Syracuse University’s Counseling Center will be extending hours this spring semester, and officials plan to start a search for four new staff therapists and a psychiatrist, the university announced Thursday.

The center will remain open to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, according to an SU News release published Thursday. Previously, the center was only open to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.

With the expected increase in staffing, a “satellite” Counseling Center office will also open at 111 Waverly Ave. as part of a $100 million fundraising plan, according to the release. The center’s main office is at 200 Walnut Place.

SU Health Services is located at 111 Waverly Ave.

Student Association leaders have said they met frequently with M. Dolan Evanovich, the university’s senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience, to discuss an allocation of Invest Syracuse funds to improve campus health services.

Invest Syracuse is a $100 million fundraising plan that aims to bolster academic programs, the university’s research capacity and student amenities, among other things.

The plan includes a $3,300 tuition premium that will take effect next academic year for first-year and transfer students. Current students will be grandfathered in and won’t have to pay the extra money.

The Counseling Center will increase its capacity for scheduled appointments, according to the release, and additional staff could, “support efforts to reduce wait times.”

“Mental health is a critical component to addressing students’ holistic health and wellness needs,” Evanovich said in the release Thursday.

According to a student-coordinated report published last spring semester, spearheaded by former SA Vice President Joyce LaLonde of the 60th legislative session, SU had a one to 1,282 counselor-to-student ratio. In comparison, Cornell University has one counselor for every 830 students and Georgetown University has one counselor for every 1,086 students, according to the report.

“You can’t argue with the statistics,” said current SA President James Franco, in a recent interview.

Published on January 25, 2018 at 5:40 pm

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