Around 5:00pm on a weekday, there are parts of campus that begin to wind down. Classroom seats sit empty. Parking spaces are emptied and then filled with the cars of our evening students. Offices begin to close.
There are other parts of the campus that are full of energy late in the afternoon. Students are returning to their residence halls after a day at co-op or classes. Teams are practicing or competing in Tansey or out on Sweeney, and there is a lot of activity in Schumann Fitness Center.
We recognize that even when offices may be closed, life on our campus continues. One of the long established ways in which we accommodate this is through our Public Safety, which operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week. New this year, students have given positive reviews to the late night dining option in Beatty.
Our most recent #WITwants2know question was intended to raise awareness of our newest extended access to counseling services. After hours and over the weekend, a mental health counselor is available to speak with students over the phone. Only 39% of our respondents knew of this new initiative, which is called ProtoCall and is being utilized on other college campuses. Students who wish to speak with someone for any mental health issue can call our Center for Wellness and Disability Services at 617-989-4390 and they will be prompted to speak with an off-campus counselor. This may be particularly helpful for students who are experiencing some anxiety, symptoms of depression, or some other mental health difficulty and need additional support.
Students who may have more serious thoughts of harming themselves or others should contact 911 or dial Public Safety at 617-989-4444 for immediate assistance.
Calls to these telephonic counselors follow the same confidentiality laws as the Center for Wellness counseling staff. If a student contacts ProtoCall afterhours and requests follow up, the Center for Wellness and Disability Services will be notified to conduct outreach and offer ongoing support to the student.
All students – resident, commuter, undergraduate, and graduate – may access this service.