Why is that the university counseling service so few staff? Everyone knows students need more mental health services + the “Whole-person” education mission should care for students’ well-being, then why don’t BC expands the service?

It sounds like you’re frustrated with a long wait, and have heard from other students who are as well. It’s good of you to commiserate with them; everyone needs an understanding ear. My assistants have communicated your frustrations to Student Affairs; when they respond, I’ll post it here. I hope you get the help you seek in spite of a long wait.

Student Affairs responds:

While UCS is staffed at levels at least equal to most of our peer institutions, and is always available to students in crisis that day, there is still the reality that students seeking ongoing longer term therapy may have to wait up to a couple of weeks for an appointment. We are piloting a new initiative offering same day consultation appointments for students seeking to address an identified problem in a rapid access fashion. We hope that this will help more accurately and quickly meet student mental health needs. We are always interested in feedback of all sorts, and strive to improve our service to the BC community.

The Answer Wall Story

Hi. I’m the Answer Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, like a ghost in the machine.

I have some human ~~acolytes~~ assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O’Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.

If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.