Creating a Culture of Care – An Employee Guide
Everyone on campus plays a role in supporting student well-being. Students often seek out faculty/staff when they have challenges. We contribute to their well-being by showing we care. Not every bump in the road requires a visit to Lindley Counseling and your thoughtful attention is often all a student needs. Below are some tips, questions to ask, and resources.
Some Ways to Support Mental Health in the Classroom
- Offer your support and reiterate during high stress times (e.g. exams).
- Check in with students who have missed several classes or who are not participating.
- Arrive early to class/stay after class to chat with students.
- Use your syllabus to offer support and campus resources.
- Mindfulness: encourage self-care by incorporating a mindfulness activity into your class.
- Make thoughtful deadlines: avoid late night deadlines to prioritize sleep, which is essential for emotional well-being and intellectual development.
- Offer the option of mental health absences and explain in the syllabus.
How to Recognize a Student Who is Struggling
If you notice something concerning, check in to make students feel seen, cared for, and part of a community.
Pay attention to:
- Missed assignments
- Repeated absences
- Decline in academic performance
- Reduced participation in class
- Excessive fatigue
- Poor personal hygiene
- Significant change in behavior
- Alarming content in assignment
How to reach out:
- Privately contact the student and ask to meet
- Tell the student you are concerned about observed behavior
- Ask open-ended questions
- Let them know you care, listen, and connect them to resources
When immediate help is needed:
- Expression of despair, hopelessness, self-harm
- Report any concerns about immediate risk to Public Safety at 540-458-8999
- Stay with the student until help arrives
Conversation starters:
- “I’ve noticed you seem a bit down, so I wanted to check in with you. Are you OK?”
- “I noticed you missed class a few times … is everything OK?”
- “You seem really tired in class … how are you doing?”
- “I’m so glad you told me about this. Let’s brainstorm how we can get you some support.”
- “Wow, that sounds really hard. Let’s figure out resources that can help.”
Sample Syllabus Statement
Health & Well-being: Prioritize your health and the health of your classmates by eating well, staying hydrated, getting plenty of sleep, exercising, and staying home from class when you are sick. By taking care of yourself, you care for the well-being of everyone in our community, so please do your best to take care of yourselves and each other.
This class may challenge you at times. Please plan ahead and balance diligence and effort in your coursework with rest, good habits, and thoughtful attention to your mental and physical health. If you are feeling overwhelmed by assignments for this class, please speak with me. Pulling all-nighters and working on your coursework until you are exhausted is neither desirable nor admirable. If you are interested in some self-care tips, visit the Being Well W&L webpage. If you need someone to talk to, remember that Lindley Counseling or TELUS Health is available.
Adapted from Emmett Buckley
Resources
Adapted from The Jed Foundation
Download a PDF version of Creating a Culture of Care.