Universities and colleges across the United States are finding that an ever-increasing number of students on their campuses are dealing with a variety of mental health issues, ranging from anxiety and depression to thoughts of suicide.

Recent studies and surveys indicate that nearly 45 percent of college students nationally report symptoms of depression, while almost 40 percent report experiencing anxiety.

Perhaps most concerning – up to 15 percent of college students have contemplated suicide. U.S. campuses report that approximately 1,100 students take their own lives each year, making suicide the second-leading cause of death among that demographic.

Western Carolina University is not immune from this growing mental health crisis. Thanks to a significant financial contribution from a WCU alumna, the university’s Counseling and Psychology Services Center now will be able to increase its evaluation and treatment of students struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions.

Rebecca Schlosser, a 1973 graduate of WCU and former member of the university’s Board of Trustees, recently made a transformative gift to WCU that will enable the center to greatly enhance its services by expanding access, increasing outreach and strengthening its ability to support student well-being.

“For me personally, mental health awareness came to the forefront when my son began struggling with mental health issues in 2007 and 2008 during his junior and senior year in college,” said Schlosser, a resident of Greensboro.

That son, David Edmond Wesley Schlosser, died unexpectedly at the age of 25, just nine days after graduating from Elon University.

“Students need to feel comfortable receiving mental health services,” Schlosser said. “College campuses should prioritize destigmatizing mental health, offering accessible resources and creating a supportive environment. Many times, mental health issues begin in early adulthood, which falls right during the college years. Dealing with the demands of college can add increased anxiety.”

She and her late husband, Greensboro attorney and former Guilford County District Attorney Michael A. Schlosser, made gifts in 2016 to create the David E. W. Schlosser Endowed Scholarship Fund in their son’s memory to provide support for students with demonstrated financial need in WCU’s Brinson Honors College.

They also agreed that they wanted to do something more to provide much-needed resources to WCU to help the university in its efforts to provide services to students struggling with mental health issues, in part to help parents and other family members avoid the heartache that they endured with the loss of their son.

The Schlossers later updated their financial plans to include a commitment to create an endowment to support the work of WCU’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center, a commitment that was fulfilled earlier this year.

In recognition of the gift establishing a program endowment for the center often referred to as CAPS, the university’s Board of Trustees has approved the facility’s renaming to the Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.

The Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services has a mission of empowering students to engage in and be successful in a range of academic, social and cultural endeavors through fostering psychological wellness. The center provides individual and group counseling to students on a short-term basis at no cost as well as emergency services when a student is experiencing a mental health crisis. It is located in Suite 225 in the Bird Building and reaches beyond its physical office by offering tele-mental health services and appointments at WCU’s Biltmore Park off-campus instructional site.

Over the past few years, the center has consistently offered more than 7,000 appointments to an average of approximately 1,100 individual students annually, said Kim Gorman, associate vice chancellor for health and wellness.

Despite those numbers, the center has not experienced a significant increase in student usage of its services, which is most likely related to a limit in the ability to serve a larger number of students given current staffing restraints, said Caroline Engler, CAPS director. But the center has seen significant increases over the last three years in the severity and complexity of mental health issues presented by student clients, Engler said.

“Our data is consistent with Center for Collegiate Mental Health data in that we continue to see a rise in reported experiences of history of trauma. Additionally, according to CCMH data, WCU students report more frequent and intense experiences with depression, anxiety, eating concerns and suicidal ideation as compared to the national average,” she said.

“Although our students report higher levels of acuity than the national average, our data also indicates that, with treatment, they report more significant declines in experiences of suicidal ideation and overall distress than the CCMH national averages,” Engler said.

An official naming ceremony for the Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 4. Fittingly, September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

“Renaming CAPS is more than just changing the name,” Rebecca Schlosser said. “I speak also on behalf of my late husband. It was our goal to provide this endowed funding to support WCU’s Counseling and Psychological Services and to help to destigmatize the challenges surrounding mental health. Our family wishes to help shine a bright light of hope along this very difficult pathway,” Rebecca Schlosser said.

“To the students at WCU, if you feel you need mental health support, I encourage you to seek services at the Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services,” she said. “You are not alone.”

The Schlosser contribution will enable the center to greatly increase the level of counseling and other psychological services it offers and improve and expand its training program so that additional providers will be able to more adequately address the growing need for mental health services at WCU.

Numerous factors are playing a role in the rise of mental health issues in the United States in recent years, said Engler.

“There is a trend that individuals who seek treatment at university counseling centers have been engaged in treatment prior to coming to college. This tells us that their distress levels are affecting individuals in middle and high schools,” she said.

The global COVID-19 pandemic is frequently cited as one primary source of the increase in mental health issues among young people, causing uncertainty and fear of the unknown, disrupting social connections and interrupting academic schedules, Engler said.

“However, the pandemic simply intersected with other ongoing social factors including the divisiveness we are seeing in our communities – and in our families. This is having an impact on our sense of community and belongingness, both factors that are essential for good mental health,” she said. “Furthermore, research shows the impact of social media has been problematic and contributing to mental health symptoms. Finally, there is much evidence of the impact of sleep disruption, often caused by excessive cell phone use and gaming, on mental health symptoms for teens.”

The additional services made possible by the Schlosser gift will help a larger number of students receive the mental health services they need to be able to stay enrolled in school and on track to graduate, said Gorman.

A 2023 research project conducted by Gorman and WCU colleague Kathleen Brennan, professor of sociology, found that students who seek help for their mental health issues are more likely to persist in their educational journey.

“We know that our services are helpful for retention of students as demonstrated by our recent study. The results indicate a higher number of counseling sessions was helpful in retention efforts for all students at the university,” Gorman said. “So, this gift is an investment in our students.”

Gorman and Brennan published the results of their study in a paper titled “More Sessions Make a Difference: University Counseling Centers and Student Retention” in the June 2023 edition of the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.

“We just feel immense gratitude,” Gorman said. “This gift is an incredible acknowledgement of the importance of mental health services at WCU.”

Rebecca Schlosser earned her bachelor’s degree in education. While a student at WCU, she was a member of Delta Zeta sorority, spent four years as a majorette with the marching band, and was a member of both Kappa Delta Pi and Alpha Phi Sigma honor societies. The WCU chapter of Phi Delta Kappa named her Most Outstanding Female Student at WCU her senior year.

After completing her undergraduate studies, she taught at a private all-girls school in New York before returning to school at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, earning her master’s degree in education there in 1983. During her time at UNCG, she met her future husband and helped him start his law firm.

Mike Schlosser was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and Wake Forest University School of Law. He died in February 2024, 10 years after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and amyloidosis as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Paratrooper Corps serving a tour in South Vietnam.

Rebecca Schlosser served on the WCU Board of Trustees from 2017 until 2023 and formerly served on the university’s Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Visitors. A member of the Madison Legacy and Cullowhee giving societies, she served on the steering committee for WCU’s previous “Lead the Way” comprehensive fundraising campaign. She is an involved member of the Triad alumni chapter and frequently hosts Triad-area events at her Greensboro home. The Schlossers have been annual donors to WCU since 1990.

The naming of the Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services comes as WCU is in the midst of the public phase of its “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million in philanthropic support for the university’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs.

For more information about the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign or to make a contribution, visit WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.

Athletics facilities improvements tip off this fall with renovations for both Catamount basketball teams

By Bill Studenc and Daniel Hooker

A long-range list of upgrades to Western Carolina University athletics facilities tipped off this fall with a project in support of the Catamount men’s and women’s basketball programs featuring renovated locker rooms, polished and refined players’ lounges with nutrition areas, and an updated film room.

“Improving the locker rooms and video room used by our men’s and women’s basketball programs is the first of many projects we will address that will enhance the student-athlete experience and reflect the Division 1 program we aspire to be,” said WCU Director of Athletics Alex Gary.

The newly renovated spaces were unveiled Friday, Sept. 29, as donors and fans got their first look at the modernized locker rooms, players’ lounges and film room during tours guided by members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Nearly 3,000 square feet of space on the main level of the Ramsey Regional Activity Center has been transformed by the project. Both men’s and women’s locker room renovations feature new lockers complete with charging stations and LED lighting, floor-to-ceiling esthetic finishes including custom flooring, and expanded player’s lounge areas complete with new systems and monitors. The film room includes new stadium-style seating along with audio-visual equipment to support film breakdown and instruction.

The WCU Board of Trustees has approved the naming of five spaces in the Ramsey Center in honor of five major gifts that have helped make the project possible:

In recognition of gifts and pledges from Waxhaw resident Gaither Keener and spouse Beverly, the men’s basketball suite is now known as the Gaither and Bev Keener Family Men’s Basketball Suite, which includes the men’s basketball locker room and player’s lounge. A political science major at WCU who graduated in 1972, Gaither Keener went on to earn his law degree from Wake Forest University. He retired from Lowe’s home improvement corporation in 2015 after 30 years of service in its legal department.
In recognition of gifts and pledges from Stephen Couch, the men’s basketball locker room has been named the Stephen Carlton Couch Men’s Basketball Locker Room. Couch, who earned his degree from WCU in industrial technology in 1985, is president of Couch Oil Co. in Durham.
In recognition of gifts and pledges from Susie Ray, the men’s basketball lounge is now the Robert G. and Susie R. Ray Men’s Basketball Players Lounge. A resident of Cullowhee, Susie Ray retired as director of WCU’s career services in 1996. Her late husband, 1957 WCU graduate Bob Ray, was a former WCU basketball coach and a faculty member in the Department of Health and Physical Education.
In recognition of gifts and pledges from Mike and Marsha Sullivan, the athletics program’s film room is christened the Mike and Marsha Sullivan Film Room. Mike Sullivan is CEO and president of Gargiulo Farms and spouse Marsha is a retired customer service manager for Lee County Tax Collection Office. They are residents of Florida with a home in Cashiers, and daughter Marissa Sullivan is a 2022 alumna and current WCU graduate student.
In recognition of gifts and pledges from James Causby and spouse June Causby, the women’s lounge has been named the Jim and June Causby Women’s Basketball Lounge. Both are retired educators, and James Causby is a former executive director of the N.C. Association of School Administrators and the N.C. School Superintendent Association who recently served as interim superintendent of Asheville City Schools. He graduated in 1967 from WCU where he earned his master’s degree here in 1969, and she graduated from WCU in 1969.

In addition, two former men’s basketball standouts were recognized for making significant contributions to the project. They are Board of Trustees member Jake Robinson, a 2010 graduate of WCU and president of Champion Credit Union in Canton, and wife Olivia Robinson, also a 2010 WCU graduate; and retired NBA player Kevin Martin, who attended WCU in the early 2000s before becoming the first Catamount to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft.

Donors to the basketball program renovations said they decided to support the facilities improvements out of a desire to help the Catamount athletics program be more successful.

“I know athletics has been through some lean years, but our people are not the problem. We have great people,” said Couch, who also has created the Carlton O. and Margaret W. Couch Scholarship Fund in honor of his parents. “Chancellor Kelli Brown has done a fantastic job focusing on athletics and has brought in top-notch talent to lead our program. It’s all in place at the perfect time – vision, personnel, strategy and giving. Every WCU team, no matter the sport, benefits when alumni, friends and community commit to support this important endeavor.”

Susie Ray’s gifts to the renovations project, which are in addition to a previously established scholarship fund in recognition of her husband’s contributions to WCU, originated with an inquiry from a member of the Catamount Club staff. “When I considered how much that would please Bob, I made the commitment,” she said. “He would be so happy to know that the dedication of the lounge area in the new dressing rooms would be in his memory.”

Catamount basketball coaches agree that the changes will not only improve the practice and game-day experiences for current players but also will help recruit and retain new student-athletes.

“A winning culture is not an accident and it shares a story. It is words used, what is accepted, actions performed and lessons learned. Over the past two years, we have seen numerous esthetic changes that provide a new ‘feel’ inside and out of the Ramsey Center that are helping tell our story. Investments like this one help change the storyline away from the past to the future and provide a visually telling reminder that a cultural shift is upon us,” said Kiley Hill, women’s basketball head coach.

“We are blessed to have the support of the alumni, donors and administration for the men’s and women’s basketball locker room project,” said Justin Gray, men’s basketball head coach. “The upgrades we have made to these spaces show a commitment to winning by providing our student-athletes with a state-of-the-art space with advanced technology that will give us a real competitive advantage within our league,”

Student-athletes are already making use of the renovated basketball facilities. “As players for Western Carolina, we are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Western Carolina community and family,” said Russell Jones Jr., a guard on the men’s team. “Having a brand new, state-of-the-art locker room will pay huge dividends for the program now and for years to come.”

For more information or to make a donation to the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms and film room renovation project, contact Julie Miller, associate athletics director for development, at jamiller@wcu.edu or 828-227-3084.