Albany State Staff Present on Mental Health and Food Insecurity at National Conference
Albany State University (ASU) staff served as experts on mental health and food insecurity
in higher education at the 69th Annual National Association of Student Affairs Professionals Conference. The event
was held in Atlanta, Georgia, March 20-22. The conference theme, “Student Affairs:
A Catalyst for Holistic Student Development,” provided a forum for professional growth
and development. 
“Albany State University knows that poor mental health and food insecurity impedes students' academic success. So, the university responded by providing services, programs, and resources to address these issues,” said Dr. Terry Lindsay, ASU Vice President for Student Affairs.
Dedra Williams, Dean of Student Development, and Nicola Bradley, LMFT, Director of Counseling and Accessibility Services, discussed curating a culture of holistic wellness on campus. This is done by expanding resources to support students' mental health and wellness by implementing high-impact programs on campus to foster holistic wellness and support students' growth, development, and mental health and wellness. In turn, this will mitigate the increased burden on staff and resources.
“The ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic continues to have a residual impact on growing numbers of Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students experiencing negative mental health outcomes on college campuses. Many of our students experience multiple life stressors that contribute to increasing rates of stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicidal ideation. It was important that we proactively address student wellness and create new strategies to support their well-being,” said Bradley.
To combat this issue, ASU has implemented many programs to expand access to resources and services. An example is WellFest, a health and wellness fair designed to increase visibility and promote awareness of campus and community resources to reduce stigma and improve our campus community's overall health and well-being.
“Creating a campus culture that focuses on wellness requires that all campus stakeholders
are committed to focusing on the dimensions of wellness, developing campus-wide engagement
practices, understanding and meeting the needs of our students, training and development,
and leveraging partnerships with key collaborators,” said Williams. 
Dr. Angelnique Jordan, Associate Dean for Student Support, discussed hunger on campus
and the fight against student food insecurity. To address food insecurity on college
campuses, many have developed food pantries as emergency aid to alleviate food insecurity
among their students. Attendees learned how to identify the need for a food pantry
on campus, and how to meet the needs for student success.
The ASU Food Pantry, established in 2021, has served over 561 students by distributing 23,206 items and 166,747 lbs. of non-perishable and hygiene products.
The University continues to evaluate current programs and implement strategies to ensure a culture of holistic wellness on campus in its continued commitment to academic excellence, and student success and access.