The state House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee held a series of work sessions last Friday, including two that featured presenters from WSU discussing the university’s work to address mental health challenges facing students and how WSU is utilizing and organizing around artificial intelligence.
In the first of the work sessions, Dr. Loren Brown, WSU Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, shared with committee members about common mental health concerns faced by students that include general anxiety, depression, PTSD, social anxiety, and relationship distress. These concerns are further challenged by a loneliness epidemic experienced nationwide, explained Brown, giving importance to treatment options that facilitate social connection like group therapy.
WSU’s Residential Life and Housing offers that social connection through fostering a sense of community in residents, noted its director Meg Autrey before the committee. One example of that connection is found in Living Learning Communities. “Living Learning Communities are small cohorts of 20 or 30 students that live on the same floor, taking a same class together, and the faculty member teaching that class is engaged with that community,” explained Autrey, noting that the program helps build a connection and provide purpose for students with the campus community.
You can watch Brown and Autrey’s remarks here: https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2025121060&startStreamAt=1016
Later in the hearing, legislators heard from WSU Vice Provost Dr. Bill Davis about efforts the university has undertaken in recent years to engage artificial intelligence across academics, research, and administration. Davis shared about how WSU is working to integrate the use of AI into its general education program to enable students to use it for learning, while keeping clear use policy statements for every course to deter abuse.
You can view Davis’ remarks below [00:54:52]:
The work session was a part of the state Legislature’s Committee Days held annually ahead of the legislative session. The 2026 legislative session is set to convene on January 12, 2026.