Counseling officials say that calls to make appointments have increased this year from previous years.
About 1,100 calls were made last academic year by students to make appointments with the counselors. There have been about 1,300 calls so far this academic year.
Mindy Windholz, director of university counseling, said the increase in appointments is due to more communication on the topic of mental heath on campus.
“I think that we’ve promoted our services across campus, so our students know that we are available,” she said. “People are just more comfortable in addressing their mental health needs.”
Chloe Roby, administrative assistant for university counseling, said counseling has been able to keep up with the increase in appointments, but with a decrease in counselor availability.
“I used to be able to offer people more session times, as far as times that are available, than I am able to now. I’m still able to get folks in relatively quickly, maybe just not as conveniently for them,” she said. “I know students on campus are so busy, and we want to be accommodating to that. It’s been a little more challenging lately.”
Levi Harrel, director of student engagement, said the counselling staff makes time for students.
“Our counselors are some of the most hardworking staff members on campus, to say the least,” he said. “They truly put the students’ needs before their own, whether that is coming in early or staying late, skipping lunches to make sure they are able to meet student needs and to be able to host student appointments.”
The personal counselors are Windholz and two interns from the University of Oklahoma, Allison Hill and Zeinab Moravejnia. There is a personal counselor position open after Jackie Ledbetter left the university March 1.
Josh Eliot, film freshman, said the increase in appointments may be due to students separating themselves from each other because of technology.
“I feel like our generation is more depressed than previous generations,” he said. “I honestly think the technology that we have allows us to not hangout with people very much.”
Eliot said the lonely nature of a college campus leads to new students staying in their room and not socializing.
“Lots of times when you are new to college, like I am, it’s easy to isolate yourself and just stay in your room all the time,” he said. “It’s a lot harder to push yourself to go and hang out with people and talk with them.”
Rachel Eckert, elementary education freshman, said the increase in appointments is not great, but at least people are getting the help they need for mental illness.
“Obviously people are wanting to reach out for help, and I think that is awesome, but the fact that they have to reach out shows that people are having mental illnesses,” Eckert said.
Anastasia Pellar, theatre and performance sophomore, said she thinks the increase in appointments is because of the improved awareness of counseling on campus.
“I know my freshman year, I kind of heard about it, but I never knew details about it, how to go about setting up appointments if I ever wanted to or where it was located,” Pellar said.
If students want to make an appointment, they may contact the counseling office at 405-208-7901, email Roby at croby@okcu.edu or go to counseling in person at the University Counseling Center in the north side of the first floor of Walker Hall dormitory.
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