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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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CHRIS MURPHY: Supporting[br]Computer Science Student Mental

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Health.

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Hi, my name is Chris[br]Murphy, and I'm

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a senior lecturer in computer[br]science at Bryn Mawr College.

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The mental health of[br]undergraduate computer science

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students is becoming[br]a growing concern.

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And as our community seeks[br]to make CS education more

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accessible, it's more and[br]more urgent for instructors

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to address student[br]mental health issues

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and be inclusive[br]of students who are

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living with ongoing[br]mental health conditions.

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As CS instructors,[br]we of course care

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about our students' education.

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We should also signal that[br]we care about our students'

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mental health and create[br]environments in which students

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feel supported.

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One thing I do is[br]ensure that students

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know about campus[br]mental health resources

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by listing them in[br]my course syllabus.

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Which destigmatizes[br]their use and indicates

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that it's perfectly[br]OK to ask for help

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when it comes to mental health.

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I also try to be aware of[br]whether my course policies are

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unnecessarily contributing[br]to student distress.

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And recommend considering[br]flexible policies

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for submission[br]deadlines and late days,

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or using evaluation[br]approaches that

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allow students to[br]drop a low score,

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or to revise and resubmit work.

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It's also important to be[br]thoughtful about the scheduling

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of things like[br]exams so that they

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don't conflict with religious[br]holidays and other classes'

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deadlines.

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By signaling that academics[br]is just a part of life

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and not the other way[br]around, instructors

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can help students focus on[br]learning instead of on grades.

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In addition to supporting the[br]mental health of CS students

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in general, we must not overlook[br]the needs of the growing number

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of students who are living[br]with ongoing mental health

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conditions, such as[br]anxiety and depression.

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Students living with[br]mental health conditions

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may unexpectedly need extra[br]time to treat their condition.

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And flexibility in terms[br]of attendance and deadlines

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can help ensure the students[br]succeed in the class

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while staying healthy.

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Something I've[br]recently started doing

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is providing options for things[br]like in-class presentations

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and group projects.

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So the students are not[br]forced into social situations

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that are unnecessarily[br]distressing or even triggering.

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And so they can achieve the[br]course learning outcomes

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in a manner that[br]suits them best.

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Last, instructors should[br]demonstrate empathy

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toward their students[br]and acknowledge

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that students who are living[br]with mental health conditions

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face unique challenges.

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We're not advocating for[br]lowering standards or reducing

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rigor, but rather[br]suggest that instructors

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be willing to make[br]adjustments as needed

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in order to help their[br]neurodiverse students succeed.

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In addition to all[br]this, it's important

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that we as CS instructors look[br]after our own mental health

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too.

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After all, the best thing we[br]can do to take care of others

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is take care of ourselves.

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We certainly hope that all[br]members of the CS community

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will stay healthy[br]while supporting

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our students' mental health.