Amid another wave of COVID-19, university administrators are preparing for another pandemic as students return to university campuses. “We have a mental health pandemic inside of the COVID-19 pandemic right now,” according to Dr. Bern Melnyk, Ohio State's Chief Wellness Officer and Dean of the College of Nursing. Another university administrator acknowledged efforts to hire additional counseling staff. In a reporting period of January 20-February 1, 2021, 57 percent of 18-29 reported symptoms of depression or anxiety, … [Read more...] about The Other Pandemic
Life in the Academy
Welcoming Second-Year Students
This is the time of the year when faculty, university staff, and student organizations are thinking about welcoming first-year students. Zach Baldwin discusses the unique challenge of this year when many second-year students, both undergraduate and graduate, will be on campus for the first time after a year of distance learning. He discusses some of the unique needs and challenges these students face and ways we can welcome them. ____________________ Second-year students, undergraduate and graduate, face a … [Read more...] about Welcoming Second-Year Students
Teaching for Integration: Faith & Your Field in the Classroom
We're delighted to welcome Dr. Robbie Fox Castleman to the blog today to share some ideas on connecting faith and your field in the classroom. Dr. Castleman is a professor at John Brown University and an InterVarsity Press author. She has also served in InterVarsity area and national directorships. This article is taken, in part, from an address to faculty at John Brown University, 2019. Teachers, from pre-school to post-docs are a very brave lot. James cautions the early church, “Not many of you should become … [Read more...] about Teaching for Integration: Faith & Your Field in the Classroom
An Invitation to Pause
You are a newly appointed Campus Staff Minister just beginning ministry with grad students and faculty when COVID-19 hit and brought a pause to all normal campus activities. For Julie Meissner, this pause came as an invitation from God. This is her story of what happened when she said "yes" to that invitation. _______________________________________ Pause. Breathe deeply. Reflect with God. Daily, this invitation is extended to us, but do we receive it, or pass? What happens when we enter into God's invitation … [Read more...] about An Invitation to Pause
Starting a Graduate Christian Fellowship
The other day, we posted an article with some resources for starting a grad group. But what are the nuts and bolts of starting a group? Bob Trube, director of Emerging Scholars Network helped re-start a graduate group at Ohio State and has worked with other staff and students in launching graduate fellowships and offers some practical helps ________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you a grad student on a campus with no graduate Christian group (at least that you … [Read more...] about Starting a Graduate Christian Fellowship