Georgetown, a University that has recently seemed to focus on preserving and promoting tradition, is taking steps to keep up with the constantly changing face of student health.
Throughout the 1990s, the percentage of students on psychoactive prescription drugs rose from 5 percent to 40 percent. College counseling centers, whose main job was once to help students handle romantic breakups and make career choices, are struggling to fill their new role. However, despite the increased scope of college counseling centers, Georgetown’s Counseling and Psychiatric services only employs one full- time psychiatrist and two who fill another full-time position.
Since last spring, Georgetown has been attempting to fill the position of Director of CAPS. The Director position is one of several top administrative posts that remain vacant at Georgetown. Along with hiring a new Director it looks as if Georgetown will try to restructure the counseling center. Last spring the group heading the CAPS Director search suggested a total review of the organization. At that point the administration decided it was necessary to review basic assumptions about the services CAPS needs to provide.
Georgetown has hired an outside consultant to review the directions the center might take. According to Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson, the as-yet unnamed director is likely to administer changes once he or she starts at Georgetown.
Another administrative position that remains vacant is the Sexual Assault Services and Relationship Violence Coordinator in Health Education Services. With the untimely departure of former SASRVC Carolyn Hurwitz comes concern over where an advocate for student victims of assault or relationship violence will be most effective.
Even more pressing is the need for a greater examination of the role of the administrator that works with victims of sexual violence. Although it was created as a half-time position, the SASRVC has evolved into a full-time position that is involves many aspects of student health. Georgetown will have to decide whether this position is one they are willing to take seriously or one they will simply use to show their token commitment to the issue before they hire someone to fill the vacancy.
The Director of HES has taken on the responsibilities of the position although a professional background with sexual assault counseling is not part of the Directors job description. This is, however, a background required of the SASRVC.
On Monday, a group of concerned students, Advocates for Improved Response Methods to Sexual Assault, presented an analysis of Sexual Assault Structure and Response Services at Georgetown University. Their report urges the administration to move the Sexual Assault Services and Relationship Violence Coordinator position to the Women’s Center. The report has the potential to give administrators the point of view of assault and relationship violence victims, something they would benefit from during the hiring process.
If Georgetown is dedicated to improving its counseling services for students, the administration needs to turn to the student facing these problems in order to improve the current policy. It is only then that they will be able to cause the adaptation and evolution of antiquated structures, to better address the problems facing students right now.
