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.

Retired accounting executive named Foundation Board chair, makes additional $500K gift to WCU

By Bill Studenc

Alumnus Michael Crawford has made it a priority to support Western Carolina University through financial contributions throughout a distinguished career in the world of accounting, including a recent commitment to the tune of a half a million dollars toward renovations to athletics facilities used by Catamount student-athletes.

With his retirement in June from national accounting firm FORVIS LLP (now Forvis Mazars LLP), Crawford is now stepping up to serve his alma mater in other ways. Effective July 1, he is chairing the WCU Foundation Board of Directors.

A 1987 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, he points to both his experience as a student and his extensive family connections to the institution as the reasons behind his longtime support of the university.

“Some of the best years of my life were at Western,” said Crawford, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. “From my Sig Ep fraternity brothers and double-majoring in accounting and finance through participating in intramural sports, my time in Cullowhee was fantastic. The fall of 1983, my freshman year, the Catamount football team went to the national championship game. Basketball games in Reid Gym were awesome, and the baseball team was successful with Coach (Jack) Leggett. I have great memories and lifelong friends, coupled with a great education. I loved my time at WCU.”

A native of Jackson County who now resides in Candler, Crawford is the fourth generation of his family to graduate from WCU. His father, Frank Moody Crawford Jr., was a 1954 WCU graduate. Grandfather Frank Moody Crawford Sr. graduated in 1941 from what was then Cullowhee State Normal School with a degree in education, and great-grandfather W.R. Sherrill graduated in 1902. Sherill’s diploma features the signature of Robert L. Madison, founder of the institution now known as Western Carolina University.

Crawford’s wife, Gina, and daughter Emily also have attended WCU. Other family ties include his brother, 1985 graduate Steve Crawford, and a trio of cousins of his father who became educators after graduating.

Those family connections led Crawford to make $425,000 in gifts and pledges in December 2021 to create the Crawford Sherrill Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit students in WCU’s College of Business. In recognition of the contributions, the dean’s suite of offices in the Forsyth Building was renamed the WCU College of Business Crawford Sherrill Dean’s Suite.

“My dad loved WCU and was so proud of his boys who graduated from Western just like him, his father and his grandfather,” he said during a ceremony announcing the new name in April 2023.

“I want Western to be a school of choice for students in Western North Carolina, rather than a second or third choice. High school guidance counselors and teachers should point their top students toward WCU.”

The Crawfords’ lifetime giving total of $1.2 million to support WCU includes gifts totaling $500,000 to athletics facilities renovations as part of the “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign. The campaign is an effort to raise a minimum of $75 million in philanthropic support for academic, student engagement and athletics programs.

The leadership gift toward athletics facilities improvements and Crawford’s new role as chairman of the Foundation Board are key developments as the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign approaches its public launch this fall, said WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown.

“We are so appreciative of the generosity of Mike and Gina Crawford to WCU over the years, so graciously giving of their time, their talent and their treasure,” Brown said. “Their latest gift to the university will help us address much-needed renovations to the spaces used by our Catamount student-athletes. I look forward to working with Mike and the Foundation Board as we move this important campaign forward.”

While extensive enhancements have occurred around WCU’s academic programs and facilities over the years, that has not been the case for athletics, said Crawford, who made his commitment toward sports facilities improvements when he learned the Catamount athletics budget is the lowest in the Southern Conference except for military schools VMI and Citadel.

“This puts us at a competitive disadvantage in facilities, scholarships, equipment and coaching compensation. Yet, we led the Southern Conference in attendance for football games last year – plus had a winning season, I might add – and our women’s soccer program won the conference championship,” he said.

“Our facilities are old and outdated, which has a negative impact on the recruiting of student-athletes. Once the facilities are updated, then student-athletes, students and alumni will be very proud of coming to sporting events. Consider the art of the possible for WCU when we complete the fundraising and start breaking ground on new facilities. This is not simply something that should or could be done, but it must be done to get WCU where it belongs as an institution. We owe it to our students, faculty and coaches.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree, Crawford went on to Clemson University, where he earned a master’s degree in taxation. There, he witnessed the impact that a successful athletics program can have on an institution.

“Academics at Western have been very successful, thanks to the leadership of many over the past decades,” he said. “I have watched what winning football national championships has done for Clemson. It not only attracts great students for academics, but it is a catalyst for major donations to support both academics and athletics. The vision that our chancellor, Board of Trustees and athletics director have for our ‘Fill the Western Sky’ campaign is spot on and just what we need to take WCU to the next level.”

As newly elected chairman of the Foundation Board, Crawford said he plans to work to help the Foundation and Division of Advancement with ongoing efforts to connect with members of the Catamount family, engage them with the university and encourage their involvement in the campaign.

“We have more than 80,000 alumni out in the working world, so one of my goals is to support the Foundation team in the efforts to reach out to our alumni. There are so many who had the great experience that I had at WCU, but for whatever reason, they have been disconnected from WCU,” he said.

“Let’s share the vision with that group by educating them on the achievements and progress of WCU since they graduated. Let’s get them back to the ‘Whee and show them what they have been missing. Finally, we have to boldly ask them to lock arms with us and ‘Fill the Western Sky’ by participating in the campaign.”

Crawford and spouse Gina both also serve on the “Fill the Western Sky” Campaign Steering Committee. Although she is not a degreed alumna of WCU, she said she has been glad to be a partner in providing philanthropic support to the university.

“Even though I did not get to graduate from Western, I did attend for one year,” she said. “Between the school itself, the staff, the Catamount Club and the Foundation team, plus Mike’s family being embedded in the university, all of these reasons make it easy to appreciate and love the community of WCU.”

Crawford closed the ledger on a 35-year career in the accounting profession earlier this year when he stepped down from the position of chief performance officer at FORVIS – a career that also has deep roots at WCU.

“One of the legacy firms of FORVIS was formed by a WCU professor and student, who later hired me in the Asheville firm Crisp Hughes and Co.,” he said. “This firm eventually became FORVIS, after several mergers and acquisitions, and was the eighth largest CPA firm in the United States. I never dreamed that a middle-class kid from Sylva-Webster High School could be an accounting major at WCU and eventually be a tax partner and C-suite executive in a Top 10 firm. I have been so blessed, and it all started at WCU.”

For more information or to make a contribution to the campaign for the university’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs, visit WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.