AUCCCD member, Serena Butler-Johnson, is quoted in the Inside Higher Ed Article, Students at HBCUs Have Better Mental Health Than Other College Students

Counseling services are a key element of student retention in higher education due to elevated numbers of students reporting mental health
conditions, but creating a sustainable practice that addresses students and staff needs remains a challenge, according to survey data from the
Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD).

But the wood is tired, and the wood is old
And we’ll make it fine, if the weather holds.
But if the weather holds, we’ll have missed the point.
That’s where I need to go
-Wood Song, Indigo Girls

A lot has happened in our world since I first used these lyrics four months ago in my first message to you all. We seem way past hoping for the weather to hold, and instead are trying to figure out how to navigate the ever crashing waves and keep our boat afloat. We have many members of our campus communities experiencing greatly increased stress and fear due to the many state laws, executive orders, and other declarations that have occurred for the past few years, and especially in the past several weeks. 

We’re excited to share an update on AUCCCD’s newly finalized Strategic Plan! This roadmap will guide our organization as we strengthen professional development opportunities, enhance advocacy efforts, and expand our support for college counseling centers across the country.

The Board met for its mid-year in person meeting on February 12-13 at our next conference location, the Hyatt Regency Orange County, in Garden Grove, CA.  The Board made a decision almost two years ago that it would be beneficial to have our mid-year meeting at our upcoming conference location to allow us to preview the space and think through any logistical issues that might not be apparent if we didn’t spend physical time in the space prior to the conference. We’ve also been able to write the meeting into our conference contract, which allows us to have some cost savings as well.

The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) has released the results of its 2023-2024 Annual Survey, offering key insights into the current landscape of college counseling centers. With 381 directors responding, the survey provides the most comprehensive look at the evolving challenges, service models, and impact of counseling centers across higher education institutions.

AUCCCD Board Member, Eric Wood (TCU) is interviewed in the Spectrum News article, How are changes to college DEI programs affecting students’ mental health?

View Article

VIEW STATEMENT

Read AUCCCD Member, James Geisler's, Inside Higher Ed article, What is Higher Education Missing for Mental Health?

Read Article

Thank you to the 383 directors who completed the 2023-2024 Directors Survey.  The survey team is working to organize, clean, and analyze the data set.  Be on the lookout for emails clarifying your data in November and December.  Also, coming in December: the launch of the Salary Survey!  

Many AUCCCD members attended the Annual Conference, held this year in Phoenix, Arizona. The Annual Conference provides the unique opportunity to interact with folks who have the same mix of clinical work and administrative work that makes up the director role. The casual discussions, formal educational sessions, meals, and activities all provide information and support for members. While every director cannot attend the annual conference, there are ways to connect and benefit from the wisdom of your AUCCCD colleagues all year. 

I was given the opportunity during our recent conference to speak to attendees as I began my term of President of this amazing organization. I wanted to share this message with the entire membership so you can understand the ways in which I think about our work and my leadership role.

I want to take a moment to recognize and thank Marcus Hotaling for his leadership and his service to AUCCCD. I don’t think you can ever truly imagine what it will mean to step into a role like the presidency of this organization until you’re in it - and I know that Marcus wasn’t imagining that he would be called on to extend his term for a third year.  I don’t know what thoughts or conversations happened with himself or his family as he made his decision - but from the outside - it looked like when presented with the leadership gap - he, without hesitation, stepped in to fill it for another year, which says a lot about who he is as a person.  

How Colleges Are Preparing for Election Day and Its Aftermath

The Chronicle, by Graham Vyse | November 4,2024

The Effects of DEI Office Bans on Mental Health of College Students

With the upcoming presidential elections and ongoing world crises, college counseling centers are experiencing increased pressure from students and administrators to provide support for students. In most cases, support can mean offering students workshops on distress tolerance or emotional regulation, providing spaces for mindfulness and relaxation activities, and facilitating other broad forms of psychological wellness. Implicit in these offerings is the fact that the counseling center supports all students along the political spectrum.

READ MORE

Hello esteemed AUCCCD colleagues! The annual conference is just around the corner and the Comm Comm thought it would be helpful to share some tried and true conference hacks that our members have used to make the conference less expensive, even more useful, and just plain fun. There are some real gems here, even for directors who have been coming to the conference for years! Here is what your colleagues had to say:

1. Make wellness a priority for you as the Director and take an extra vacation day before or after the conference.
2. Attend sessions that are presented by schools similar in size to you. I found it overwhelming to attend sessions of large school as I didn't have the same resources which left me feeling less than.
3. Try to implement only 1-2 things you learn. In my experience more is unrealistic.
4. Go to the events offered by the sponsors - there is no sales pitch, it is fun, and there is free food and drinks!
5. If your state doesn’t have a state dinner, arrange one yourself. Use the conference bulletin board to identify interested parties and then send a group invite.
6. Go to breakfast even if you are not a morning person. Try to sit with different people each time. This is a great way for me to meet a lot of directors from all over and folx are very welcoming to new attendees joining their tables.
7. Download and explore the conference app when you first arrive. It is a great way to message people and meet up with them during unscheduled time.
8. Attend the business meetings, there are free giveaways and lots of important information about the conference and how to get involved with the organization.
9. Bring comfortable shoes, you will do a lot of walking and you will need them for the closing banquet dancing!
10. Take advantage of the Directors on Duty for one-time consults, they are very helpful
11. Join the New Director and First Time Attendees pre-conference workshops. It will make the conference much more meaningful and it is an excellent way to network.
12. Travel to conference cities where you have friends and old classmates. You not only have a place to stay but they might also buy you dinner!
13. Allow yourself some down time.  It is easy to feel like you have to do everything.  Look at the schedule and figure out when you can get some time to relax in a way that works for you.  
14. Consider designating one person from your office whose phone number you put at the emergency contact through your phone.  They can contact you if your center really needs you.  Otherwise, turn off notifications on your phone and try to step away as much as possible.  Plan for times to check-in at the office if you must.
15. At least some of the days, wear your school shirt or other way of indicating your institution.  People from the listserv often remember where someone is from but don't know what you look like.  It is a great way to foster connections. 
16. If you are having trouble choosing between two presentations that are at the same time, look in the app and choose the presentation that doesn't have their slide attached.  You can always look at the powerpoint for the other one.   

This month we are highlighting an international member of AUCCCD! 
Please meet Stephanie Bonner, MSW, LICSW
Director, Personal Development and Counseling Services
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) Doha, Qatar
Branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA

10 Practices to Leave Work at Work

As I sit here writing what will be my last submission for a newsletter as President, I want to start by saying what an honor it has been to work with and for all of you over the past three years.   The first year in the position was somewhat tumultuous as we were just coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the demands of the position and the field of mental health had changed.  We were all feeling tired, burnt out, and exhausted – as evidenced by the fact that 81 directors left the profession – just shy of 10% of our organization - more than half going into private practice.  With new telehealth rules, it was understandable.