An announcement is expected soon from Rochester Institute of Technology concerning its Mental Health Services. There is a call for change coming from students who have taken to social media following the death of a student on Halloween on campus.

RIT boasts a student body of 19,000 – with close to 16,000 of those students at the Henrietta campus. For some students, the challenges can be overwhelming.

"It’s RIT, so we expected it to be challenging, like it is a very challenging school when it comes to academics, and of course it’s a culture shock being away from home and being on campus and stuff like that," said Shandan Jones, information technology student .

Jones lives in the same dorm that a fellow student lived who lost his life, an apparent suicide according the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. That prompted some students to take to social media, critical of the mental health services offered at RIT.

“I went twice to see a counselor, but they were so stressed for time they only had appointments available every two-three months.” Jones said. " I just believe that kids here don’t know where to go when they feel some type of way, whether they feel like they’re not being heard or stressed out because of grades or anything like that."

The New York Times reports suicide is the second leading cause of death, after traffic accidents, among college students and parents are often unaware of the struggles facing their college-age children due to privacy laws.

"We have a lot of services in place, but right now when something like this happens it really strikes the entire community and everybody is feeling the loss," said Ellen Rosen, RIT spokesperson.

Rosen says that if changes need to be made, the president promises it will happen, and soon. In a statement emailed to students, RIT said the president will be announcing some immediate enhancements to the delivery of services and the promotion of resources. Over the weekend, the school hosted listening sessions and community gatherings for students on campus.

"Taking care of our students, mental health, physical health, all of that is first and foremost," says, Rosen.

For now, students in distress can find a list of numbers to call through what’s called “Tiger Cares” on campus and on its website. It a campus wide effort to enhance, promote and sustain a culture of caring and support.

A Change.org petition titled "RIT: The mental health of college students cannot be put on hold" has thousands of signatures.

RIT heard the calls for change. President David Munson released a statement Tuesday, outllining the school's changes to mental health policies across the spectrum of services, education, outreach, and support. The changes in the statement include:

• Increase the number of counselors in CaPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) to increase our staff-to-student ratios. And, as we do so, we will strive to hire more counselors with diverse backgrounds to better assist our underrepresented populations.
• Monitor scheduling to ensure that the wait time for an appointment with a counselor will not exceed 10 business days. We expect that often the wait will be shorter.
• Add an additional case manager to connect students to resources and services on and off campus.
• Broaden flexibility of access to services of CaPS, including the addition of evening hours two days a week. And we will explore the creation of satellite locations in strategic locations across campus to provide counseling services, consultation and education related to mental health issues.
• Develop a robust online resource that provides easily navigable information about programs and services, and we will investigate alternative modes of access.
• Enhance messaging, education and resource awareness regarding mental health services and support through New Student Orientation, Year One programs and during peak stress times throughout the year.
• Investigate and implement best practices for developing peer-led mental health education and support to empower students to change the perception about mental health on campus and to reduce stigma associated with seeking help.
• Increase training and support opportunities for faculty and staff to identify and respond to students with mental health concerns, including procedures for making referrals.