WSUV Wellness Center Had 30 to 40 Percent Less Counseling Visits Last Semester

According to the Wellness Center’s 2025 End of Fall Report, 100% of students who attended counseling services said they would recommend the resource to another student, and half reported they may have withdrawn from classes without access to counseling support. 

However, the report also notes that the center had fewer counselors than is recommended. Eric Scott, Senior Director for Engagement and Well-Being, explained that following the resignation of one of the two Mental Health Counselors, there was only one mental health counselor for the Fall 2025 semester.

Scott explained that the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS) recommends 1 counselor per 600-1,300 students, adding, “And so with twenty-six hundred students, we really should have two counselors.”

During fall semester, the Wellness Center had roughly 30 to 40 percent less than the usual number of counseling visits, according to Scott. He praised the remaining counselor for managing the workload while the center worked to fill the position. “Julie was absolutely phenomenal at being a one-person show,” he said.

The vacant mental health counselor position was eventually filled at the beginning of this year. According to Scott, the center rehired for the role during the previous semester, and the new counselor began working in January.

The Wellness Center is funded mostly from Services & Activities fees, however a portion of counseling staff funding is provided through the university’s core budget. Roughly twenty percent of one counselor’s salary is funded through the university’s core budget, according to Scott.

Beyond the counseling services, the Wellness Center at WSUV includes “Health Services,” which includes typical medical and physical health, as well as “Health Education,” which previously included student employees who organized workshops, outreach events and educational activities for students.

Scott also added that student clubs have the capability to help build community and signal that mental health matters. He said that counselors from the Wellness Center are also available to visit student organization meetings to help start those conversations, as has been recently done with the Psychology Club.

“All of us–students, staff, faculty, and especially club and organization leaders–have a role in promoting positive mental health across campus.”

The Wellness Center is located in Netzhammer Hall, Room 160.