New Study Gives Harvard a D- on Mental Health Policy

The Ruderman Family Foundation has given Harvard University a D- letter grade on its leave of absence policy as part of a newly released study that reveals failing and discriminatory practices by all eight Ivy League universities in their mental health policies.

“The Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health in the Ivy League” individually grades each university, none of which received better than a D+ mark. The white paper focuses on a common response of colleges to the mental health crisis on campus—providing or imposing leaves of absence on students who are experiencing mental illness. While a leave of absence is potentially useful to both the student and the school, many schools also use the leave of absence as a tool for discrimination, pushing students out of school who are entitled by law to receive accommodations and support which would enable them to stay.

The report’s release comes as mental health disabilities are increasingly pervasive on college campuses. According to the American College Health Association, 40 percent of undergraduates have felt so depressed within the past twelve months that it was difficult for them to function. More than 10 percent of undergraduates have seriously considered suicide during the past year. Meanwhile, college resources provide woefully inadequate support to students. Current estimates suggest that there is one mental health clinician for every 1,000-2,000 students on smaller campuses, and one clinician for every 2,000-3,500 students on larger campuses.

In examining the leave of absence policies at the Ivy League schools, the white paper points to components of the policies that are ambiguous at best and discriminatory at worst. School policies were scored based on 15 indicators.

Based on the report’s analysis of policy indicators and grading criteria—which were developed in consultation with leading national experts on college mental health—the Ivy League schools all received grades of D+ or worse, as follows: Harvard (D-), Brown University (D), Columbia University (D), Cornell University (D-), Dartmouth College (F), Princeton University (D), University of Pennsylvania (D+), and Yale University (F).

Harvard received 28 of a possible 45 points within the study’s grading criteria. A full breakdown and explanation of the university’s grade appears on page 39 of the white paper, which can be accessed here.

The paper also illuminates stories from several high-profile cases in which courageous students from Ivy League schools have told their stories of struggle and discrimination. The findings demonstrate that the Ivy League universities—the most elite institutions in our nation—are failing to lead the sector of higher education in supporting students with mental health disabilities.

“The Ivy League schools are the most elite in our nation, and they are failing to provide leadership that the sector of higher education desperately needs. It is our hope that the Ivy League schools will change their policies to reflect institutional commitment to supporting students with mental health disabilities. This will encourage hundreds of colleges and universities around the country to do the same,” said Jay Ruderman, President, Ruderman Family Foundation.