Podcast Summary: This Is Purdue

Episode: The State of Student Well-being: What Gen Z and Gen Alpha Need Now

Host: Kate Young
Guest: Beth McCuskey, Vice Provost for Student Life at Purdue University
Release Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the state of student well-being for current and upcoming generations—Gen Z and Gen Alpha—through a conversation with Beth McCuskey, Purdue’s Vice Provost for Student Life and co-editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Well Being in Higher Education. The discussion covers generational shifts in attitudes toward mental health and well-being, the impact of technology and the pandemic, and practical strategies for supporting students’ wellness both on campus and at home.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Prevalence of Student Mental Health Challenges

• McCuskey shares data from the Healthy Minds Network:
  • 44% of college students experience depressive symptoms
  • 37% struggle with anxiety
  • These numbers are consistent across campuses and reflect a widespread need for support
  • Purdue has ramped up counseling services (CAPS) but also focuses on building broad peer and community networks
  • Not every mental health struggle requires clinical treatment—sometimes students need a “friendly face, a person to talk to, someone to help guide through a situation” (Beth, 04:03)

2. Defining Well-being in Higher Education

• Well-being is holistic, encompassing:
  • Academic success
  • Social connections
  • Financial management
  • Physical health
• Support structures should help students “flourish in various domains in life, not just academically” (Beth, 05:08)
• Factors influencing well-being are both internal (sleep, resilience, self-care) and external (community and institutional supports)

3. The Importance of Resilience and Learning from Failure

• Failure is a normal part of growth; taking risks is encouraged
• Students should be empowered to “pick up and go… learn from that mistake and translate that to the next phase” (Beth, 06:48)
• Even positive transitions (starting college, graduating) are stressful and require coping skills

4. Purdue’s Multi-layered Approach to Student Wellness

• Increase in professional mental health staff and diversified support systems
• “Student of Concern” model allows anyone to quickly flag a student who may need a check-in (Beth, 08:39)
• Student-driven peer programs:
  • Mental Health Action Week (student org, stress-busters, resources awareness)
  • CAPS Ambassador program—students trained to discuss counseling services, not as therapists but as peer guides

5. Generational Shifts in Attitudes toward Well-being

• Millennials:
  • Sought immersive college experiences, strong parental involvement
  • Little direct focus on “well-being”
• Gen Z:
  • Outcome-focused; approach college as a step toward career
  • Higher self-imposed pressure to excel
  • “Gen Z just wanted the outcomes…and are putting so much pressure on themselves to excel and to be the best” (Beth, 11:20)
• Gen Alpha:
  • Early signs of even more engagement and empathy
  • Rise in students’ desire to serve as wellness ambassadors
• Technology shifts:
  • Millennials: Early internet adopters
  • Gen Z: Smartphones and social media
  • Gen Alpha: Will experience a transformative AI influence

6. The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media

• Social media can help explore options but also breeds unhealthy comparison
• “If you’re looking for likes for something that you’re really not…what does that say to you?” (Beth, 14:05)
• Recent research indicates that taking breaks from social media/smartphones improves well-being (lower depression and anxiety scores)

7. Pandemic-Era Social Learning Loss

• In-person campus experiences drive a sense of belonging
• Post-pandemic students show “social learning loss”—difficulty with conflict resolution and building new relationships
• Purdue responded with conflict skills programs and additional organizational support
• “We saw a real uptick in conflicts where people couldn’t resolve conflicts...a little loss there” (Beth, 21:31)

8. The Impact of AI and Technology on Student Well-being

• Students increasingly turn to AI tools as informal coaches or therapists, which is concerning
• Positive potential if AI-based support tools are research-backed, ethical, and genuinely helpful
• “We’re seeing more and more data that suggests that students are using AI tools as pseudo coaches or therapists...and there’s some danger with that aspect.” (Beth, 23:35)

9. Teaching and Fostering Resilience

• Parents and educators should normalize failure and teach learning from setbacks
• Building robust, offline human networks is vital
• “That act of giving [support to others] is such a form of well-being too, because you just feel good when you help people” (Beth, 26:03)
• Preparation tips for high schoolers:
  • Build time management and study skills
  • Practice help-seeking behavior: “Knowing when to ask for help is a form of resilience” (Beth, 26:54)

10. Guidance for Parents

• Support students from a distance by encouraging self-sufficiency
• Don’t immediately step in to solve problems; help students develop solution-oriented mindsets
• Networks matter: Purdue’s alumni network and ongoing peer connections are lifelong assets

11. Institutional Strategies: Steps to LEAPS Framework

• Introduced in 2018; developed collaboratively with students
  • Five pillars: Well-being, Leadership/Professional Development, Impact, Networks, Grit/Persistence
  • Modules, classroom integration, peer awards
• “Steps to LEAPS is the framework we’re using for well-being as a whole…as we’re looking at how our students grow in this space, the framework of these individual pillars are how we’re looking at that growth.” (Beth, 30:07)
• Early implementation allowed the program to support students during COVID’s disruptions

12. Leadership and Institutionalizing Well-being

• Purdue’s president and leadership team are deeply invested in student wellness
• Faculty, staff, and students are empowered to integrate wellness approaches from their own perspectives
• “Institutionalizing student wellbeing means…people across the board are supporting the concept…from a faculty lens, academic side, research side, student side.” (Beth, 32:23)

13. Looking Ahead: The Role of AI and Student Motivation

• AI will reshape student support, learning, and operational efficiency
• The challenge: Ensuring new tools are ethical, supportive, and evidence-based

14. Final Reflections

• Beth’s forthcoming book (with co-editor Louis Tay): Oxford Handbook of Well Being in Higher Education (Oxford University Press, 2026)
  • 46 chapters, 130+ contributors worldwide

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On resilience:

  “Resilience, in my mind, is really about how do you bounce back from failure, how do you take it? How do you handle disappointment? And teaching our students that skill set…I think is just so important.”
  —Beth McCuskey, (00:43, repeated at 24:27)

• On student support:

  “Every problem is not a mental health challenge. Every depressive moment is not necessarily a clinical depression.”
  —Beth McCuskey, (04:03)

• On social media:

  “If you’re looking for likes for something that you’re really not…what does that say to you?”
  —Beth McCuskey, (14:05)

• On networks:

  “That act of giving [support to others] is such a form of wellbeing too, because you just feel good when you help people.”
  —Beth McCuskey, (26:03)

• On peer support:

  “Students would rather hear from each other than from me…”
  —Beth McCuskey, (09:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• College mental health statistics & resource demand: 02:48–04:25
• Defining student well-being: 04:34–05:39
• Failure, growth, and resilience: 06:21–07:32
• Creating peer support culture at Purdue: 08:00–10:07
• Generational differences (Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha) in well-being: 10:21–13:47
• Technology’s impact on generations: 12:45–13:47
• Role of social media: 14:17–16:01
• Pandemic’s effects (learning and social loss): 19:38–23:18
• AI and student well-being: 23:28–24:21
• Fostering resilience (role of parents/mentors): 25:06–27:09
• Guidance for parents on supporting from afar: 27:19–28:53
• Steps to LEAPS framework: 29:23–31:07
• Institutionalizing student well-being: 32:12–32:58
• AI as the new frontier & book promotion: 33:06–35:26

Resources

• Book: Oxford Handbook of Well Being in Higher Education, edited by Beth McCuskey & Louis Tay — Oxford University Press, 2026 (Online: June; Print: August)
• Purdue Well-being Initiatives: Steps to LEAPS program, CAPS, Student of Concern program, peer ambassador opportunities

Closing Thought

Beth and Kate’s conversation highlights that college wellness is multi-dimensional and ever-evolving. Success requires not only strong campus resources but also empowered students, proactive families, and institutional leaders who champion a culture of holistic well-being and resilience for all Boilermakers.