The Wellness Center has been updated since last semester and The Equinox believes that there has been a lot of improvement with room for more.
Starting off with, what is a major upgrade, is the number of staff has grown. The Equinox sees how more full time counselors are available this semester. This is incredible, especially since increased diversity is being seen with the new staff. Students having people who understand their point of view is important, especially from a mental health perspective.
The Equinox believes the Wellness Center was very understaffed last semester, so it is amazing to see such a great change. One thing we think could be done better is the Wellness Center advertising their free mental health services more often.
Many students struggle with mental health and will put off taking the initiative to seek help. The Equinox believes that if the Wellness Center advertised their improvements, then they might be able to reach students they might not have before. The Wellness Center’s improvements should not go unnoticed; it is dire to get the message out there.
The Equinox already sees a lot of improvements made by the Wellness Center, but we encourage them to continue making great strides. Another area where we see room for future improvement is being open on the weekends. We see that it might not be possible now, but if even more staff comes in to help it would be good to look into expanding hours that the Wellness Center is open.
Being a college with on-campus housing, Keene State will have students who are in need of help on the weekends. Plenty of students are incredibly busy with classes and homework on the weekdays to the point where they might feel it is too much of a burden to set up an appointment.
Overworked students will need time to improve their mental and physical health as well. It is vital that they have time to get what they need in order not to suffer; their problems don’t disappear on the weekends. The Equinox thinks that being open even just a couple hours on the weekends would be a good start.
The Equinox believes it would be a good idea to bring in nursing students to work as interns, if possible. It would be good for the students’ experience in the future and it would help the Wellness Center get increased staffing. Getting more people involved is already a noble goal and giving students experience they otherwise would not have just adds to a great cause.
Room for future improvement certainly does not erase the progress they have made. The Equinox is grateful for how much the Wellness Center has improved. We only hope that the Wellness Center will continue to improve and take the advice of the students who are taking part in the wonderful service. Improvement is a journey with no end, there will always be more room to explore.
