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Our primary audience for this proposal is Director of the University Health Center, Dr. David
McBride. Dr. David McBride has both the authority and familiarity with the University Health
Center website that will allow for these changes to become implemented. Our proposal will be
hand-delivered to Dr. McBride in the format of a report. This is the clearest format in which to
present our case because it allows for detailed explanation and ability to present our visual
elements. We have also included an executive summary in which we hope to entice Dr. McBride
Visual Element
We understand that simply explaining our research and proposal for change is not as effective as
an argument that includes visuals. In our proposal, we have included pictures of our website that
illustrate the changes we are arguing for. This will aide Dr. McBride in visualizing the current
University Health Center website with the addition of our proposed changes and what that might
look like. This will add credibility to our argument, as it will emphasize our dedication to the
University of Marylands Mental Health Services website. We have also included infographics
For example, one of our infographics visualizes the number of students affected by depression
versus those who are not. This infographic will aid our argument to improve UMDs Mental
Health Services website for students, the administration, and for the entire campus community.
Author Contributions
1. Conception/Design
a. Conception of idea - Margaret
b. Design/Format - Jasmine, Melissa, and Margaret
2. Collection/Assembly of Data
a. Margaret and Melissa wrote the survey. Melissa, Margaret, and Jasmine provided edits and
revisions.
b. Melissa, Jasmine, and Margaret a sent out survey.
c. Margaret interviewed Julia Matute.
d. Melissa interviewed Katherine Swanson and Adrienne Baer.
3. Data Analysis/Interpretation
a. Jasmine, Melissa, and Margaret interpreted the survey results and decided where to use the
information in the proposal.
b. Margaret transcribed her interview and chose which quotes and information from the interview
to include in the final proposal.
c. Melissa filmed her two interviews, edited the videos, and included the transcripts of the
interviews in the final proposal.
d. Melissa used the survey results to create a mock website for the proposal and included
screenshots of the website in Appendix F.
e. Infographic: Mental Illness - Margaret
f. Infographic: University of Maryland Mental Health Services Survey, Fall 2016 - Jasmine
g. Infographic: Pie Charts of Survey Results, What do students want updated on UMDs Mental
Health Services website? - Melissa
h. Survey results from UMD Mental Health Services Survey - Charts/graphs screenshotted by
Margaret Lane.
4. Manuscript Writing
a. Rhetorical Situation Memo - Jasmine
b. Author Contributions Page - Margaret
c. Title Page - Margaret
d. Cover Letter - Melissa, Jasmine, Margaret
e. Table of Contents - Margaret
f. Executive Summary - Jasmine
g. Summary of Current Problem - Margaret
h. Negative Consequences of Situation/Problem - Margaret
i. Evaluating the Consequences - Melissa
j. Root Causes of the Situation - Margaret
k. Proposal to Address the Current Situation - Melissa
l. Conclusion - Margaret
m. Compilation and format of Documents, Appendix, and Works Cited- Margaret
5. Final Approval of Manuscript: Melissa
We pledge on our honor, we have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
assignment.
Signed by: Melissa Eck, Margaret Lane, and Jasmine Pelaez
David McBride
Director of University Health Center
3134 Health Center
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Sincerely,
Melissa Eck, Margaret Lane, and Jasmine Pelaez
Table of Contents
Conclusion ....12
Appendices ...13
Appendix A ..............................................................................................................13
Appendix B ..................................................................................................21
Appendix C ..................................................................................................27
Appendix D ..........................................................................................................30
Appendix E ..............................................................................................................33
Appendix F ..........................................................................................37
The University of Maryland University Health Center offers its students medical
resources to ensure the health and well-being of the campus population. The University Health
Center is located on campus between some of the most visited locations: the Stamp Student
Union and McKeldin Library. The University Health Center serves students through its physical
location, however, its online presence is equally as important. Students can easily access UHCs
website at http://www.health.umd.edu and arrive at a homepage with a sidebar menu that lists the
resources provided at the Health Center including, Clinical Services, Health Promotion &
Yet, upon our research, we have found that the portion of the University Health Center
website dedicated to informing students about their mental health services needs improvement.
One major problem with the current website is the inability for a student to make an appointment
with mental health services online. The website states, for appointments, please call and
therefore dissuades a population of students who are seeking help but would prefer not to speak
with someone over the phone (Mental Health Services). Our research has found that 63.6% of
students, if able to make adjustments to the University Health Center website, would implement
the ability to schedule an appointment with the mental health services online (Eck, et al.).
Our proposal addresses the issues found during our research, especially concerning the
lack of accessibility the current website provides for the University of Maryland student
population. Our proposal calls on changes, or updates, to the current University Health Center
website that will create an online avenue for students who are seeking help to schedule an
The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being in which
every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can
work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community
(WHO). This definition, while long, emphasizes the point that mental wellbeing is beneficial,
and in fact necessary, for persons to be their best, most productive selves. Many factors can
influence the development of a mental illness, including genetics, family history, lifestyle, and
Since 1990, evidence shows that college students are at high risk for having emotional
and mental health problems. These problems are not only limited to stress, but also concern
substance abuse, eating disorders, and clinical depression (Iarovici). College students are
particularly vulnerable to mental illness for several reasons. For one, most college students are
between the ages of 18 and 24; the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states in Mental
Health Conditions that half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14, and 75% of mental
health conditions develop by age 24. Another reason college students are at risk for poor
mental health is due to the lifestyle factors that are considered determinants of mental illness.
These include prolonged high levels of stress, inadequate sleep, unhealthy and poorly-balanced
diet, and frequent or excessive alcohol and drug use (Iarovici). These lifestyle characteristics and
habits are commonly found on college campuses, and therefore it not surprising that mental
over 100 students at the University of Maryland. For several questions, students were asked to
express their answers on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 being not significant and 5 being highly significant.
When asked if their mental state had affected their schoolwork, 68.2% of respondents rated a 4
or above. In addition, 64.6% rated a 4 or above for their mental health having affected their
social life. Also, 47% of respondents gave a 5 out of 5 when asked if their mental state had
affected their overall academic experience. This data shows that the majority of students feel
their mental health has strongly affected their college experience, both in and outside of the
However, despite the high incidence of mental illness on college campuses, many
students find themselves unable or inefficiently equipped to tap into campus resources for
professional help. A commonly cited problem with mental health services on college campuses is
that they are difficult to find. A student mental health activist quoted in Building Bridges (2007)
pointed out that a lot of students dont know where mental health services are offered [on their
college campus] or how many they can use, which suggests that there is communication gap
between colleges and students (Center for Mental Health Services 11). Even those students who
actively seek information on their colleges mental health services run into trouble. According to
a NAMI report, 42% of student respondents rated the mental health information on their
colleges website as only somewhat helpful (Gruttadaro and Crudo 14). The results of our
UMD survey showed students experiencing the same difficulty, as 15.1% of UMD student
respondents reported not using mental health services because they did not know where to go.
Only 53.6% of respondents had visited the mental health services page on the University of
Maryland Health Centers website, and of these students, 46.9% gave it a rating of 3 out of 5,
saying it was only somewhat helpful (Eck et al.). The data from NAMI and Building Bridges,
enforced by our own UMD-specific survey results, indicate a widespread problem: college
students are in need of professional help, but are having difficulty accessing campus resources.
Negative Consequences of the Situation
There are many negative consequences of untreated mental illness in students, and some take
social isolation, self-harm, and substance abuse, while long-term consequences show declining
As stated by Richard Kadison and Theresa DiGeronimo, the quality of mental health
counseling services is directly related to the ability of many students to gain a college degree
(Trela 31). Mental illness can cause apathy and low energy levels that, if left untreated, can make
it very difficult for students to succeed both academically and socially. In 2012, a report by
NAMI found that 50% of students who failed to finish their degree due to mental health issues
did not access campus mental health services (Gruttadaro and Crudo 8). Other dangerous
outcomes of untreated mental illness include self-harm and substance abuse. Patients can fully
recover with treatment, but if left untreated these destructive tendencies and addictions will have
Leaving mental illness untreated for a long period of time often results in physical illness.
Having a serious mental illness (SMI) heightens your risk of developing a chronic medical
condition, and American adults living with SMI are found to die 25 years earlier than Americans
without SMI (Mental Illness Facts and Numbers). Unchecked mental illness can also result in
suicide, the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Suicide is also the third leading
cause of death in persons aged 15 to 24 years, and over 90% of persons who commit suicide had
In order to evaluate the consequences of not addressing mental health at the University of
Maryland, we surveyed 110 students around the campus. The 12 question survey asked students
a variety of questions about mental health and UMDs Mental Health Services website. Below
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
The full survey results can be viewed at:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rSKyQ7ciPiCrsvRSSiMyFLQeROvF5ZGERVbYfkwvspo/edit
?usp=sharing or in Appendix D (page 32).
In addition to our survey, we conducted three interviews. The first interview occurred
with Julia Matute, University Health Center Coordinator of Marketing. Margaret Lane
conducted this interview with Julia on December 5, 2016. Margarets interview with Julia found
that the two biggest issues surrounding mental health services at UMD are the prices for
appointments being inconsistent and that the website is changing every three to six months. With
this information in mind, we wanted to see if UMD students had similar opinions. Two student
interviews were conducted by Melissa Eck on December 7, 2016. Her two interviewees,
Katherine Swanson and Adrienne Baer, were featured in the Diamondback article, The Waiting
Game, written by Taylor Swaak. The article was published on November 23, 2016, and detailed
the frustrations of students experiencing long wait times with the UHC Mental Health Services.
Two years later, and it appears that these students are still having the same issues with those
services. It was here that we discovered the root of the problem: UMD students are less inclined
to continue using mental health services due to the extensive process involved with setting up an
appointment, going through triage, and then being seen by a therapist. We argue that this stems
from a single website that gives students an information overload. If these changes are not made,
*The interview transcripts can be viewed in Appendixes A (page 14) and B (page 20) of our
proposal.
Root Causes of the Situation
There are several reasons why so many college students are not seeking professional care
for their mental health. First, there exists a stigma around mental illness. Though mental illness is
just as valid and potentially damaging as physical illness, many students face judgment,
alienation, and isolation which can discourage and prevent them from seeking help (Roper 75-
77).
Beyond the effects of stigma, students often fail to seek help because of a lack of
perceived need. In other words, students dont think they have a problem that requires treatment.
Indeed, our survey of UMD students found that of the 65.5% of students who had not made use
of campus mental health services, 56.2% did so because they did not feel the need to get help
(Eck, et al.). The perceived effectiveness of treatment also plays a part in deterring students.
There could be many reasons for students having low expectations about treatment. Some may
not be satisfied with the health services available to them; others may have heard poor reviews or
had bad experiences themselves (Kessler et al. 996). Regardless of the reason, those who feel
that they will not benefit from the services available to them on campus are unlikely to seek out
those resources.
Another significant obstacle for students is financial situation. Health insurance can be
very complicated to navigate, especially for young people; and in many cases, insurance plans
dont cover treatments for mental health issues. Even when insurance is not an issue, mental
health appointments usually come with associated costs, such as a copay. At the University of
Maryland Health Center, students with non-UMD insurance are charged a copay of up to $25
(Health Insurance).
Finally, there are situational barriers that can keep students from seeking treatment for
their mental illness. For example, students may believe that undergoing treatment would take too
impossible, if the treatment center is overwhelmed with patients (Kessler et al. 996). One of the
most common situational barrier is that students are not sure where to go for help. Part of this
problem can be traced to the online information provided to students, or lack thereof. Many
students fail to seek treatment because the information about the process is not clear or easily
accessible through their colleges websites. According to a NAMI report, two of the top five
reasons students found websites to be unhelpful are that they dont include information on the
typical mental health issues students experience in college and that there is no information on
how to access mental health services (Gruttadaro and Crudo 14). According to our own survey
of UMD students, only 11.8% of respondents reported that the website was adequate and not in
need of updates, signifying that the majority of students are not satisfied with the information
Time may be a factor that concerns our audience. Deciding how to condense a large
volume of information can be a difficult and time-consuming task. However, we are proposing
the updates to the website so we would be involved in this process. Our contribution to the
website would save UHC employees time and deliberation, especially since we, as students, have
unique insight into exactly what students would like to see in an updated website.
The objection our audience is most likely to have is that there are already a large number
of students using campus mental health services. Resultantly, it often takes weeks to get an
appointment, and there are also limits on the number of individual sessions a student can have
per semester. As one University Health Center employee pointed out, they could hire 100 more
providers and still not have enough for every student. In fact, in order to ensure more consistent
treatment, the Counseling Center and UHC are both looking to establish relationships with
outside providers to whom they can refer students (Matute). However, the Health Center and
Counseling Center are, above all, for the benefit of all students, so it is unlikely that this
objection will be significant enough to overlook the benefits of a clearer, more comprehensive
website.
Our Proposal
On November 15, 2016, our group created and released the survey, UMD Mental Health
survey was posted in multiple Facebook groups, including UMD Class of 2017, UMD Class
of 2018, University Honors Class of 2018, UMD United Against Hate, and WMUC Staff
(UMDs Campus Radio Station). It included 12 questions, which ranged from simple yes and
no answers to multiple choice options. One of the questions included, Which sections of
UMDs Mental Health Services website would you like to see updated? The options were
scheduling an appointment online instead of over the phone, listing the number of therapy
sessions, a new description of the services offered, or that no changes needed to be made,
(Eck et. al.). 63.6% of student respondents said that scheduling an appointment online was a top
priority for them. 15.5% of student respondents said they wanted a new description of the offered
by UMDs Mental Health Services, and 9.1% of student respondents wanted to see the number of
We are proposing that a new website be updated to reflect those areas of interest. In
on the phone is difficult and sometimes people cant identify that they need help...but just seeing
it online and saying okay well I can sign up for it online, its like not as committal. Its a little bit
easier for someone to stomach. According to the Social Anxiety Association, social anxiety
disorder is the third largest mental health care problem in the world today. If students feel that
they cannot make a phone call to address their mental health, their issues could become cyclical.
Health Center, regardless of the issue. The University Health Center allows students to schedule
any other appointment, such as primary care or acupuncture (University of Maryland). We argue
that this adjustment to the website is not only something that allows students the flexibility to
schedule online, but also feel privacy in regards to their mental health.
website has five tabs for students to navigate, along with a button that links to a form for filling
out online appointments. With these simple updates to the University of Marylands Mental
Health Services website, the University Health Center would be able to avoid having so many
students call via phone for appointments. The other tab, What is Mental Health? addresses its
definition according to the World Health Organization, as well as identify the services that the
University of Maryland provides. We argue that while the University of Marylands Mental
Services website does list similar information on a single web page, it leaves students searching
to find the information they need. Our proposed updates would allow students to quickly
navigate the website without feeling frustration or stress about scheduling an appointment.
Therefore, an updated mental health services website would prove beneficial to both the
University Health Centers administration and to the students of the University of Maryland who
the UHC aims to serve. You can view screenshots of our website in Appendix F (page 37).
Conclusion
determinant of college student success. College students are especially vulnerable to mental
illness due to their age, lifestyle, and the pressures that come with being a student. Students here
at the University of Maryland are certainly not immune to mental illnesses: the majority of
surveyed UMD students agreed strongly that their mental state had affected their schoolwork,
social life, and overall academic experience (Eck, et al.). In fact, the University Health Centers
own website states that in a given year, 1 in 3 Terps will feel too depressed to function (Suicide
Prevention).
The consequences of mental illness can be incredibly costly and damaging. Students who
suffer from poor mental health in college are in danger of underperforming academically,
becoming socially isolated, and engaging in dangerous behaviors such as self-harm or substance
abuse. These habits can have lasting effects throughout a persons life: adults with untreated
mental illness are at higher risk of developing chronic physical illnesses (Mental Illness Facts
and Numbers). Additionally, the cost of mental illness is not limited to an individuals health.
The United States loses $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year due to serious mental illness
It is frustrating to read these statistics knowing that mental illness is often treatable and
even preventable. For some, having access to mental health services can make all the difference.
Ease of accessibility is particularly important for students; college-aged persons are just
beginning to gain independence from their parents, and in many cases this means that they have
limited experience with making their own healthcare appointments and dealing with insurance
companies. This relative inexperience makes it especially imperative that universities make their
Though some have argued that a complete overhaul of the current system would bring the
most improvement to the mental health services at University of Maryland, we are suggesting a
less drastic modification. Our proposal advocates for updates to the current online information on
UMDs Mental Health Services. What we, as students, would like to see from the University is a
centralized website with clear and comprehensive information on the various mental health
services offered on campus. The results of the survey we conducted show that students most
want to see a website that lays out detailed descriptions of the services offered, states the number
of therapy sessions allowed, and allows online appointment scheduling. We have drawn up a
Our decision to submit this proposal comes out of a desire to make mental health services
easier for students to access. After researching the prevalence of mental illness and its potential
effects, as well as conducting in-person interviews with UMD students on their personal
experiences, it became obvious that action must be taken. Providing clear information and easy
access to student mental health services is an ethical responsibility, and an updated website
would be a large stride toward making this goal a reality. If more students had a better
understanding of exactly what services were offered where, it is likely that more students would
seek treatment for their mental health condition. As a result of getting treatment, fewer students
would drop out without finishing their degree, and more students would learn healthy coping
strategies that they could make use of for the rest of their lives.
Appendix A
InfographicbyMargaretLane
InfographicbyJasminePelaez
InfographicbyMelissaEck
Appendix E
Survey Questions and Results
Appendix F
What is Mental Health? tab of Proposed UMD Mental Health Services Website
Hours and Appointment Information tab of Proposed UMD Mental Health Services Website
Center for Mental Health Services. Building Bridges: Mental Health on Campus: Student Mental
Health Leaders and College Administrators, Counselors, and Faculty in Dialogue.
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Eck, Melissa et al. University of Maryland Mental Health Services. Survey. 15 Nov. 2017.
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Iarovici, Doris. Mental Health Issues and the University Student. Johns Hopkins University,
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Roper, Larry D. "Breaking the Silence Surrounding Mental Health on Campus." Journal of
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Richards, Thomas A. Social Anxiety Fact Sheet: What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
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