The University of Toledo Receives Racial Justice and Equity Program Award

Dr. Sammy Spann, interim senior associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students at The University of Toledo.The University of Toledo has been selected as the third winner of the Racial Justice and Equity Program Award from the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU). The University of Toledo was recognized because of its partnership building efforts with the city to address the mental health challenges faced by Black and Latinx students, part of a bigger effort to improve student wellbeing.

Mitzy González, program manager at USU, said the University of Toledo showed a willingness to take innovative action to address the mental health challenges “head on, with particular focus on addressing the needs of students from minoritized populations.”

The University of Toledo used national survey data to assess the scope of the crisis, which revealed that underserved populations tend to struggle more with depression and anxiety but are some of the least likely to seek help. On their campus, 38% of students seeking mental health counseling were people of color.

“It is OK to not be OK,” said Dr. Sammy Spann, interim senior associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students at The University of Toledo. “We are looking forward to partnering with local organizations and businesses to help more students receive the care they need and to address equity gaps for receiving that care.”