ACUHO-I News Blog

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. This week, campuses plan for the upcoming flu season, in addition to other Higher Ed. news.

THE FLU WAITING GAME: No one is quite sure what form the H1N1 virus will take once flu seasons hits, so colleges are preparing the best they can for the fall:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/14/h1n1virus

THE OBAMA PLAN: Community college leaders praise its unprecedented attention and many campus leaders say the $12 billion could be crucial. Others warn not to view the president’s agenda as a panacea:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/15/obama

DEFINING MOMENT: California State is in for dramatic budget cuts no matter what. The extent of layoffs, however, will be determined by a union vote that could pit full professors against part timers:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/17/california2

REACHING BLACK MEN: Philander Smith — without much money — finds ways to raise graduation and retention rates:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/14/blackmale

FINANCIAL AID IN FLUX: With big changes looming, a flurry of news developments — action and promises from Congress, reports on Perkins Loans and guarantee agencies — add to the uncertainty:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/13/finaid

…but they’re not getting it. According to a study by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, a subset of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 7 million Americans aged 18 to 25 were designated as needing treatment for alcohol or drug abuse in the past year, but only 7 percent of them are getting it. The study was also conducted in 2002, when similar numbers prevailed. Most feel they do not need help; among the 4 percent who did feel they needed treatment, just over 32 percent of them tried to seek it out. For details, see the report here.

In a Chronicle of Higher Education essay, Jennifer Lynn Hughes, an associate professor in the psychology department at Agnes Scott College, points out accommodations that can be made for students who have Asperger’s Syndrome. Universities are required, of course, to make “reasonable” accommodations for students with diagnosed and declared disabilities. What qualifies as reasonable is not defined, but most institutions will do their best to help a qualified student succeed if this can be done without disadvantaging other students. Housing professionals are familiar with these issues, of course, as more students with disabilities and mental disorders are able to attend college than in years past. What sorts of accommodations have been requested at your institution? Were you able to fulfill them?

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

FAILING GRADE ON ALCOHOL: New data showing nationwide increases in drinking-related deaths among college students call into question the strategies being used to promote moderation:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/16/alcohol

NEW BUSINESS FOR ‘U.S. NEWS’: Magazine plans expansion of Web site to include index of adult and online programs — and to sell colleges “lead generation” (lists of potential students). Some see conflict of interest:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/17/usnews

HOW TO PAY FOR STUDENT HEALTH CARE: With Obama plan attracting attention in Washington, campus health officials and state politicians consider merits of billing insurance companies or billing students — or both:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/16/healthcare

Inside Higher Ed reports that several campuses have decided to close briefly because of H1N1 (AKA Swine Flu). It’s a campus-by-campus judgement call at this point, and many campuses are operating as usual, despite several suspected H1N1 sicknesses or confirmed cases. The situation is hardly alarming, given a relative smattering of cases among college students, but campus professionals in all areas are staying cautious as spring semester ends and summer conferences and events begin, which will bring people in a wide variety of age ranges and immunities to campuses.

Confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of the H1N1 infection on college campuses continued to make news over the weekend. Higher education institutions — and the associations that serve them — have responded by making a number of resources available to members, staff, and students.

ACUHO-I has collected many of these resources in one place on its Web site. Similar resources are being posted on this blog and the ACUHO-I online network as well. Again, members are encouraged to register for the network if they are not already a member and use this resource to share information and ask questions.

Higher ed professionals will share their questions on Thursday, May 7 from 1-2 p.m. (EST) as NASPA hosts the “Swine Flu:Campus Planning, Preparation & Implementation” conference telephone call with Henry Chung, MD, the associate vice president of Student Health and the executive director of the Student Health Center at New York University. The call is free for NASPA members (though long-distance charges do apply). Register for the phone call here.

Finally, below is a video posted by the White House over the weekend discussing the government’s response to the virus and steps to help prevent its spread.

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

SWINE FLU IMPACT: Texas Wesleyan, Western Oregon and Harvard Dental close temporarily. Northeastern seeks to prevent handshakes at today’s graduation ceremonies:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/01/swine

ASSESSMENT FOUND TO BE WIDESPREAD: Survey finds wide use of measures of learning outcomes and curricular goals, but relatively little communication on these subjects with students:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/28/assess

TO FRIEND OR TO REJECT: Many admissions offices are using search engines and social networks to check out some applicants, or to promote institutions, survey finds:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/29/nacac

CUT AND RUN ATHLETICS: To avoid unprecedented NCAA penalties, colleges are eliminating teams that underperform academically to try to keep Division I status. Does this run counter to association’s academic reforms?
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/01/apr

News reports continue to update the number of suspected and confirmed cases of swine flu (or, more accurately, the H1N1 Influenza virus) on college campuses. InsideHigherEd.com is reporting instances at the University of Delaware, San Diego State University, California State University at Long Beach, and the University of Notre Dame.

A Google map, showing cases on an United States college campus has been set up by The International Association of Emergency Managers-Universities and Colleges Committee and the University of Oregon. It includes cases reported by an institution on their Web site, press release, or other official communication.

While these cases have not caused major disruptions of campus activities, the story does detail a number of cases where campuses are scuttling study-abroad programs in Mexico and bringing faculty and students already in Mexico back to campus.

ACUHO-I will continue to monitor the story and report new developments via this blog. Also, on the ACUHO-I online network, (if you’re not already a member, sign up only takes two minutes) members are encouraged to utilize the Health & Safety forum to post questions and share information  about steps being taken on their campus. The forum also allows the posting of files, so members can share policies, procedures, and planning documents).

UPDATE: The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) has posted a page on its Web site filled with links on crisis management and pandemic preparedness. The most recent updates include links to specific campus’s pages and other resources.

It’s still too early to see if it’s a case of media overload or a true emergency, but campuses can’t be too careful when it comes to student health. The Chronicle today reported on “just-in-case” precautions happening in student health centers everywhere. As Kent W. Bullis, the medical director at Ball State University in Indiana said in the story,  “You’ve got young people who are relatively densely packed into small areas, and you have a relatively mobile society. It’s the ideal place for something like this to spread.”

The American College Health Association has responded as well. Its Web site has been continually updated with new information as well as links to special sites set up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Deparment of Health and Human Services, and the World Health Organization.

Currently, the health departments are recommending common sense precautionary measures such as covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing as well as frequent hand washes. People who are ill are being asked to stay home from work or school to limit contact with other people.

Young adults tend to think they are healthy by virtue of being young, but that’s not the case, says a report from the Centers for Disease Control.

According to a recent report from the CDC, a third of those 18-29 are cigarette smokers; a quarter are obese; two-thirds don’t get regular physical activity. As a result, chronic health issues are found in younger and younger populations, said a CNN health expert. On top of this,young adults tend to take more risks; their chances of accidental death are two to three times more likely than those of other age groups. The transitional, uncertain nature of young adult life is also to blame; many are without medical coverage, and they are more likely to have mental health issues than other age groups.

Georgetown University and the University of Southern California are both recovering after bouts of a “highly contagious gastrointestinal virus” afflicted at least 192 students at Georgetown and 75 students at USC.  Tests are in progress to determine the cause of USC’s outbreak; a norovirus is suspected. Students at both schools had similar symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrehea and cramps for several days. The sickness is not deadly, but very unpleasant for all involved.

Experts quoted in Inside HigherEd say that the close confines of college campuses contribute to the problem–norovirus outbreaks have occured on cruise ships too, for the same reason. It doesn’t help that students, like most Americans, are not dilligent about washing their hands regularly. Consistent hand washing-or sanitizing-is the best way to prevent outbreaks.

Exciting, ground-breaking news from Consumer Reports: Children’s cereal contains a lot of sugar.

I know, can you believe it, either? I almost blinked when I read that!

[Gulps artificially-orange-flavored, sugar-free water.]

Ah, okay, I’ve regained my composure.

Apparently Honey Smacks contain more sugar than honey (which is what you’d expect, I guess, from a cereal that promises to backhand you with the stuff) and Golden Crisp has as much sugar as a glazed donut from Dunkin’ Donuts. Yellow No. 5, a key ingredient to Cap’n Crunch’s St. Tropez golden glow, has been linked to childhood ADHD. I don’t know how they can separate the effects of the sugar from the Yellow, though.

At least none are known to include “flesh-eating bacteria in every box!”

[Sip diet soft drink. Notice Yellow No. 5 among its ingredients. That might explain something...]

But this isn’t just an issue for the primary set; as we all know, college students eat cereal religiously. The nostalgic appeal of childhood cereals is hard to resist, and in moderate amounts, on occasion, there’s nothing wrong with it. Some cereals can provide the warm fuzzies and good nutrition: Cheerios and Life rated well.

What can student affairs professionals do to help students make wise choices, without making the consumption of sugared cereal into a bigger deal than it is? After all, there are health issues that loom larger than this.

Well, it’s not sexy, but it’s gaining popularity. Courses in public health - which include many and diverse topics such as disease transmission and prevention, education campaigns and laws surrounding the health and well-being of a population – have been growing in popularity, reports the Washington Post. Professors in the field speculate this may be the result of a generation that has grown up with the AIDS epidemic as a fact throughout their lives. Also, opportunities in public health careers are growing, and it is a field that offers the chance to make a difference in many lives. There are opportunities for hands-on experience establishing education programs, conducting research and providing services. With regular hand-washing, alcohol responsibility and cleanliness campaigns being as necessary in residence halls as WiFi, how can housing pros tap into this interest and provide programs-and possibly off-campus activities-for students interested (professionally or otherwise) in public health issues?