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Georgia Tech president creates fund for student mental health initiatives

Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson speaks to undergraduate candidates before the Spring 2016 Commencement at the McCamish Pavilion, Saturday, May 7, 2016, in Atlanta.

Credit: BRANDEN CAMP/SPECIAL

Credit: BRANDEN CAMP/SPECIAL

Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson speaks to undergraduate candidates before the Spring 2016 Commencement at the McCamish Pavilion, Saturday, May 7, 2016, in Atlanta.
By
Sept 24, 2017

Georgia Tech president G. P. “Bud” Peterson announced Saturday evening he’s created a fund for donors to contribute money for student mental health and wellness initiatives.

The fund, Peterson said, already has a $1 million contribution.

Peterson said in a letter to students, employees and graduates that he set up the fund after discussions with student organizations and others in the wake of last weekend's fatal campus police shooting of Georgia Tech student Scout Schultz.

Videos show the student pleading for police to "shoot me." Tyler Beck, the officer who shot Schultz, had not undergone Crisis Intervention Training, which trains police on how to handle mentally ill suspects.

One student group, the Georgia Tech Progressive Student Alliance, demanded more money for mental health services and mandatory crisis intervention training for police before they begin patrolling the campus.

Peterson also said he’s created four teams to come up with recommendations to improve “student mental health, including a focus on both counseling and psychiatric services; campus culture; LGBT+ community issues; and campus safety.”

About the Author

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

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