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"[I] don’t see many job or grad school applications from University of Waikato, but I’ll sure not trust a transcript or diploma from that institution ... who knows what it might mean?” --perplexed
Neo-Nazi Gets University to Pull Master's Thesis on His Views
Hurricane Ike Caused $710-Million in Damage to University in Texas, Official Says
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U. of Missouri Says Classroom Photo of Obama Violates Ban on Political Advocacy
In another controversy over campus policies for displays of political advocacy, the University of Missouri at St. Louis excised a photo of Barack Obama from a classroom poster.
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Palin Attended 4 Colleges in 5 Years to Earn Diploma | 206
Priest Charged With Dealing Drugs out of U. of Illinois Student Center | 56
University Disciplines 4 Students for Hanging Effigy of Barack Obama | 53
Southern Cal Deletes Muslim Scripture From Web Site Following Complaint | 44
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February 15, 2008
Mental-Health Professionals Rally Behind Colleagues at Northern Illinois U.
Following the shooting at Northern Illinois University on Thursday, mental-health professionals from other colleges were quick to offer emotional and logistical support to their colleagues in DeKalb, Ill.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, and other institutions in the area volunteered to send grief counselors to Northern Illinois to help its mental-health staff provide counseling services at seven locations on the campus today. Some even arrived on the campus Thursday night to counsel students in dormitories.
Chris Flynn, director of the Thomas E. Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech, also stepped in to help, offering insight and advice based on his own experience handling the aftermath of the fatal shootings at Virginia Tech 10 months ago.
“In a situation like this, the needs can become overwhelming for a counseling center,” said Mr. Flynn. “We had over 300 volunteers on our campus in the days following the incident … It’s important that students know that counseling is readily available.”
Mr. Flynn sent Micky M. Sharma, director of Northern Illinois’s Counseling and Student Development Center, materials he had distributed to faculty members on leading discussions about the tragedy, how to recognize symptoms of traumatized students, and handling post-traumatic-stress disorder.
“We discovered after the shooting here that there were 286 classes that had a student or faculty member who died or was injured in the shooting,” said Mr. Flynn. “Even large campuses like ours and NIU are really small when it comes down to being connected to individuals who were personally affected.”
Virginia Tech’s counseling services will be available over the weekend to students, Mr. Flynn said, because his office is concerned that news of the Northern Illinois shooting will bring back traumatic memories for students in Blacksburg, Va.
In addition to messages of emotional support, counseling professionals across the country took up collections for takeout-food gift cards, according to Gregory T. Eells, president of the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors.
Mr. Eells said such efforts were helpful because counselors working around the clock often do not have much time to eat.
“Unfortunately, people have a real sense of how to respond to this type of situation because of what happened at Virginia Tech,” said Mr. Eells. “We know that helping out with basic needs like food are essential right now, when they are so busy.”
In a mass e-mail, Lesley Sacher, president of the American College Health Association, urged her members to offer “special care to assist our NIU colleagues.”
The incident “should strengthen our collective resolve to do whatever we can to foster a safe environment in which college students can learn and grow,” Ms. Sacher wrote. —Elizabeth F. Farrell
Posted on Friday February 15, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
Previous: Will Lawrence Lessig Run for Congress?
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I think it is awful what is happening in colleges, universities and schools today-violence, hatred, discrimination and numerous awful crimes. I thought students attended school to receive an education- now all you hear in the news is the numerous arrest for drugs, fighting, riots and the tragedy that is becoming more frequent; school shootings. I was a graduate student at a school in Texas that I love dearly, but I am not allowed to attend this university anymore because I have “PTSD.” The sad part is my professor sexually assaulted me and I was diagnosed with PTSD fifteen days after the traumatic incident. Therefore, to read articles that degrade people with “mental health” makes me upset because I deserve my education…my professor just tried to take it away. Not every label of “mental health” should be treated the same and it is sad that adminstrators’ aren’t educated enough to know what “mental health issues” or “PTSD” is really all about.
— texas Feb 16, 09:06 PM #