U-M instructors now have access to a new set of role-appropriate strategies to support student mental health and well-being. 

These offerings have been developed with recommendations from instructors in mind, through channels that include the Well-being Collective and the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning.

New this semester is a two-hour workshop titled “What Should I Do?” Departments can book this CRLT Players workshop to provide time and space for instructors to learn a process for navigating conversations with students experiencing mild to moderate distress and to practice those skills in a low-stakes setting. 

The CRLT Players have slots available in November, March and April that are expected to fill rapidly.

This stand-alone workshop uses material from the fifth module of a Canvas course launched earlier this year, which is itself an important resource for faculty. “An Instructor’s Guide to Promoting Student Mental Health and Well-Being” features CRLT Players vignettes that work through real-life examples. The flexible, self-paced format enables faculty to select topics that feel most relevant, as their schedules allow.

Large-course wellness check-ins are an additional strategy that enable instructors to promote student well-being and success. These check-in surveys are an efficient, course-wide intervention that connect interested students with wellness coaches while also flagging academic questions or issues for instructors. 

Wolverine Wellness, in partnership with CRLT’s Foundational Course Initiative, is expanding its capacity to provide this wellness check-in intervention in select courses with 400 or more students. 

According to data gathered by FCI, over 10,000 students across 13 courses have participated in the check-ins since 2020. In just one class, 83% of first-generation students and 72% of non-first-generation students agreed they felt supported by the check-in. Across multiple years, 88% of faculty reported greater confidence in their ability to support student well-being. 

Also new this term is “Leading with Care,” a workshop led by Wolverine Wellness to increase understanding of student stress and helpful responses. Anyone in a student-facing role is welcome to register for either Oct. 13 or Nov. 12 via Sessions.