Almost 35 percent of AU sophomores who took the MAP-Works assessment survey this year
are still homesick.
“The biggest issue that came up for us was homesickness, not only for first-year students, but
sophomores,” Assistant Director of Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention for the School of
Communication Jill Heitzmann said. “It’s the highest showing issue by far among our students.”
Sophomores still report homesickness less than freshmen. According to Jimmy Ellis, the manager of student retention and success, 45.2 percent of freshmen reported being homesick. Nationally, 47.7 percent of freshmen report being homesick, however national sophomore year data is not available yet, according to Ellis.
This is AU’s third year utilizing the MAP-Works assessment survey, which is used to identify
potential problems during the transition to college. This year is the first that MAP-Works data is
being compared over multiple years, according to Gail Hanson, the vice president of campus
life.
As MAP-Works data from the survey becomes more used throughout AU, different departments
are working to make use of the data.
“We’re working right now with the Wellness Center, the Counseling Center and also the
Academic Support and Access Center…to identify broad issues that they see in the survey, that
we can provide broad support and direction towards general resources,” Ellis said.
According to psychologist Amanda Rahimi, the assistant director for outreach and consultation
at the AU Counseling Center, students can access resources for coping with homesickness at:
● Counseling Center
● Dean of Students office
● Student Health Center
● Academic Support and Access Center
● Wellness Center
Homesickness is not an abnormal feeling have while at college, according to the AU
Counseling Center.“Students should know is that homesickness is a completely natural reaction to moving away from home and being in a new and unfamiliar environment,” Rahimi said.
dlim@theeagleonline.com
