It’s been a long time coming. The Villanova Student Government Association recently announced the approval of excused mental health absences starting in the Spring 2024 semester. 

Led by Student Body President Thomas Dessoye, and with the help of other SGA members, the mental wellness of Villanovans will be acknowledged and prioritized. Mental health awareness has been rising in recent years as more concerns are brought to the surface. The time is long overdue.

While I am just a freshman in my first semester of college, I can recall several times in my educational career where I found it nearly impossible to get out of bed in the morning to go to class. Stressors included an overload of work, problems with friends or family and stress that comes with playing a sport or acting in a play. Sometimes it feels too overwhelming, and our minds and bodies need a break.

This policy has the chance to break the stigma revolving around mental health concerns for college students. Even in today’s world, the importance of mental health hides in the shadows because students fear opening up about their problems. Students are piled high with assignments, exams, presentations and endless amounts of work while also trying to balance extracurriculars and a social life. This is no easy feat.

Therefore, it should be recognized and understood that it is normal to feel overwhelmed. While students may not be physically ill, it is important to remember mental well-being and the significance of having a healthy mindset.

But, what took so long? The major concern around distributing these excused absences is the risk of college students abusing the policy.

As a result, SGA put an extreme amount of thought and care into the regulations to make sure students use this gift responsibly. Students cannot use these personal days on consecutive class days, use them in the same week, preceding or following holiday break periods or when exams or presentations occur.

The list goes on and was constructed with the hope to make sure students take these excused absences seriously.

Although the biggest issue is whether or not the students will use the absences responsibly to help their mental health, I believe it is necessary to enact these days into the school system with the potential benefits that could emerge. 

This policy has the power to help a student struggling to get out of bed in the morning. It has the power to aid an overwhelmed and anxious student who may not be able to sit through class that day. It has the power to help a student who may be severely depressed and lacking motivation.

In the end, the overarching goal for this policy is to help a student in dire need of mental rest. While it is possible for a student to misuse it, the possibility of it saving someone’s life is worth the risk. Dessoye adamantly agrees. 

“This policy is better than not doing anything to try to help our students who may face issues including depression or anxiety,” he said.

Villanova is bringing change to the University next semester by destigmatizing mental health in general and allowing students to know that “it is okay to not be okay.”