Miami Student Health Survey opens for student input

Students looking to help the university better understand the Miami community will have the opportunity to do so through the Miami Student Health Survey.

The survey opened on Feb. 28 and will remain open until March 14. All Miami students received an email on Feb. 28 indicating that the survey had been opened.

Students' answers are completely confidential and their will be no link between a student and their responses. The survey takes roughly 30-40 minutes to complete, and students may skip any questions they do not feel comfortable answering.

The survey focuses on three main topics: mental health, use of alcohol and other substances and interpersonal violence on campus.

At the forefront of the survey is Rose Marie Ward, Associate Dean of the Graduate School and professor.

"A lot of the survey is keeping us at our benchmarks and figuring out where our levels are, and then giving us intervention points so that we can move the dial so that more people are making healthier decisions," said Ward.

The first portion of the survey is designated toward learning more about the mental health of students at the university. Questions ask whether students are experiencing symptoms of mental health problems and if they would know where to go if they were.

"Our student counseling center has used data like this over the years to really destigmatize the use of mental health services on this campus," said dean of students Mike Curme. "And that's through education and prevention."

Alcohol use by students is another large section of the survey, which primarily focuses on how often and how much students consume alcohol. Additionally, the survey asks about other substances students may be using.

"Alcohol misuse is the single biggest obstacle to student success at Miami," said Curme. "Our goal is not to have every student abstain, it's just to get students to be conscious of the negative impact that alcohol use can have on them."

The interpersonal relationships section consists of questions on whether students have experienced violence with other students, which is centered around cases of sexual harassment and assault.

"Whether it's mental health, alcohol or sexual assault, it's good to know the scope of the problem and encourage people," said Ward.

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Miami is strongly encouraging that students complete the survey. In addition to the email sent to all students, around 40 faculty members will also be administering the survey in their classes.

"I can't underestimate how important these data are to us," said Curme. "The data actually improve in their power the larger the response rate is."

All Miami students can take the email following the link that was sent to their email on Feb. 28. Students who complete the survey will receive a $3 coupon that can be used at King Cafe in King Library.

tilbear@miamioh.edu