Students voice issues with Olin health care

MSU officials reversed roles with students Monday during a almost two-hour student health services meeting where administrators did most of the listening.

A group of about 10 graduate and undergraduate students gathered in Wells Hall to provide opinions and personal stories about health service topics including a possible relocation of Olin Health Center’s services and changes to the center’s hours.

Administrators announced plans for the discussion this past Friday, leaving little time for students to plan to attend.

James Hillard, associate provost for human health affairs, said the last-minute plan for the discussion stems from a lack of direct student concerns and opinions.

Hillard is required to submit a list of recommendations for Olin and several other student health service-related topics to Provost Kim Wilcox by Friday. The recommendations are part of a larger university initiative challenging every college dean to examine programs for potential short- and long-term budget reductions.

“We were just talking about who really had a chance to talk about this so far and realized really we’ve gotten a lot of secondhand information,” Hillard said. “The main thing I’m interested in is getting to hear more things directly (from the students).”

Dietetics sophomore Crissi Manitiu, who is a nutrition health advocate at Olin, attended the Monday discussion. Manitiu said she hoped it would help separate facts from rumors about the fate of student health services.

“I don’t think a lot of people know what’s going on,” she said. “I’m a health advocate and I really don’t know what’s going on.”

Senior Associate Provost June Youatt said students’ confusion and frustration about the possible health services move led to the Monday meeting despite a full slate of Homecoming activities.

“(President Lou Anna K. Simon’s) office felt as good of conversations as we were having with ASMSU leadership that we probably needed an opportunity to hear from a broader spectrum of students and more students,” Youatt said. “We were hearing students felt that they hadn’t had an opportunity to speak on issues related to student health.”

American studies doctoral student Darren Brown taught a class four days a week this summer and ran into problems with Olin after he went for blood work and was denied a free visit. Brown said he worries about the future of student health services as budget discussions dominate MSU.

“For many of us, this is how we continue teaching — being in good health,” Brown said.

Hillard said he doesn’t anticipate any problems in assembling a set of recommendations by Friday’s deadline, but stressed the meeting will not be the only opportunity for students to weigh in.

“This is going to be an ongoing conversation,” Hillard said. “Even in the most optimistic scenario, I can’t have everything figured out in the next week.”