UNC chancellor to give students Tuesday off for mental health

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WBTV) - Following the deaths of two students on campus in the past month and calls from student leaders to cancel classes for at least a day, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced a ‘Wellness Day’ off for students on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

Classes will be canceled that day to address mental health campus-wide, according to the letter sent to students.

“I encourage every student to use this time to rest and to check in with each other during that day,” Chancellor Guskiewicz said. “Reach out to a friend, a classmate, or colleague and ask them, ‘honestly, how are you doing?’ We will still recognize University Day at 2 p.m. in Memorial Hall as planned.”

UNC will have expertise across campus, including Counseling and Psychological Services, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and School of Social work, work to create a special support network starting Tuesday and throughout the week.

Later in the month, the school will have a mental health summit to bring together faculty, staff, and student leaders to address the national mental health crisis.

“At Carolina, we strive to put our students first in everything we do. We are living in a world that is constantly shifting and changing. We are facing major challenges and the ongoing toll this takes on our health cannot be underestimated. This cannot be solved by one person, or on one day, alone,” Chancellor Guskiewicz added.