Indiana University President Pamela Whitten discusses the university's mental wellness offerings Friday during a meeting of the IU trustees at Alumni Hall. Staff photo by Rich Janzaruk
Students' mental and physical health were focuses for the Indiana University trustees as they met on the Bloomington campus on the verge of a new school year.
While the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continued to loom large in last week's discussions of IU's plans, issues including food insecurity and mental health also were important topics. New IU President Pamela Whitten and other university leaders affirmed these challenges must be faced for students — and therefore the university — to succeed.
In his presentation to the trustees on Friday, IU Chief Health Officer Dr. Aaron Carroll discussed some of the stresses students are facing. He announced he will spearhead a committee to review the mental health needs and services of each IU campus.
Mental health issues are a priority for Whitten, who brought up that concern during a meeting with Carroll in her first days on the job.
"What comes to mind is, 'What do we need to be focusing on to help students succeed?'" Whitten said. "Sometimes that's in the classroom, and we address those issues, and lots of times it's things that aren't necessarily directly in the classroom. But it's still part of our mission to do whatever we can to help students succeed."
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