COGS is also advocating for a partnership with Graduate Student Life & Wellness, Olin Health Center and Student Health Services to create programming that focuses on helping students deal with stress, anxiety, depression, work and sleep difficulties.

“There has been a conflict over how many individuals the center has been able to see — this recommendation deals with that,” said Interim Vice President for Internal Affairs Emily Bank, who drafted the recommendations.

Moving forward the student government plans on reviewing the MSU Counseling Center to see if it meets student needs.

“If you look at the capacity of the counseling center, there are potential concerns about it being over capacity,” COGS President Stefan Fletcher said.

“If a student is in need or there is an emergency, they should not have to wait,” Fletcher said. “It’s important that the center be adequately resourced to handle concerns of graduate and undergraduate students.”

Acting Director of the MSU Counseling Center Scott Becker said MSU has been responsive to the growing demand for mental health services. The counseling center has hired four clinical staff members in the past five years and is planning on hiring two new clinical staff members.

“We are actively engaged in conversations with partners on and off campus that will allow us to potentially expand and better coordinate our services, including other units and clinics who provide mental health treatment,” Becker said in an email.

He said that it has been a national trend to give mental health issues more attention, especially among undergraduate and graduate students.

Some of the main concerns that COGS had were the extended wait time between a student’s initial evaluation at the counseling center and that student being assigned to a counselor. Becker said that the counseling center will establish a series of support groups that students can be assigned to while they wait to see a professional.