5: Eisenberg, Daniel, Ezra Golberstein and Justin Hunt. "Mental Health and Academic Success in College." B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy (2009): 1-40. 30 January 2019.
WHEREAS, there are an increasing number of college students seeking help for mental health concerns according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, and has led to 34 percent of college mental health counseling centers putting students on waitlists according to the Association for University and College Counseling Directors, and emphasizing that students between the ages of 18-24 comprise of 56 percent of students attending public two-year institutions, research shows that nearly three-fourths of all lifetime psychiatric disorders occur by age 24; and
WHEREAS, the connection between mental health and academic success is substantial, and students with mental health problems, such as depression, are outstanding predictors of lower GPA and higher probability of dropping out of college;
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges direct all community colleges in California to develop a mental health survey in conjunction with their school’s office of institutional research, or an equivalent department, to acquire data and statistics related to mental health on their campuses to understand the extent of mental health barriers of students that impact the academic success in California community colleges;
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocates that all community colleges assess the effectiveness of their mental health services offered to students, and that California community colleges increase mental health awareness through more mental health campaigns, in order to destigmatize negative connotations of mental health; and
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges gather all data from each individual California community college to issue a report of the compiled statistics to further evaluate the impact of mental health on California community college students’ retention rate, transfer rate, and GPA; to set a strong foundation for future resolutions requesting funding and resources be appropriated for mental health on California community college campuses.
Citation 1: Burwell, Syliva Mathews. "Generation Stress: The Mental Health Crisis on Campus." Foreign Affairs 97.6 (2018): 150-157. 26 January 2019
Citation 2: Holterman, Ally. Health News. 25 August 2016. 26 January 2019
Citation 3: College Board Research. "Trends in Community Colleges: Enrollment, Prices, Student Debt, and Completion." (2016). 28 January 2019.
Citation 4: Michael, Mason J., Nikola Zaharakis and Eric G. Benotsch. "Social Networks, Substance Use, and Mental Health in College Students." Journal of American college Health 62.7 (n.d.). 28 January 2019.
Citation 5: Eisenberg, Daniel, Ezra Golberstein and Justin Hunt. "Mental Health and Academic Success in College." B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy (2009): 1-40. 30 January 2019.
Status:
Not feasible: information is not available from each campus. In addition, data is already available. The 2018 National College Health Assessment released such information. While not specifically CCC, data can be used to advocate for such services. See report here.