Presidents and the Campus Mental Health Crisis: Challenges, Options, and Strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every institution of higher education differently. It is recognized that a return to pre-pandemic institutional life is no longer possible. Presidential leadership is being required to reposition the institution to face this new era. One of the most vexing results of the pandemic is the emergence of student, faculty and staff mental health and wellness as a priority issue. Upon examination, the campus mental health crisis encompasses most aspects of campus life. The purpose of this review is threefold: 1) to illuminate the impact of campus mental health and wellness issues 2) to outline institutional challenges and options, and 3) to propose a set of strategic actions for presidential leadership to respond to the campus mental health crisis

Reducing Heavy Drinking Among First Year Intercollegiate Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Web-Based Normative Feedback

This study evaluated the efficacy of a web-based personalized normative feedback program targeting heavy drinking in first year intercollegiate athletes. The program was offered through the Athletic Department first year seminar at a NCAA Division I university. Athletes were randomly assigned to either a web-based feedback group or a comparison condition. Results indicated high-risk athletes receiving the intervention reported significantly greater reductions in heavy drinking than those in the comparison group. Additionally, intervention effects were mediated by changes in perceptions of peer drinking. Findings support the use of web-based normative feedback for reducing heavy drinking in first year intercollegiate athletes

Family Functioning and the Development of Trust and Intimacy Among Adolescents in Residential Treatment

This study examined relations between family cohesion and adaptability (as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales-III) and the formation of trust and intimacy (assessed with the Measure of Psychosocial Development) among adolescents in residential treatment. Bivariate correlation revealed a significant association between family cohesion and adaptability and psychosocial stages of trust and intimacy. Regression analyses revealed that family cohesion predicted trust, and that trust is significantly influential in the formation of intimacy. Discussion and treatment implications are included

Presidents and Student Success: Repositioning to a Student-Centered Institution

Now reopened following the pandemic, each institution is in the process of assessing its impact and adjusting its institutional model to assure sustainability in the future. Returning totally to the ‘status quo ante’ is not a viable option as some repositioning is required. This study highlights three critical elements that inform this process from the perspective of the presidency. First, significant environmental trends and their impact are presented. Upon analysis, improved student success emerges as a critical driving force in repositioning. Second, an overview of successful institutional programs and initiatives that foster a student-centered institution are examined concluding with a construct for a repositing design. Finally, adjustment to presidential leadership strategies to facilitate an institutional repositioning plan are suggested

Presidents and Student Success: Repositioning to a Student-Centered Institution

Now reopened following the pandemic, each institution is in the process of assessing its impact and adjusting its institutional model to assure sustainability in the future. Returning totally to the ‘status quo ante’ is not a viable option as some repositioning is required. This study highlights three critical elements that inform this process from the perspective of the presidency. First, significant environmental trends and their impact are presented. Upon analysis, improved student success emerges as a critical driving force in repositioning. Second, an overview of successful institutional programs and initiatives that foster a student-centered institution are examined concluding with a construct for a repositing design. Finally, adjustment to presidential leadership strategies to facilitate an institutional repositioning plan are suggested

A study of factors that contribute to job satisfaction and role congruence for community college counselors

This study was undertaken to: 1) determine the relationship between community college counselor role congruence and job satisfaction and 2) to consider factors that contribute to or depreciate counselor role congruence and job satisfaction. The subjects consisted of four groups that were compared in terms of their perceptions of community college counseling. One group called leaders consisted of Oregon community college presidents and deans of students. Another group called co- workers was made up of Oregon community college financial aid directors, registrars and/or admissions directors, student activities directors and career placement directors. A third group called trainers consisted of counselor trainers/ educators from Oregon and the Western United States. Oregon community college counselors comprised the fourth group. Questionnaires were sent to 277 individuals and 190 responded for a 69 percent return ratio. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the counselors, 65 percent of the co-workers, 61 percent of the leaders, and 61 percent of the trainers responded. Three instruments were used in this study. The Role Questionnaire was used to measure role congruence and was administered to all subjects. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to measure job satisfaction and was administered to the counselor group. The Community College Counselor Questionnaire was developed to gather demographic and job duties information and was administered to all groups. Counselor role congruence and job satisfaction were positively correlated at +.54. A one way analysis of variance revealed that there were significant differences among groups. Trainers and co-workers perceived significantly greater counselor role incongruence than did counselors and leaders. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that experience in the counseling profession, positive perception of leadership decision making, a full-time faculty/staff development specialist on campus, a professional definition as an educator/counselor, and a peer counseling program were all associated with high counselor role congruence. Stepwise regression analysis also revealed that a light counselor teaching load, having at least a masters degree, and perception of few incompatible demands were all associated with high counselor job satisfaction

Psychosocial Correlates of Alexithymia in a Rural Adolescent Residential Population

This study used a multimethod approach to evaluate the relationship of alexithymia (as measured by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the 30-item Emotion Awareness Questionnaire), psychosocial development (assessed with the Measure of Psychosocial Development), and risk behavior (as measured by the Youth Comprehensive Risk Assessment) in 67 adolescents (85% from rural communities) in a rural residential treatment facility. Results revealed that both measures of alexithymia demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity. The EAQ-30 demonstrated stronger convergent validity over the TAS-20 with psychosocial measures of shame, inferiority, and role confusion and was more robust in differentiating risk behavior among males and females. Adolescent females scored higher on measures of alexithymia than males and demonstrated significantly more shame, diminished bodily awareness, and risk to self; whereas, males demonstrated significantly more risk to others. Overall, this study contributes to the current literature of alexithymia, provides further support for the validity of the alexithymia construct with adolescents, and sheds light on the importance of emotional awareness and expression in adolescent psychosocial development. Although exploratory, this study also increases clinical understanding of how risk behavior develops and manifests differently in male and female adolescents, specifically with regard to shame and diminished bodily awareness

An Interview with Alan J. Hovestadt: AAMFT Past President and Long-Time Marriage and Family Counselor Educator

Alan J. Hovestadt, EdD, is the immediate past president of the 24,000 member American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and a long-time IAMFC member who served as an IAMFC founding board member when ACA first granted IAMFC divisional status. Recently, Dr. Hovestadt was one of seven recipients of the prestigious American Counseling Association’s Presidential Award and was honored at the 2008 ACA Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Given Dr. Hovestadt’s prominence within both AAMFT and IAMFC and his long-time marriage and family counselor educator identity, the authors’ believed that an interview with Dr. Hovestadt would be of significant interest to The Family Journal readerships. Thus, Dr. Hovestadt graciously participated in an interview with Drs. Ken Coll, Michael Sunich, and Gerald Juhnke on November 20, 2007. In the interview below, Dr. Hovestadt responds to questions related to his (a) AAMFT Presidency experiences and accomplishments, (b) perceptions related to professionals aligning themselves either with AAMFT or IAMFC, (c) thoughts related to pressing legislative concerns that would be of specific interest to IAMFC members and The Family Journal readership, (d) perceptions related to marriage and family training changes, and (e) advice for those seeing to become counselor educators with specialization in couples, marriage, and family counseling

Global Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) Dataset

The Global PMP Datasets in Geotiff format at the 0.5-hr, 1-hr, 2-hr, 3-hr, 6-hr, 12-hr, and 24-hr durations, are statistically derived based on WMO-NOAA’s endorsed Hershfield PMP estimation technique using IMERG’s 30-min precipitation dataset

The Youth Comprehensive Risk Assessment (YCRA) as a Treatment Guidance Tool for Adolescents with Behavioral and Developmental Challenges

This chapter describes the evolution of the Youth Comprehensive Risk Assessment (YCRA) by first describing the need, then the evolution of the assessment tool, and finally studies that provide validation