Appleby Hall
128 Pleasant St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
"We are on track to end the 2020-21 year with higher utilization of individual and group counseling services than 2019-20, and similar utilization to the year prior to the pandemic (2018-19)," according to Vesna Hampel-Kozar, director of Student Counseling Services.
What did Student Counseling Services (SCS) see happen to students during the pandemic?
SCS saw students face new and/or exacerbated stressors due to the pandemic. Students faced challenges that included lack of motivation, focus, anxiety, isolation, grief, employment concerns, financial challenges, food and housing insecurity, and more.
How did SCS respond to the impacts of the pandemic on student mental health?
SCS made its services more accessible by moving everything online and uploaded recordings of workshops and webinars to the website. To provide more student support, SCS increased access to supportive educational resources, such as affinity groups Let's Talk drop-in consultation, Academic Stress Workshop for Graduate Students, Chronic Condition + Pain Support, and more. SCS provided students with more long-term support and choice in counseling experience.
"We anticipate that students may be needing different, or more, support if/when they return to in-person experiences and the more immediate fears around the pandemic subside and the impacts begin to be felt in different ways. We anticipate continuing to support students using both virtual and in person means," said Hampel-Kozar.