Strategies Faculty Can Use to Support Student Mental Health

Mental health is a significant and growing concern on college campuses. A 2023 national survey revealed rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality were at an all-time high with 44% of students reporting symptoms of depression, 37% reporting anxiety, and 15% reporting they had seriously considered suicide.

For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Vector is highlighting resources and best practices to support student well-being on college campuses. One such resource is a recent webinar with Dr. Althea Woodruff, coordinator of the Texas Well-being program at the University of Texas at Austin. In the webinar, Woodruff discusses some of the strategies used in the University of Texas’ program to help faculty create a supportive learning environment for students.

Shifting The Culture: How Faculty Can Support Student Well-being

Supporting student mental health includes creating a culture on campus that emphasizes prevention and supports health and wellness. Often, this starts in the classroom. Faculty can create a more supportive environment in their classrooms by making small changes. For example:

1. Talk about the importance of well-being. Let students know it’s normal to struggle and show them how to access resources to support their mental health. Revisit these discussions regularly, especially at midterms, after long breaks, during finals, and at other potentially stressful times. Talk about the importance of getting enough sleep – something that is crucial to well-being, but is often the first thing to be sacrificed in college. Instructors can be purposeful about this by setting earlier deadlines for assignments so students aren’t tempted to stay up late to get an assignment done. Emphasizing mindfulness and compassion, adding activities that reduce stress, helping students understand that it is okay to fail, championing a growth mindset, and building connections all support student wellbeing.
2. Build community and social connection. Give students the opportunity to get to know and learn from each other and build that community. Woodruff said when students at the University of Texas at Austin were surveyed about their campus climate, they said small things made a big difference, such as their instructors smiling and greeting students at the classroom door, being able to do “turn-and-talks” during class, and being allowed to work with other students. Students also reported that they appreciated when their instructors listened to them and helped them figure out how to solve a problem. Activities like this help to form connections and relationships that support well-being.
3. Use strategies to enhance student motivation and engagement. Understanding student motivation, growth mindset, and the self-determination theory will help instructors provide a positive environment for students. Students need social connection, want to feel competent, and want to have a say in their own learning. Providing opportunities for them to have a voice and choice and giving them a say in how they will demonstrate what they know will go a long way toward keeping them motivated and engaged.
4. Incorporate positive psychology. Instructors can allow time for one-minute mindfulness activities at the start of class, incorporate brain breaks during a lesson, and lead students in breathing exercises before an exam. Encouraging positive self-talk and compassion are also ways to support a positive classroom environment conducive to student well-being.
5. Adjust assessments. Grades are one of the biggest stressors for students. Instructors can think about whether there are alternative ways to assess students that will measure their learning, but aren’t as stressful. For instance, they could look at alternative grading practices or consider allowing students to redo an assignment based on feedback in order to show they understand the content.

Administrators can make it easier for faculty to provide students with the support they need by:

• Creating a resource guide for all faculty that outlines resources they can direct students to.
• Providing online training programs and in-person workshops for faculty about how to support student well-being.
• Collaborating with mental health and well-being organizations both on- and off-campus to help promote resources or to lead workshops.

When student well-being is a priority, it impacts the overall campus climate and student success. Administrators and faculty can support this work by enacting some of the strategies above.

How Vector Solutions Can Help

Vector Solutions provides online courses on a wide variety of critical safety, well-being, and compliance topics to support higher education institutions.

For Faculty and Staff

Vector’s Skills for Enhancing Student Success and Well-Being course helps faculty and staff members build awareness, understanding, and techniques to prepare for positive interactions with students. It covers topics including:

• Fostering Resilience
• Suicide Awareness, Prevention, and Postvention
• Recognizing and Responding to Distress in Students
• Self-Care While Supporting Others
• Understanding and Facilitating Accommodations
• Disclosure and Mandatory Reporting
• Handling Personal Conversations and When to Escalate
• Students with Substance Misuse Disorders
• Mindfulness and its Role in Wellness
• Mental Wellbeing and Self-care

In addition, Vector Solutions has an extensive catalog of training courses for faculty and staff members that helps improve workplace culture, enhance employee performance, and help meet federal and state training compliance requirements.

For Students

Vector’s High-Impact Training for Students library of courses addresses important safety and well-being concerns to prepare students to be safe and successful in college. Course topics include:

• Sexual Assault Prevention
• Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention
• Wellness and Safety
• Athletics
• Career Readiness and Personal Development
• Fraternity and Sorority Life

Vector also offers several additional student well-being courses, including:

• Mental Well-Being for Students
• Mental Well-Being for Graduate Students
• Mental Well-Being for Student Organizations
• Mental Well-Being for Athletes

About the Expert

Dr. Althea Woodruff coordinates the Texas Well-being (aka, Well-being in Learning Environments) program in the Longhorn Wellness Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Through this program, she collaborates with UT faculty to embed wellness practices in their classrooms, office hours, and other learning contexts.