The Stress Is on Stress

Inside Higher Ed today features a survey of college students on the subject of professorial responsibility for helping students deal with stress. Excerpt:

There remains some debate as to whether and to what degree student stress and mental health concerns are within the faculty purview (which is otherwise expanding).

One professor, who did not want to be identified by name for this story, says that much depends on the institutional context: at small liberal arts colleges, for example, “where class sizes are small, or at other institutions where the culture is specifically this, professors cater to students’ needs. But this is not the culture or educational mission everywhere. Students need to step up and take responsibility as adults.”

This isn’t an isolated position. But there’s a growing consensus, especially among college mental health researchers and student success advocates, that professors have a role to play in promoting student well-being—and the Student Voice data show that close to half of students agree.

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2023/06/02/are-professors-responsible-easing-student-stress.