FEBRUARY 2023
GONZAGA FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSLETTER
VOL. 24 | #5
› Finding a New Fit Here
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› Cardinal and Climate
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› Title IX Impact at GU
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MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH AT FOREFRONT
In his remarks at the Spring 2023 Faculty Conference, President Thayne McCulloh observed that this summer will mark 30 years since he and Vice Provost Julie McCulloh drove to Spokane and began work at Gonzaga. He observed that a cultural touchstone of the Gonzaga community involves shared examples of remarkable continuity, noting the presence of many colleagues who have dedicated their careers to the university. In combination with newer colleagues, he is inspired and comforted by the durability of Gonzaga’s core mission, notwithstanding the many changes that have occurred over the ensuing time. Following a note on the mounting challenges involving cybersecurity, McCulloh quickly shifted gears into what has been a distinctly new experience for many: A student population prioritizing the importance of mental health and well-being like no generation before. McCulloh remarked on several discussions he has had recently about the state of student mental health, recalling conversations from new student orientation this past fall where he felt that for many students, their “central organizing emotion” is fear. “When I went to college, I had a certain level of anxiety, but I was also super excited,” McCulloh said, adding that he believes that’s also the case for many current students. “But to a greater degree than I can ever recall, I was getting students just tell me directly, ‘I am scared. I’m really scared.’” Among the stressors modern college students are dealing with – many exacerbated by the pandemic – are financial strains, pressure to succeed, social media’s omnipresence as a place to compare oneself to others, and especially underdeveloped “basic skills” like relationship building, interpersonal communication and time management. “These issues are having an effect on the ways in which our students actually are made – or not made – capable of absorbing the educational experience that we’re trying to provide,” McCulloh said. “That tees up some interesting challenges for those in the higher education space and understanding the consequences of not successfully helping these students.”
President McCulloh encouraged faculty to understand the ramifications of the pandemic on their students today, and to encourage them while still challenging them. But today’s pressures don’t just impact students: they are also deeply felt by those dedicated to caring for them. “On-campus entities like Disability Access, Student Academic Success and Cura Personalis actively work with students’ challenges every day, as do their colleagues in the Athletic Department, Student Affairs and Health & Counseling Services,” said McCulloh. He also noted that disability support services now supports “over 800 students per semester,” a roughly 40-percent increase over two years ago, “and a lot of the challenges that students are managing are less visible than they once might have been.”
“What we’re doing every day is an investment in the future of our nation, our region, our world, our communities. It matters.” - President McCulloh Faculty, McCulloh said, are instrumental in caring for students, helping them identify issues and seek support. That’s always been part of the faculty role, of course, but it is “a much more demanding challenge today because of the complexities [students] are bringing to us.” Underscoring the importance of the collaboration between student affairs and academic affairs, McCulloh suggested that Jesuit higher education offers a model
for helping students through mentoring. Mentoring, McCulloh said, both encourages and challenges students. “I think it’s totally OK to be OK with setting limits and expectations,” McCulloh said. “Being able to tell students that it’s OK to turn off that phone, to turn off that iPad, to turn off that computer, to disengage at that space for a limited time and really engage – live, together, in person.” While acknowledging both the challenges and excitement that came with fall semester and its return to almost-normal after years of COVIDrelated restrictions, Provost Sacha Kopp noted that the semester was hard in many ways, and that students weren’t coming back to the “old normal,” but rather a “new normal.” He added that taking care of students is a responsibility and a challenge that can take a toll on the caregivers, as well. “Some folks in other professions talk about the phenomenon of ‘compassion fatigue,’” Kopp said. “We must all brace for this. And when we talk about cura personalis, it’s not just for the students, but also thinking about it for ourselves.” Some upcoming priorities announced by President McCulloh at the Spring Faculty Conference: • Searches for a vice president of Mission Integration and associate general counsel. Current associate counsel Frank Hruban will succeed retiring Maureen McGuire as the school’s lead counsel. Mental Health | Continued on Page 2 Page 1