ACHA Submits Comment on IPEDS

In May 2024, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which operates under the U.S. Department of Education, invited public comments in response to the upcoming execution of the 2024-25 through 2026-27 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The purpose of IPEDS is to collect data from all colleges and universities around the country so that NCES can report information relating to enrollment, degrees, tuition, and similar subjects. As the current form of IPEDS does not sufficiently account for college health and well-being information, ACHA decided to submit recommendations in the form of a public comment.

ACHA’s comment cited data from the National College Health Assessment, urging IPEDS administrators to consider incorporating data-capturing methods accounting for physical health, mental health, and well-being services and programs offered at postsecondary institutions. ACHA specifically recommended that IPEDS incorporate the following 5 questions to track well-being data at the postsecondary level:

1. Does your institution offer mental health counseling services for students on campus by licensed mental health professionals?
2. Does your institution supplement its mental health counseling services through a third-party vendor of telehealth mental health services?
3. Does your institution have a student health services center on campus?
4. Does your campus regularly assess the health and well-being of the student population through means such as climate or health risk behavior surveys?
5. Does your institution have a dedicated student-facing health promotion or well-being office staffed with at least one full-time employee?

The recommendations resulted from a collaboration between ACHA’s Data Strategy Task Force Leaders, Advocacy Committee, and Executive Committee. The recommendations allowed ACHA to emphasize that including this information within IPEDS would help provide policymakers with public and useful information on counseling and well-being programs while allowing institutions to assess the impact of these services and programs on student success, as measured by graduation and degree completion rates.

The U.S. Department of Education will now review all submitted recommendations for this public comment request and update IPEDS accordingly. While the outcome of this review remains to be seen, the submission from ACHA underscores the critical importance of comprehensive data collection in addressing the holistic needs of students. By advocating for the inclusion of health and well-being metrics in IPEDS, ACHA aims to ensure that policymakers, educators, and institutions have access to vital information that can be used to support students better. This initiative reflects a broader recognition that student success extends beyond academic performance and includes the overall well-being of the student population.