Virginia Tech Brings Changes
Last year’s massacre at Virginia Tech has changed mental health care policies in some of US colleges and universities. From now on, university administrators and counselors are pushing students to get professional help whenever they notice a student with fatigue or an aggressive look.
The Los Angeles Times reports that people who work on US university and college campuses have seen three major types of changes since the Virginia Tech shooting rampage; 1) Faculties are speaking up more about those students who worry them, 2) Changes in privacy policies, 3) The stigma of mental illness has grown.
Behind those changes, colleges have edged away in the last year from decades-old practices that made student privacy paramount. Now, they are more likely to err on the side of sharing information — with the police, for instance, and parents — if there is any possible threat to community safety. But even some who say the changes are appropriate worry it could discourage students from seeking treatment.
According to ABC News, since Virginia Tech, most universities don’t allow students to carry guns on campus.
Some states, including Virginia, are considering legislation to require public colleges and universities to notify a parent if a student is deemed a danger to himself or others. This did not happen in the case of Virginia Tech shooter Seung Hui Cho, although the issue is being hotly debated by privacy advocates. The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill that would call on school administrators to contact parents if a student is considered a harm to themselves or others. It is awaiting action by the House.
The changes seem to have calmed the state of hysteria students and parents have had after the Virginia Tech shootings, but there are still some unsolved problems in the US higher education.
Photo: © chriggy1
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