As candid conversations about mental wellness increase on college campuses, Georgia Tech is taking another step in its efforts to enhance well-being in our community. 

In response to recent campus feedback on mental health, Tech is launching a JED Campus assessment. JED Campus is the signature program of the JED Foundation (JED), a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the emotional health of college students and preventing suicide among teens and young adults. The program’s mission is to build upon existing student mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention efforts at 300 college campuses. Georgia Tech joins other peer institutions, such as Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as campuses working to improve the well-being of all students. 

“I am truly excited that we are participating with the JED foundation to assess and increase our efforts in mental health support and suicide prevention, made possible through the Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students Endowment,” said John M. Stein, vice president for Student Life and the Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students Chair. “I know JED will provide us with the valuable tools and feedback we need to make changes along the way as we address this very important issue.”

Georgia Tech’s partnership with JED Campus will enable us to take a closer look at current strengths, potential gaps, areas of improvement, and campus programming as they relate to the overall well-being of our students. Throughout the four-year program, JED will assist Tech in making continuous improvements to practices and use of resources. 

During the first year, JED helps each campus to identify areas of improvement. Georgia Tech has begun the process by forming a JED Campus Team consisting of representatives from key departments on campus, including but not limited to the Office of the Dean of Students, Housing and Residence Life, Campus Services, Health Initiatives, Psychiatry, Counseling Center, Chaplaincy, CARE, Office of Disability Services, the Provost’s Office, faculty at large, SGA, and the Mental Health Student Coalition. 

The team is currently completing the JED Campus Baseline Assessment, a 130-item tool measuring Tech’s systems, policies, and programs. Once the evaluation is completed at the end of this semester, JED Campus representatives will review the data and plan a site visit during the spring semester to meet with our faculty, staff, and student community. The campus visit will give them a clearer view of what Georgia Tech has already put into place to assist students and to develop a plan to enhance those efforts. 

During the remaining three years of the program, Georgia Tech will take JED’s findings and recommendations and implement a strategy for improving and safeguarding student mental health. We will have the support of JED throughout the implementation process and access to webinars, online resource libraries, an online resource center for students, and more. At the program’s conclusion, JED representatives will conduct a post-assessment to track progress and identify other growth opportunities. 

At the beginning of the program, and the end, the Healthy Minds Study will be given to help identify students’ attitudes, behaviors, and awareness of mental health issues. The data gathered from both studies will also be used within the feedback reports. 

Both Georgia Tech and JED recognize that the work does not stop at the end of the four years. Upon completion of the program, Tech will become affiliated as a JED Campus and will receive mentorship and ongoing access to the JED Campus Learning Community. And we, as a unit and as part of the campus community, will continue to build upon the foundation that has been laid to enhance student well-being at Tech. 

For more information on JED Campus, visit jedcampus.org.