16 September 2014
Dear Vice Chancellor for Students:
I'm writing to follow up on my emails of last week about the aftermath of a student's tragic death on campus. I'm hoping that you've met with the head of the counseling center to brainstorm a way to make more information available to faculty and to students. What you term the "wonderful resource" of the counseling center is not wonderful unless students know it's there. Here are some suggestions I've come up with:
--I've been told that professors of the student were informed of his death the next morning and told
to let students know about counseling. But many of us who were not
his professor had students who were, and probably remain, traumatized by
the event of last Tuesday. We are informed about stolen bikes and
sexual assaults, so why are we not informed of sudden deaths on campus?I'm writing to follow up on my emails of last week about the aftermath of a student's tragic death on campus. I'm hoping that you've met with the head of the counseling center to brainstorm a way to make more information available to faculty and to students. What you term the "wonderful resource" of the counseling center is not wonderful unless students know it's there. Here are some suggestions I've come up with:
--One
of my students said that those most deeply affected were told by the
counseling center that they would have to wait for an appointment. She
added that her parents had called the center to ask for more immediate
help. In the event of such a tragedy, allow for walk-ins. And do more
than put a notice in _Ka Leo_ two days later, on-line, to say that
counseling is available. (I was glad at least to see it there, but my
students say they don't read the student newspaper.)
--When a tragic death happens in the dorms, send counselors to the dorms rather than waiting for students to find the counseling center on campus.