What’s happening at Augusta University? Week of Nov. 22-28

This week: enrollment remains on the rise, possible scams await as the holiday buying season arrives and college students continue to struggle with the pandemic.

The strain of the pandemic is taking its mental toll

With the pandemic continuing to drag on, it has taken a toll on many Americans’ mental health, including college students. Augusta University has seen a dramatic uptick in the number of students who have anxiety, distress, burnout and grief.

“I’ve noticed an increase in both the number and intensity of mental health concerns across a wide range of students,” said Dr. Bill Hight, a staff psychologist at Student Counseling and Psychological Services. “This year, the impact on being in pandemic survival mode, figuratively and literally, is showing up as more acute and severe anxiety, depression and adjustment challenges.”

Online buyers beware: ‘Tis the season for scammers and hackers

 It’s the season for online holiday shopping, but there are plenty of pitfalls you can fall victim to if you aren’t paying attention.

“As the saying goes, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t be afraid to spend a few minutes doing some research online to determine if it is a scam,” said Dr. Heather Roszkowski, assistant vice president, cybersecurity and chief information security officer. From using a secure connection on a device to using a retailer’s site, not a search engine to find deals, there are a number of ways people can avoid being scammed or having their bank accounts compromised.

Augusta University enrollment continues to climb

 Despite concerns over the impact of COVID-19, Augusta University continues to see a rise in enrollment. Since the fall of 2015, the number of enrolled students has gone up more than 15%. “Augusta University was one of only five universities in the University System of Georgia that experienced enrollment growth in 2021,” said Dr. Susan Davies, the vice president for enrollment and student affairs. “The growth at Augusta University was primarily in graduate and professional student enrollment. From fall 2020 to fall 2021, there was a 5.7% increase in graduate and professional enrollment.”

Total enrollment at Augusta University for fall 2021 is 9,606, which is a 0.4% increase over last fall. There are currently 5,496 undergraduates and 4,110 graduate and professional students enrolled at AU.

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