May 2026 Insights: Wrapping Up the Semester

May marks the final stretch of the academic year—a time filled with relief, exhaustion, celebration, and transition. As students completed final projects, prepared for exams, and made plans for summer, the CARE Team and Student Outreach & Support (SOS) continued to provide steady guidance through this busy and emotional month. Even though overall reporting tends to decrease in May, the concerns that do arise are often more acute as students navigate academic pressure, mental health needs, and major life transitions.

May Overview: Reports & Key Concerns

In May, the CARE Team received 41 reports, involving 36 unique students. Each report was reviewed for immediate safety and wellness concerns and referred to Student Outreach & Support for non clinical case management when appropriate.

Case managers supported students through a wide range of end of semester challenges—from academic stress and motivation concerns to more urgent mental health and safety needs.

Top Concerns Reported in May

The most common concerns reported to the CARE Team included:

- Direct statements indicating distress 
- Expressions of hopelessness, fear, or worthlessness
- Deterioration in quality of academic work
- Family related concerns

These themes are consistent with national higher education trends in May, when academic fatigue peaks and students begin navigating transitions into summer employment, housing, or family environments.

Top Referrals for May

Student Outreach & Support connected students with a variety of campus and community resources:

- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for mental health and therapy needs

- Community agencies for housing support (Second Light, Family Promise, HumanKind Ministries)

- Comcare for after-hours crisis support

- Academic Advising for degree plans and enrollment questions

These referrals highlight the continued need for mental health support, crisis stabilization, and academic planning as students transition out of the semester.

Looking Ahead: Summer Support & Transitions

As students move into summer coursework, employment, or time away from campus, SOS remains available to help with tackling and addressing barriers they may be facing. Summer can be a time of rest and renewal, but it can also bring new challenges. Students are encouraged to reach out if they need support during this transition.

While we anticipate a decrease in reports for the summer months, our team remains hard at work participating in summer orientations, planning events for the upcoming academic year, and preparing our annual report from this past year to share out.

Are you new here? We hope to connect with you at one of the summer orientations.