MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

APRIL 2004 REPORT TO THE DELEGATES

BERKELEY GRADUATE ASSEMBLY

1- Update on the MHTF Budget

Total 2003-04 Allocation to MHTF: $ 6500

Projected Expenses: SURVEY
Office of Student Research Purchase Order - 1000
Focus Group Refreshments - 25
Raffle Prizes (10) - 1000
CDs and printouts for data analysis - 75
Production of Report - 100
Total SURVEY = 2200

Projected Expenses: EDUCATION/DESTIGMATIZING
Outreach materials (mugs/bottles with stats, post-its with help) - 2000
Flyers, posters, bookmarks - 1000
T-Shirts w/ slogans & statistics - 2000
Total EDUCATIONAL = 4300

2- Resolution

RESOLUTION TO CREATE A GRADUATE ASSEMBLY

HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

WHEREAS, graduate students significantly contribute to the academic mission of UC Berkeley, by performing cutting-edge research and teaching courses to undergraduate students; and

WHEREAS, maintenance of strong academic performance within the University requires social support and good physical and mental health, and the absence of adequate social support, medical care, and health education can adversely effect graduate students' welfare and academic success; and

WHEREAS, there is a lack of awareness of graduate student health and welfare needs at UC Berkeley, including a dearth of data on the particular needs and concerns of Berkeley graduate students (such as faculty mentoring needs, international student support needs, and student parent health concerns) and limited or non-existent University policy to improve graduate students' academic welfare and to protect those with mental health concerns or health-related family obligations (such as care for dependents); and

WHEREAS, graduate student health and welfare are uniquely important within the graduate community, not only because health and welfare are essential for academic performance, but also because graduate students are typically aged 21 to 35 and therefore comprise a population at increased risk for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and other conditions that impair the ability to function in an academic environment, since these common medical disorders have a characteristic onset between the ages of 18 and 30; and

WHEREAS the incidence of depression, bipolar disorder, suicide, and other mental health problems has been increasing on university campuses nationwide, and UC Berkeley is no exception; and

WHEREAS the failure of the university to protect graduate student health and welfare is evidenced by UC Berkeley's troublingly elevated rate of student suicide, which has been anecdotally documented in at least two of the last ten years, and by its failure to undertake efforts to improve student mental health (even though peer institutions such as Harvard, MIT, NYU, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University have aggressively addressed this public health concern over the past three years), suggesting that graduate student health and welfare concerns are not being adequately identified and addressed by the University Administration; and

WHEREAS, faculty and graduate students alike are unaware of the personal and academic health and welfare resources that do exist on campus for those in need of help; and

WHEREAS the Graduate Assembly currently has no permanent and sustained infrastructure to monitor the health and welfare of the graduate student community, no means for identifying and addressing important issues of health and welfare within the graduate population, and no means for disseminating information about campus health and welfare resources to the entire graduate student population;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Graduate Assembly create a Health and Welfare Committee, similar to the Academic Senate's Welfare Committee, charged with monitoring student health and welfare, undertaking advocacy on behalf of graduate students' health and welfare concerns, and promoting the education of graduate students on questions of community health and well being; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Organization and Rules Committee consider recommending to the delegates the following changes to the GA By-Laws, which would formally establish the Health and Welfare Committee within the structure of the Graduate Assembly:

By-Law section 12.1 shall be revised by addition of the following provision:

"12.1.8. The Health and Welfare Committee may choose to form ad-hoc Sub-committees (e.g. Mental Health Subcommittee, Student Parent Subcommittee, Health Promotion Subcommittee) to distribute labor for the generation of health and welfare reports and the generation and/or distribution of graduate student welfare and health promotion campaign materials."

By-Law section 12.3 shall be revised by addition of the following provision: "12.3.11. The Health and Welfare Committee considers issues of graduate student health and welfare and encourages the education and awareness of all graduate students on issues related to physical and mental health and academic and personal welfare. This committee improves the quality of graduate student life by annually recommending allocations of Graduate Assembly funds and resources to welfare and health promotion campaigns targeted to Berkeley graduate and professional students. This committee also makes recommendations to the Assembly on the ways in which graduate students' academic and personal welfare and health care concerns can be more effectively addressed by university and departmental regulations, policies, and resource allocations."