This resource was authored by Penny Leisring as part of her Quinnipiac University Inclusive Learning Faculty Fellowship. Questions? Ideas? Want to join the Mental Health and Wellness Community of Practice (CoP)? E-mail Penny!

1. Be approachable! Tell students a bit about your life, hobbies, etc. See some ideas for things to share here →
2. Go to class early and greet students by name as they enter. Linger after class if you can.
3. Start class with something fun (music, joke, meme, or even an online jigsaw puzzle or coloring page that they can engage with together).
4. Respond to emails regarding funerals, illness, and/or stress with care and compassion and not just with what material was missed. And if relevant, let students know that QU counseling offers a grief group.
5. When approached by a student experiencing difficulties: validate feelings, appreciate the disclosure, and refer to services/supports.
6. Acknowledge stressful events in class that pose challenges to learning. And consider checking in with students periodically to see how everyone is doing.
7. Announce mental health trainings and wellness events and incorporate wellness assignments or wellness examples in class when possible. The wellness assignments can be things students do outside of class (e.g. attend yoga or a suicide prevention training) or they can be things you do during class. A biology professor at Simon Fraser has compiled 5-minute optional wellness activities that he does before every class and during breaks in class.
8. Take attendance and reach out to students with consecutive unexplained absences with warm and caring emails.
9. When warranted, refer to any or all of the following: CARE, Thrive alerts, counseling, and the Office of Student Accessibility.
10. Connect students with each other (do introductions, create groups, encourage the exchange of contact info, or have students form their own groups).
11. Set a warm tone to your syllabus and have a colleague proofread your syllabi to examine tone. Give a rationale for assignments, use positive language, convey compassion and enthusiasm. Only use CAPS to emphasize positive statements.
12. Include a “reach out” for help statement on syllabus – or on Blackboard or both.
13. Set clear and predictable deadlines and set them within Blackboard so students can track them in their calendar.  Break up large projects into steps that each have their own deadlines.
14. Set deadlines that won’t disrupt sleep (e.g. 9 PM instead of midnight).
15. Call office hours “student hours” or “open conversation hours” or “support hours” and explain what they are for. Urge students to stop by even if it is just to say hello!
16. Include info about counseling services and hotlines like 988 on syllabi.
17. Have a support/resources section on syllabus or Blackboard with additional support options (e.g., tutoring, writing help and project management from learning commons, tech center, help with sources for projects from research librarians, RecWell, CampusWell, etc.)
18. Consider avoiding major assignments/exams during midterm week. Also acknowledge that midterm and final exam weeks are stressful times for many students and urge students to reach out if they are having any difficulties.
19. Consider taking late work or allowing some make-up options. Even make-up options for partial credit will reduce stress for students. But a final deadline is helpful.
20. Scaffold assignments within courses or within major/minor curriculum (e.g. practice presentations in small groups before doing in front of class). Do presentations later on in the semester when a class has better cohesion.

Resources Available at Quinnipiac:

Sources:

Active Minds online resource: Creating a Culture of Caring: Faculty Resource: Practical Approaches for College and University Faculty to Support Student Wellbeing and Mental Health.

Chandar, S., Crum, R., Pennino, E., Ishikawa, C., Ghosh Hajra, S., & McDonald, K. (2023). Ten tips for developing a more inviting syllabus. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 24(3), e00032-23.

Eaton et al. (2023). Improving Learning and Mental Health in the College Classroom. West Virginia University Press.

Gurung, R. A., & Galardi, N. R. (2022). Syllabus tone, more than mental health statements, influence intentions to seek help. Teaching of Psychology, 49(3), 218-223.

Simon Fraser University’s Health Campus Community: Well-being in Learning Environments Resource Library

Additional Resources

Twenty Ways Faculty Can Support the Mental Health of Students

Twenty Ways Faculty Can Support the Mental Health of Students