The American College Health Association (ACHA) released a study on sex, alcohol and student health on college and university campuses. Eight of the 28 schools that were included in the survey were private schools, and of the 28, seven were similar in size to the University of Tulsa.
The study found that college and university students are engaging in less risky behavior than their 2005 study found, but have higher rates of anxiety and depression.
Cigarette use has plummeted, with 77.4 percent of students reporting that they do not smoke in 2015. Alcohol use held mostly steady with the average amount of students’ drinks rising from 4.22 to 4.49.
On average, the number of higher education students that had sex in the past year climbed to 31.5 percent, and the average number of sexual partners per month declined for the remaining 68.5 percent of respondents.
There was also a more than 4 percent bump in reports of depression and more than 7 percent increase in reports of anxiety. Moreover, as of 2016 ACHA’s National College Health Assessment, 32.2 percent of respondents reported that stress led to lowered academic performance.
With this new information, it looks as though colleges and universities are an increasingly safe place for students, despite the engagement in risky behaviors common to many young adults. Regardless, students encountering such problems are encouraged to seek help. On-campus solutions include the Center for Student Academic Support (CSAS), now located in Zink Hall, the Alexander Health Center, which includes mental and physical health services and the Financial Aid offices located to the side of Collins Hall.
If a student’s problems cannot be solved with on-campus services and they need to withdraw from classes, there are services in place to help them take time off from school without leaving them to pay for their entire semester. Students can receive a refund of their tuition; the percent refunded depends on the time the student withdraws from their classes and the policy only covers refunds until the seventh week of classes. After the seventh week, no money will be refunded to the student. All withdrawals, however, must be cleared through the university — missing classes will not constitute a refund of tuition from the university. More information can be found on The University of Tulsa’s official website under the section “Refund Policy.”
The tuition refund policy does not include housing for students living on campus. The Housing Office, located in Fisher East, is in charge of on-campus housing contracts, and can help students looking to move off-campus or trying to find accommodations better suited to their needs. Students can move residence halls for a fee, or break their contract in order to move off-campus.
Students might be healthier than ever, but problems still occur. There are many options for students at the University of Tulsa to access support networks and offices dedicated to giving students options and help when asked.