How do students access support from professors and staff?

Tons of research has been done that shows the benefits of mentors in college. Letters of recommendations, introductions to potential employers as well as less formal benefits such as advice and encouragement are all examples of the potential in a mentor/mentee relationship. Emotional support is also a benefit of relationships with college staff, especially for first-generation college students and those who have or are experiencing stress that is impacting their schoolwork. These relationships are built over time when stable, trusting, sincere staff invest in students. And many college professors and faculty want to create these relationships. That's the good news.

Unfortunately, many college students who have experienced a loss have not gained the skills to access this kind of support. Professors may encourage students to come to office hours or to reach out if they have a question on an assignment, but many students are understandably fearful of doing that despite the sincere offers from teachers and other staff. Many students, particularly those from communities that have been disenfranchised, have been taught not to trust authority figures. They have been taught the value of trusting themselves and not relying on others for help. And while this may have been helpful in certain circumstances, it can really limit their ability to reach out when needed, either academically or emotionally, in college. If they do realize they need support, they may not know how to explain their situation, or know how much information is appropriate to share. This may scare them enough to not share anything at all.

Another issue is the competitive nature of college. Students have been socialized to beat out their competition by showing strength in grades and being independent and capable of taking on more and more responsibilities. This culture does not encourage students to be vulnerable and ask for help. Doing these things may, in fact, send the message to teachers that they are not capable or working hard enough to understand material. Explaining mental health concerns or stressors in their personal lives may be looked upon as weak or a sign that the student is less capable.

Well, isn't that why there are counseling centers on campus? Yes, of course! But research has shown that students don't initially go to the person whose job responsibility fits their situation. They tend to go to a person, not a role. And that person is generally someone who they have connected with and trust. It's unlikely going to be an advisor or counselor with whom they have not yet met with, especially if the issue is more emotional in nature. It makes sense that the first contact a student will make is with a teacher. Often unpaid for this extra time, teachers don't have a lot of incentive to provide additional support for students when they are already overworked and underpaid, even when they want to. So if we want students to access staff, we need to reward the staff for giving up their valuable time and emotional resources.

Faculty also may feel unprepared to support students' emotional needs. They may feel comfortable providing extra help in accounting or biology, but grief and loss? When did this become their job as well? Higher education needs to train staff to provide initial baseline support for students who may only feel comfortable coming to them. That doesn't mean that they need to provide long-term, intensive counsel. But if we are going to encourage students to reach out to us, we need to know what to do when they come to us. And then when they come to us, as a respected person in their lives, perhaps our referral to an appropriate mental health professional will be better received.

I don't have all of the answers. And I know the only answer cannot be to throw more money at a problem and just reimburse staff for their time to provide support. I can only hope that this letter inspires people in positions of authority to think about how they make it easier or harder for students to come to them when they experience stress, grief and emotional pain. And I hope it inspires institutions of higher education to be creative in their attempts to promote access to the formal, and less formal, supports available to their students.