Dear Colleagues,
At the beginning of the school year it is not uncommon for students to experience greater levels of depression or anxiety. This year is no exception. Continuing concerns about fires and smoke in the region, financial concerns, and well-being in an age of uncertainty all may contribute to students’ distress as they return to campus or join our community for the first time.
We want our students to be successful, and we have excellent support services in place for those times when life circumstances may interfere. Nevertheless, there are still many students who are either unaware of these services or who might erroneously assume that their problems are not significant enough to warrant a request for help. We want to make sure that every student who might benefit from intervention has the opportunity to receive it. We feel as a Cougar family it is all of our responsibility to keep an eye out for troubling behaviors or signs that a student may be struggling with depression, anxiety, or even thoughts of suicide. We particularly want to highlight Cougar Health Services’ guide for helping students in distress.
Involvement and collaborative support from colleagues across the institution is our best approach. Below is a reminder of the valuable resources we offer for students on the Pullman campus:
- Access Center: Provides accommodations and services to incoming and current WSU students with disabilities, psychological or medical conditions, or temporary injuries that limit their access to the WSU campus.
- Access & Opportunity: Provides outreach and comprehensive support services programs to assist first-generation, low-income, or otherwise underrepresented students in higher education, including students with disabilities and undocumented students.
- AWARE Network: Allows you to share concerns about a student’s emotional or psychological well-being, physical health, or academic performance.
- Cougar Health Services: Provides comprehensive services and programs to support students.
- Counseling and Psychological Services: Provides confidential counseling and testing services for students and a 24-hour crisis hotline.
- Dean of Students: Provides assistance and referrals for any student concern or crisis. If you are unsure what services or support students may need, this office can help point you in the right direction.
- Student Conduct: Upholds the WSU Standards of Conduct for Students in a fair and equitable manner, providing students with educational opportunities when they have made mistakes.
Other student support services include the Office of Multicultural Student Services, Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center (GIESORC), and Women’s Resource Center. The Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) provides information and resources regarding discrimination and protected speech, and the Office of the Ombudsman provides a neutral channel for students, faculty, and staff to voice university-related concerns.
Together we can help our students get the support they need when they need it and contribute to an environment in which students can be academically and personally successful.
Thank you for being a Coug who cares!
Sincerely,
Erica Austin
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Lucila Loera
Executive Director, Office for Access and Opportunity
Ellen Taylor
Associate Vice President for Student Engagement
Mary Wack
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs |
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