Project Description
CCCSE proudly announces the Mental Well-Being and Academic Success project. The project, funded by The Kresge Foundation, will allow CCCSE to investigate community college students’ mental health and well-being so that partner institutions have a better understanding of the needs of different student populations. As a result, the institutions can address those needs, leading to better student supports and, ultimately, improved outcomes.
The Mental Well-Being and Academic Success project will feature the administration of a 15-item additional question set with the 2023 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and a 12-item special-focus module with the 2023 Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE). The following advisory panel of experts will provide guidance on the creation of the additional items:
- Dr. Sara Abelson, Assistant Professor, Temple University & Senior Director of Training and Education, The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs
- Dr. Alison Brown, Coordinator, Center for Wellness & Wellbeing, Santa Monica College (CA)
- Dr. Tia Dole, Chief 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Officer, Vibrant Emotional Health
- Tiffany Gusbeth, Vice President, Student Success Services, American Indian College Fund
- Dr. Darryl Ann Lai Fang, Senior Director, Transformation Support, UNCF
- Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, Chancellor, Austin Community College District (TX)
- Markie Pasternack, Senior Manager, Higher Education, Active Minds
- Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO, Phi Theta Kappa
By incorporating these new additional item sets in its two large-scale national surveys, CCCSE will be able to explore nationally who the student population of focus is, how engaged these students are in their educational experiences, what the barriers are to them in accessing support, and how mental health challenges affect their academic outcomes.
CCCSE will conduct interviews in fall 2023 with students at three varied community college campuses and will release a national report on community college students’ mental health and well-being in fall 2024 based on the data collected from CCSSE and SENSE and information obtained from the interviews with students. As a companion to the publication, tools will be created, including a discussion guide that will allow colleges to conduct interviews with their own students on this important topic.