Dive Brief:
- The University of Southern California announced that it was seeking to fire former medical school dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito, who had been accused of using drugs during his appointment, according to The New York Times, while The Chronicle of Higher Education notes Puliafito's story is sparking conversations about how to deal with alcohol and substance abuse among faculty and administrators.
- Previous reports said a woman had overdosed while in the company of Puliafito, and he resigned from the dean post shortly thereafter — but college administrators and professors note higher ed could be a challenging profession for alcohol and/or substance abusers due to high-pressure environments and the easy accessibility of alcohol at events and functions.
- The accomplished professional career of esteemed administrators like Puliafito can often mask personal struggles and challenges with addiction or other matters, and George Washington University President Emeritus Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said it can be difficult to tell when individuals are suffering from addiction if they remain productive in work.
Dive Insight:
Colleges and universities continue to face a crisis with offering the amount of mental health counseling needed for students. Throughout the country, there have been spikes in interest and requests for appointments for students to seek such counseling.
Institutions are responding in a variety of manners, including the creation of remote counseling locations to meet the burgeoning need, but the crushing weight of student interest may also be leaving professors and administrators without much recourse if they require mental health or substance abuse assistance. Professors reported in a recent survey that while they would confide in a colleague about mental health issues, they didn't feel that there was administrative support in terms of assisting their struggles, with many concerned about stigma.
Alcoholism and substance abuse can carry their own severe stigmas, which makes it all the more important for college and K-12 administrators alike to encourage a culture that would embolden individuals struggling with dependence issues to feel that they can seek assistance and counsel within the institution without fear of repercussion. Administrators could partner with interested students and faculty to become advisors and sounding boards for peers if affected individuals do not feel comfortable with immediately accessing institutional support. Leaders should also perform more outreach to alert students and teachers to their legal rights and protections against any form of discrimination in situations where they disclose concerns about dependence issues.