A resolution was just approved on Thursday by the Ohio State University Senate that encourages instructors to have a statement of mental-health services on their course syllabus. This is to ensure the awareness of every student in the university regarding the importance of mental health. It would give students an easy way to deal with mental-health problems.
According to The Lantern, the development of the mental-health statement for syllabi began more than two years ago in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). Three resolutions regarding its implementation have been created, but the first two resulted in the draft expiring at the end of the academic semester. Then, after years of bureaucratic failure about the implementation of mental health, the USG Senators presented their resolution and was approved. The mental-health statement would be available for professors on the University to be included in their course syllabus.
In the resolution, it is stated that OSU's Counseling and Consultation Service address, phone number and website will be included. It is similar to the message included on syllabi from the Office of Student Life's Disability Services. With the help of Micky Sharma, the director of CCS, it was developed. It would be a clear indicator of where and how students can access mental health services on campus.
Gerald Basalla, the Undergraduate Student Government President, said that they need to take every action they can to make sure students feel like they can go and get the resources they need.
According to Dispatch.com, it depends on to each instructor or the department or college whether to include the statement. But the College of Arts and Social Sciences is different; they require information about academic misconduct and available disability services to be included in the syllabuses.
Wayne Carlson, the dean of the undergraduate education, supported the resolution. He said that having some definitive way of communicating to students that resources are available is important. He also stated that the University doesn't require any specific content on the syllabus.
