The Student Health Center may be closing at 5:30 p. m. starting in the fall semester to save money on staffing, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Student Health Services Jerry Barker said.
Despite the cutbacks, Barker said he doubts students will be adversely affected by the early closing because the center’s evening hours aren’t utilized.
“There are usually around three people per night between 5:30 and 9 p.m.,” Barker said.
A late-afternoon closing time is common among student health centers at universities across the country, Barker said, and the decision to bring these hours to NCSU was based on a national survey.
“There are some health centers that stay open until midnight, but it’s unusual to find a student health center that stays open even as late as we do,” Barker said.
Though the early closing is a proposal at this stage, Barker said it will likely pass.
“We’ve talked to the Student Senate, the University Health Committee, IRC, University Housing, and Campus Recreation, and sent the draft proposal to Jim [Ceresnak] and Kelli [Rogers] to get feedback,” Barker said. “The University Health Committee has already voted to approve the proposal.”
The proposal is designed to save money and, according to Barker, cutting back by three and a half hours each night will save the center more than $90,000 per year.
“There are good safety nets in place if someone has a need after hours,” Barker said. “On-call hours would start at 5:30 instead of 9 p.m. like they do now.”
On-call hours are when there is a doctor, a psychologist, and a counselor who can be reached by phone if a student has non-life-threatening medical problems after the Student Health Center closes, Barker said.
Other departments housed in the Student Health Services Building, such as Counseling and Disability, already close at 5 p.m.
“We’re working to make sure that the building can stay open for meetings and other things that happen after 5 p.m.,” Barker said.
Jay Dawkins, senior class president, said he was concerned student life may be impacted by the changes.
“I’m afraid that students are getting the short end of the stick,” Dawkins said. “Many students aren’t even aware the center is open late. Other issues should be addressed before hours are cut.”
Natasha Vos, sophomore in poultry science and animal science, said she has mixed feelings about the issue.
“I understand the need to look at the budget and save money by cutting hours, but a lot can happen between 4 and 9 p.m. and it is important to have somebody to see at the Student Health Center,” she said. “Student health is stressed on campus, so I think it’s better for these services to be available to students as much as possible.”
Alex Manasa, sophomore in aerospace engineering, said the proposal seems like a bad decision.
“Students may need the Health Center even when it’s closed,” Manasa said. “Student health shouldn’t be sacrificed to save money.
Student Senate President Kelli Rogers said her initial concern was that while Student Health Center fees will increase next year, the center’s hours will be cut.
“If the hours are going to be cut, there will be a drastic decrease in service available during the hours cut,” Rogers said. “That needs to be accompanied by a drastic increase in service during the day.”
While the cost-cutting decisions may make it more inconvenient for students who get hurt or sick in the evenings, Barker said saving money during evening hours will allow Student Health Services to put more resources into the day shift, including extending appointment hours by an hour to 5:30 p.m.
Rogers said the plan is to strengthen the nursing staff during the day by reducing the hours they work at night.
“We want to make sure as many students as possible are involved in the decision-making process,” she said. “Dr. Barker is very open to student input.”
