It is no secret that I am not one of our administration’s largest fans. I’ve said that they treat students more like consumers than people who are at UNC to learn. I’ve lambasted Chancellor Folt. I’ve said a whole host of other things in private.
In the pursuit of fairness, I should really write something that is pleasant about the administration. This is not that column.
In the age where depression, anxiety and a whole host of other mental illnesses beset young people across the world, one might think that UNC’s administration would have an easily accessible counseling service staffed by consummate professionals experienced with advising young adults under incredible pressure by the weights of facing adult life for the first time.
Such a belief would be incorrect.
CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) is the UNC institution devoted to providing support to those suffering from these mental disorders. It suffers from a variety of issues, however. First of all, the place is nearly impossible to find. The offices are located on the third floor of the James A. Taylor building, close to the UNC hospital. However, to actually get to these offices, one must hunt through the building itself to the back corner to find the stairs to get up to the offices. It is, of course, possible that there is another way to get to the place. Considering that there are no signs leading students to these offices, there is no way for me to know if there is a more direct route.
Additionally, the place only offers a limited number of sessions. The reasoning is that the offices are not meant to be a permanent place for students to find counseling. But going to an outside professional can be nearly impossible for students who ended up at CAPS. Money might be an issue for many, and even if money can come from parents, not everyone might feel comfortable telling their parents that they are struggling. Calling and setting up appointments with someone you haven’t met is another challenge, and figuring out transportation can be disheartening.
Throw into the mix that these students are struggling with mental disorders that can border on debilitating, and CAPS can be distinctly unhelpful. I encourage the administration to make CAPS both more accessible and to have more permanent options for struggling students too disheartened to go somewhere else.
