So, what are you? Can I touch your hair? You should smile more. You’re not like other Black people. You’re so articulate.

It’s the build-up of slight, everyday microaggressions like these that take a heavy emotional—and physical—toll on people of color and women, says Dr. Teysha Bowser, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. That’s why Bowser is on a mission to ensure her students, many of whom will become future counselors, understand just how much such comments can damage a person’s mental health.

Students could soon face a new prerequisite to attend college: a COVID-19 vaccination. At least 10 colleges have announced plans requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall semester, with the University of Notre Dame joining the list earlier this week.

In some states, colleges may find themselves constrained by state lawmakers. That's already happening in Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order Monday prohibiting public or private entities that receive public funding from denying service or entry to a “consumer” due to COVID-19 vaccination status.