Reducing Risk: The Financial, Institutional, and Emotional Toll of Declining Student Mental Health on Campuses

The decline in mental health of college students has been a growing concern, and one that has compounded since the pandemic. Research confirms that the mental health of students has become a substantial risk to institutional enrollment and has compounding impacts for how institutions best respond.

According to data from the American College Health Association, it is likely that tens of thousands of students withdraw each year due to mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression. More than 113,000 students took a leave of absence in 2021, which included medical leaves for mental health reasons, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

Students who stop-out may face substantial financial losses and also owe schools money. These financial burdens dampen a student’s ability to return and eventually graduate.

This webinar will share trends and best practices in reducing the financial, institutional, and emotional risks of declining student mental health. 

Learning Objectives

After this webinar, you will be able to—

• Identify the mental health issues impacting students and the tools and resources campuses are finding to help combat the situation
• Facilitate campus-specific discussion on how to reduce risks surrounding the uptick in student mental health conditions
• Locate the national tools and resources available to campuses, including the JED Foundation, and emerging practices used by institutions to address the emotional health of students.

Sponsor

This NACUBO Partner Webinar is created by and offered free for members thanks to:

This webinar and associated materials are provided for general informational purposes only. The views expressed in the webinar are those of the sponsor and/or individual speakers and not NACUBO. NACUBO does not necessarily endorse any information, views, products, or services discussed in the webinar.

Talea Drummer-Ferrell

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Kent State University

Talea R. Drummer-Ferrell, Ph.D., is the associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Kent State University. Within the division of student affairs, Dr. Drummer-Ferrell's pillar is advocacy, support, and well-being. In her role, she oversees the center for sexual and relationship violence support services, the CARES center, office of student conduct, recreation and wellness services, counseling and psychological services, parents and families engagement, and the office of the dean of students. Drummer-Ferrell also is the convenor for the university's care team and oversees the university's initiatives regarding mental health and well-being. 

Prior to her current role, Drummer-Ferrell has held roles within the student multicultural center, intercollegiate athletics, upward bound, residence services, and student organizations including fraternity and sorority life. Throughout her career, her focus has been on advocacy, leadership, academics, diversity, and the empowerment of the individual student. Drummer-Ferrell teaches a short course at the University of South Carolina through the National Resource Center for First Year Experience and Students in transition entitled, "Underrepresented at a PWI: Supporting Students of Color Through Their Transition within a Predominately White Institution."

Drummer-Ferrell attended undergrad at Miami University where she became a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and earned her bachelor's degree in family studies. She earned her master's degree from the University of Louisville in college student personnel and earned her doctor of philosophy from Kent State University in higher education administration and student personnel. Drummer-Ferrell's research interest is around transitioning and how identities play a role within various experiences. 

Drummer-Ferrell resides in Kent, OH, with her husband, Colin, and their daughter, Gayle. 

John King

Vice President of Student Life, Roger Williams University

Since 2004, John King has been vice president for student life at Roger Williams University, a medium-sized comprehensive private university with Rhode Island's only law school. King also is an adjunct faculty member in the higher education leadership doctoral program at Johnson and Wales University.

Nance Roy

Chief Clinical Officer, JED Foundation

Nance Roy, Ed.D., serves as the chief clinical officer of the Jed Foundation and is an assistant clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine, department of psychiatry. She has over 20 years of experience as a psychologist working in college mental health. She served as the assistant dean of health and wellness at Sarah Lawrence College and most recently was the associate dean of health and wellness at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her publications have focused on effective strategies for promoting emotional well-being among teens and young adults as well as treatment and management of at-risk students on college campuses. She has been actively involved in strategic planning initiatives focusing on a holistic approach to education, crisis management, and a public health model for delivery of care in high schools and on college campuses. Roy is a senior advisor for the National College Depression Partnership, serves on the Mental Health Task Force for the Ruderman Foundation, and has worked on mental health initiatives with the Surgeon General, the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance, the Department of Defense, The Veteran's Administration, the Milken Institute, the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, and college and university systems across the country. Roy earned a B.S. degree from the University of Rhode Island, an M.S. from the University of North Carolina, and an Ed.D. from Harvard University.

John Fees

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, GradGuard

John Fees is the co-founder and CEO of GradGuard, a program manager of specialty insurance and student benefit programs designed for the higher education marketplace. Fees is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he received a bachelor's of science degree in history and is also a graduate of Harvard Business School where he completed a master's in business administration. Fees lives in Phoenix, Arizona, is married to Melissa Soza Fees, Ph.D., and is the father of five children. He is the treasurer for College Success Arizona, immediate past treasurer of the Foundation for Blind Children, and a director of the Spitzer Center for Ethics. He is also an active member of University Risk Management and Insurance Association and the Professional Insurance Marketers Association.

GradGuard’s mission is to helps schools educate and protect students and families from the financial risks of college life. GradGuard is the #1 provider of college renters and tuition insurance and is partnered with nearly 500 colleges and universities. Since 2009, GradGuard has protected more than 1.3 million members.

Contact Information

• Nance Roy, Chief Clinical Officer, The Jed Foundation (JED); nance@jedfoundation.org
• Derrick Shy, Vice President of Business Development, GradGuard; dshy@gradguard.com

Resources