WMU is a campus committed to holistically meeting the needs of our students, which includes their emotional well-being. Today's college students report frequently contending with anxiety, depression and mental stress. As a faculty or staff member, you’re on the front lines with students in classrooms or other campus environments, often every day. As a result, you may be among the first to notice when a student is experiencing distress.
Here's how you can be supportive:
Build a Rapport
You can lay the groundwork by establishing a congenial environment in the classroom or campus work environment. It doesn’t take much: Greet students by their first name, inquire about their life outside of class, and foster a respectful and supportive atmosphere. “If you build that rapport throughout the semester, it’s easier for students to reach out to you,” says Bre Traynor, assistant director of mental health outreach, who also developed the Western CARES workshop, which is designed to help faculty and staff assist students in distress.
Watch for Signs
There are quite a few signs of distress, but the easiest for most of us to spot is change. “For faculty, noticing a negative change in a student’s grades, performance or attendance is a clear sign that they may be having an issue,” notes Traynor. “Another sign that many faculty may see is when a student is often asking for special consideration or extensions or is having unusual emotional reactions to situations in the class.” More details on what to look for are available on the student affairs website.
Reach Out
“If you notice something, then don’t wait on it—talk to the student as soon as possible,” Traynor urges. "Initiating the conversation can be crucial, but just as important is responding to the student with empathy. Talk to the student in private, share your concern or what you’ve noticed, and give them the opportunity to open up. Sometimes, just listening can go a long way to supporting a student through a difficult experience."
Ask for Support
Remember that you’re not alone, and there is an interdisciplinary team of Broncos to back you up. “Faculty and staff should use the Refer a Student Concern form to share the concern with the dean of students in the Office of Student Affairs. Once we receive the concern, our case manager reaches out to the student to offer appropriate support and resources,” Traynor says. “Anyone can use this form —faculty, staff, parents, friends—so please share widely.”
If you’d like more guidance on how to work with students in distress, contact Traynor by email to request she present during a meeting in your unit or work with her to develop a workshop specific to your area’s needs. Later this academic year, there will be open offerings of the Western CARES workshop Traynor leads. Though dates are not yet finalized, they will be posted on the Office of Faculty Development workshop webpage during spring semester.