Updates on Our Work
Together — with intention — we can continue cultivating a culture of care and wellness within the Wolfpack.
Where We Are
The NC State Student Mental Health Task Force, charged in the fall of 2022 by Vice Chancellor and Dean Doneka R. Scott, has thoroughly and urgently re-evaluated the university’s mental health services, resources and policies. The final report highlights the significant programs, services and resources in place at NC State, and where we have opportunities to expand and better support student mental health and well-being.
The task force was made up of students, faculty and staff — with people from all across NC State contributing to their work:
- More than 550 individuals participated in listening sessions, which will continue this spring semester.
- The task force received close to 1,100 public comments from the wider Wolfpack community, including parents and alumni.
- Faculty and staff across campus shared more than 400 existing resources, programs or initiatives they felt addressed mental health and well-being.
Next Steps
The outpouring of support for this work is reflective of the culture of care that already exists at NC State — and which we want to ensure every member of our community feels. (You can find a condensed list of some of the university’s current wellness resources on this website.)
The task force completed the essential first step of establishing a baseline of understanding for the university, detailing where we are and where the campus community would like us to be in the future.
An implementation steering committee, made up of students, faculty and staff, has been charged with overseeing several teams to evaluate and operationalize the task force’s recommendations. The evaluations will consider cost, time, potential barriers and other factors to determine what’s feasible at NC State.
Report Recommendations
The task force identified the following overarching action items that are fundamental to improving student mental health at NC State. Each of these recommendations aligns with specific short- and long-term potential tactics, which are outlined in the full report. More information will be provided as implementation teams are established.
- We must integrate campus-level diversity, equity, inclusion and mental health planning to foster a sense of belonging for all students, especially those in underserved populations.
- We must immediately form implementation teams charged with researching, evaluating, and potentially implementing the task force’s recommendations.
- We must continually assess existing mental health services and programs and any new initiatives created through this process, using evidence-based decision-making in all efforts to support student mental health.
- We must continue to find ways to increase awareness of current mental health and wellness resources by revisiting how resources are introduced to students and reiterated throughout their time at NC State.
- We must continue to engage the campus community in the ongoing conversation regarding student mental health, offering more listening sessions during the spring semester for students, faculty and staff to gather feedback and input.
Three Themes
After thoughtful engagement with the campus community and rigorous examination of the academic literature, the expansive list of recommendations centered a culture of care, resources and policy as categories the implementation teams can bring forth in their work.
Culture of Care
Strengthen our holistic approach to mental health through institutional, curricular, and training methods.
Resources
Provide additional resources needed to improve student mental health and well-being.
Policies
Revise current Policies, Rules and Regulations to better support student well-being.
Download the Reports
Read the research collected and organized by both the NC State task force and the Student Government intervention department.
