The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

Counseling Director leaves University

Morton Silverman, director of the University’s Student Counseling and Resource Service (SCRS), has announced his resignation, according to Margo Marshak, Dean of Students in the University

In a note to colleagues, Marshak said that Silverman will also be resigning from his positions as Associate Dean of Students in the University and full-time Associate Professor of Psychiatry, effective September 30.

“I, like many of you, have benefited from Dr. Silverman’s professional wisdom, expertise, and dedication. We will miss his guidance and compassion,” Marshak said.

Silverman served his psychiatric residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals and for the past 15 years has headed the SCRS, one of the best university counseling centers in the nation, according to The Princeton Review’s Gourman Report. The journal, which reviews national education standards, has consistently ranked the SCRS among the top counseling centers since its first publication in 1991.

However, in the last academic year the SCRS and the University faced criticism when it was found that the University currently has no set procedure in handling attempted suicides. Discussions of the need for a policy re-examination came in light of two student deaths in the past year, one of them a suicide.

After his resignation, Silverman will remain a resident of Hyde Park, working as a consultant to the federal government, states, professional organizations and universities. He plans to focus his energies on public mental health and suicide prevention, “both of which have demanded more and more of his time in recent months,” Marshak said.

Outside the University, Silverman is editor-in-chief of the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. He is also the author of several books and articles on suicide prevention and treatment and is a co-author of the Comprehensive Textbook of Suicidology, published in 2000.

“Dr. Silverman will work with me throughout the summer to assist in a smooth transition to new leadership for the Student Counseling and Resource Service,” Marshak said.

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