Parallel Initiatives

In Summer 2021, Dartmouth partnered with the Jed Foundation’s signature four-year JED Campus program to develop and implement plans for supporting student mental health. In the 2021-2022 academic year, committees consisting of students, faculty, and senior leadership were established at Geisel, Guarini, Thayer, Tuck, and in the Arts and Sciences. Each school-based committee completed a comprehensive self-study that explored the institution’s mental health policies and procedures, and all students were invited to participate in the Healthy Minds Study (HMS) survey in Fall 2021. Site visits by the Jed Foundation occurred in Winter and Spring 2022. The schools are actively working with the Jed Foundation to develop strategic plans informed by the policy review, HMS data, site visits, and institutional wisdom. In September 2022 several work groups were launched by the undergraduate, graduate professional, and medical schools to address over eighty potential action items generated through those processes. Additional information regarding this initiative can be found by contacting Dartmouth College Health Services.

In 2018, an evaluation of Dartmouth’s programmatic accessibility services was performed. This provided a pathway for the initial work of the inaugural ADA/504 Coordinator – a role that was filled permanently in July 2021.  As a result of this evaluation, the College is moving toward a coordinated centralized disability services model starting in the fall of 2023 where staff from the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity will lead these efforts. Plans are in development to create greater community disability awareness through a speaker series and other collaborative efforts of likeminded groups across campus. Creating greater awareness about the needs and rights of people with disabilities in our community will help foster the sense of shared responsibility of building an inclusive environment.

As Dartmouth prepares to welcome more international applicants as a result of becoming need-blind in admissions for all students, the College wishes to bolster support for this community. In Fall 2022, an International Student Working Group was charged with assessing the needs of the international student community, reviewing current supports, and making recommendations to address gaps that are identified.

An ad hoc Council on Work/Life Issues was convened by the Executive Vice President and the Provost and charged with providing guidance to address the challenges of work-life issues as they relate to the recruitment and retention of employees and graduate students, including how such issues affect diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This council will address issues including but not limited to housing, child-care, and employee engagement.