UNC Asheville is furthering our commitment to student success by offering a training program to empower faculty and staff to support student mental health and well-being — without sacrificing your own.
Research shows that students face greater challenges than ever before: 83 percent of students surveyed for the latest Healthy Minds Study reported emotional and/or mental difficulties have hurt their academic performance.
And, faculty recognize the need for training: 61% believe all faculty must receive basic training to support students experiencing mental or emotional distress.
Faculty and staff do not have to be mental health practitioners to support student well-being, so along with the 15 other universities in the UNC System, we will offer GUIDE training for faculty and staff.
About GUIDE (Guiding Universities in Demonstrating Empathy)
GUIDE is an empathic communications training to empower educators to conduct effective student support conversations — and to identify and engage the appropriate college services when needed.
During this one-time, three-hour session, you will:
- Learn how to identify & contextualize student needs.
- Participate in an iterative, supportive feedback process designed to prepare you for your next student interaction.
- Test, explore, and refine empathic communication skills.
- Learn how to integrate GUIDE into your class and work with students.
This professional development opportunity is offered by Prevention Strategies, a UNC Greensboro affiliate, funded by the UNC System and supported on our campus by the Office of the Dean of Students.
GUIDE training is optional, but we hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to support our students — and yourself.
Trainings will be held on the following dates:
Thursday, February 15
- Morning Session: 9AM-12:30PM
- Afternoon Session: 12:30-4PM
Monday, March 4
- Morning Session: 9AM-12:30PM
- Afternoon Session: 12:30-4PM
In the meantime, you can watch this video about participants’ experiences with the program and/or check out some Frequently Asked Questions! We hope to see you there.