The College Diabetes Network & How They Are Making Campuses Safer
Health, Safety, and Well-being Health, Safety, and Well-being Initiatives
September 10, 2019
The College Diabetes Network (CDN) and NASPA have been working together to raise awareness of available resources for student affairs professionals. These resources will better prepare SA Pros to serve their students with Type 1 Diabetes.
Read on to learn more about CDN or visit collegediabetesnetwork.org. NASPA will also be hosting a live briefing with CDN on Wednesday, November 6. Please check back for more information.
Imagine that you have type 1 diabetes (T1D): a chronic, yet invisible illness that you’ve lived with most of your life (or maybe, it is a more recent diagnosis). You’re in high school, and you’ve established your support system: parents, family, friends, doctors, coaches, teachers, school nurses, who help make sure you have everything you need to thrive with the disease.
Suddenly, you are now a young adult and heading off to college. Your support network is about to change. You’re on your own, and likely for the first time in your life, the burden of managing this disease is more on you than anyone else.
The College Diabetes Network (CDN) is a non-profit organization whose mission is singularly focused on providing young adults with T1D the peer connections they value, and expert resources they need to successfully manage the challenging transition to young adulthood at college and beyond.
The founder of CDN, Christina Roth, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 14. While in college, she felt isolated because her peers didn’t understand how difficult it was to juggle classes, T1D, extracurriculars, and social life. She started the first College Diabetes Network Chapter in 2009. Soon she was finding other students like herself on campus and across the country.
Over the past 10 years, CDN has addressed these issues through various programs and resources, including almost 150 campus-based Chapters and resources. However, despite access to peer connectivity and these resources, students still report having trouble negotiating accommodations, finding coordinated support across campus departments, and working with staff to better understand their illness.
CDN is dedicated to working with organizations like NASPA to bridge the gap between student success, campus administration, and disability services departments. CDN wants to ensure that as many campuses as possible are equipped to safely work with students living with T1D, and prepared to meet their needs. As your students arrive back to campus, please consider ordering or downloading our free resources to better serve your students as they transition into the academic year.