Supporting Students Across Campus

Research has shown the importance of wellbeing as a driver of student success and retention ^1,2 .  As a Jed Campus, we believe that it is a shared campus responsibility to support the health and wellness of all our students. Student Wellbeing is committed to educating our students about the importance of fostering their own wellbeing, and while doing so, works to create environments across our campus that do the same.

As students, the demands of academics can often take priority over wellbeing. There are some easy ways that we, as faculty and staff, can remind our students about the importance of taking care of themselves and can help create an atmosphere where our students can thrive.

Try the following tactics to help support student wellbeing on campus:

•  Add a link to one of many campus resources that support student wellbeing in your syllabus or your email signature or add the QR code below
  • Headspace for students
  • Student Wellbeing Resource Guide
  • Student Health Services
  • Behavioral Medicine
  • Educational Resource Center

• Add a message to your syllabus that recognizes the challenges that come with being a student. Here is some suggested language:

“I know being a student can be hard. Its a lot to manage academically, socially and financially. Please know that there are many resources at BU that can be helpful to you during your time here. You can visit and search a directory of what BU has to offer to support your wellbeing.”

• Create a safe and inclusive atmosphere by acknowledging that we are all learning from each other.
• Demonstrate approachability with consistent office hours.
• Periodically review and readjust deadlines as needed with students. Life happens for our students outside of the classroom.
• Recognize the impact of personal, campus or national events and how they may impact a student’s ability to meet deadlines for assignments.
• Set deadlines for assignments that encourage sleep. Assignments should be due in the afternoon or evening, vs early morning hours. Early morning deadlines inadvertently encourage all nighters!
• Provide clear structure, routine and expectations at the outset of the semester so students can map out their semester accordingly.

¹El Ansari, W., & Stock, C. (2010). Is the health and wellbeing of university students associated with their academic performance? Cross sectional findings from the United Kingdom. International journal of environmental research and public health, 7(2), 509–527. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7020509

²Eisenberg, D., Golberstein E., & Hunt, J. B. (2009). Mental health and academic success in college. B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, 9(1), Article 40.