Instructors at the University of Michigan now have access to a self-paced course on role-appropriate ways they can support student mental health.
The course content was developed by the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching’s CRLT Players in consultation with campus mental health experts and the Center for Academic Innovation.
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“We hear frequently from instructors who want to help students but feel unprepared to do so and are unsure about what would be appropriate for them to do in their role as instructors,” said Matt Kaplan, executive director of CRLT. “The course is designed to help those instructors feel supported and better prepared to respond.”
Titled “An Instructor’s Guide to Promoting Student Mental Health and Well-being,” the course is available on Canvas and features eight modules, five of which include CRLT Players vignettes that were filmed in collaboration with CAI.
Topics include:
- Foundational information on the complex role that identities play in student well-being.
- Teaching to promote mental health and well-being.
- Guidance on supporting students in varying levels of distress.
Modules can be completed consecutively or independently. Understanding the time pressures that instructors face, as well as the diverse experiences faculty bring to the classroom, course designers ensured the modules are self-paced and allow users to engage in whichever sections may feel most relevant.
The course, which was funded by the Provost’s Office as part of the work of the Well-Being Collective, grew out of a recommendation from the 2021 Student Mental Health Innovative Approaches Committee, chaired by the senior vice provost and the dean of students.
Pilot course participants across schools and colleges, and campus mental health experts reviewed the modules and offered feedback throughout the course development.
While designed with classroom instructors on the Ann Arbor campus in mind, all faculty, instructors and staff who work with college students on any of U-M’s three campuses and Michigan Medicine will have access and may find the modules helpful.
“The relationship between students and instructors is so important. Ensuring instructors are able to confidently support students in distress is a critical part of creating conditions where everyone in our community, including faculty and staff, can thrive,” said Robert Ernst, chief health officer and associate vice president for health and wellness in Student Life.
The course is the latest project to come out of the Well-being Collective. Established in 2022 and based out of Wolverine Wellness, the Well-being Collective strives to improve well-being through systems and policies and to leverage existing expertise and talent at the university to bring that work to fruition.
“We are so fortunate not only to have the incredible talent and passion of the CRLT Players but also the support of leadership at the highest levels of our institution,” said Mary Jo Desprez, director of Wolverine Wellness and health promotion. “This course is a fantastic example of true collaboration.”
