Staff Editorial

The Lawrence staff has always done a great job creating a safe and helpful campus environment and it continues to do so. Residence Life and campus organizations such as SOUP and LUCC put on campus events providing students with social and entertainment outlets. Wellness Committee offers great resources for students concerned about their health, whether these resources are provided as presentations or support groups for a myriad of issues ranging from alcohol abuse to eating disorders to dealing with grief. The Career Center presents opportunities for Lawrentians interested in summer internships and creating career plans for life after Lawrence.
There is, however, an area where the campus could improve its assistance to students, especially in light of the recent economic downturn: student finances.
Students can understandably feel overwhelmed with personal finances, as not all of them might have family or friends to whom they can turn for trustworthy and knowledgeable advice. Financial problems can cause stress and prevent students from concentrating on their studies.
As it stands now, the only direct financial guidance the university offers is on tax help for international students. That sort of assistance is a great resource, and we would like to see more programs of that nature become available for all students who are interested.
We also would like to see seminars and discussion groups on other financial topics, such as money management, and possibly even a financial counselor who students could turn to for help.
Offering these services could be a complicated undertaking, but perhaps information could be provided by some combination of residence life, the career center, the economics department and the financial aid office. To jump-start some sort of financial advice program, perhaps staff and faculty members with an amount of expertise in these areas could offer their knowledge to Lawrentians through seminars or open office hours.
We believe that offering financial information is a necessary step in helping students make the transition into independent adults and that providing financial help would enhance the Lawrence commitment to turning students into fully-fledged community members in their post-college lives.