Sustaining Belonging: Webinars on Cultivating Inclusive Residential Colleges

Addressing the Hidden Curriculum on Campus: Supporting First-Generation and Low-Income Students as They Navigate College  

In this workshop, Rachel Gable will introduce current research on supporting first-generation and low-income students in a range of college contexts. She will offer concrete data, personal vignettes from students, and specific advice for faculty and staff as they engage with first-generation and low-income students on their campuses. The emphasis of the workshop is on supporting all students to thrive, with a focus on those who have less familiarity with the college-going process. This event will be held on First-Generation College Student Celebration Day (November 8). 

Presenter

Rachel Gable is a higher education researcher and practitioner who is passionate about helping students find their best fit educational pathway, one that maximizes their academic strengths, intellectual curiosity, and personal fulfillment. Over the past two decades, she has taught and worked with students from middle school through college and from an array of institutional types, including highly selective private universities, small liberal arts colleges, and large less-selective public institutions. Her first book, The Hidden Curriculum: First Generation Students at Legacy Institutions, details the academic, social, and personal experiences of first-generation college students attending two of our nation’s most selective universities to uncover the unwritten rules for success in college. She is currently finishing up a second book, this time a practical handbook designed to help students unlock the grammar and syntax of college-going. For her day job, she is in academic administration at William & Mary, where she works with faculty and university stakeholders on academic program development and modification to meet the needs of all students.

Friday, November 8, 12:00 – 1:00 pm (CT) 

LGBTQIA+ Belonging & Inclusion: Our Responsibilities Inside and Outside of the Classroom (Oct. 2024)

Students who identify as LGBTQIA, whether known to us or not, are a part of our communities, our classrooms, our teams, and our advising responsibilities. They are continually looking to us to determine if they are safe, if they are seen, and if they are valued. Drawing from dissertation research, his professional experience, and the labor of other valued colleagues, the presenter will highlight ways in which we can create more LGBTQIA+ affirming spaces for the positive enrichment of all who call our campuses home. This workshop will be held on National Coming Out Day (October 11).

Presenter

Dr. Ben Newhouse (he/him) is the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students at Grinnell College. A proud product of a residential liberal arts institution, Newhouse has spent most of his career as an educator in the same setting specifically in the areas of residence life, student involvement, orientation, student conduct, crisis management, student advocacy, harm reduction, and health and well-being. Newhouse’s research focused on the lived experiences of students who identity as trans and non-binary at small, private, liberal arts institutions in the south. In his spare time, Newhouse aspires to smoke the perfect brisket, entertain grocery store security teams with his in-aisle dances, and be worthy of the adoration that his yellow lab, Mabel, bestows on him unconditionally.

---

Mental Health and Well-Being

SESSION 1

The State of Mental Health: The Evolving Landscape and Strategies/Resources for Navigating the Path Forward

Mental health problems among college students were at alarming levels and on the rise prior to the eruption of COVID-19. The pandemic has added stressors and exacerbated mental health problems. Sara Abelson will review the current state of college student mental health nationally, trends over time, and opportunities for action, drawing on the largest study of college student mental health in the U.S., the Healthy Minds Study. Janet Lewis Muth will then lead a discussion of how that data translates to the residential liberal arts setting and how institutions like ours can respond.

Presenters

• Janet Lewis Muth, MPH, Director of Health Promotion, Carleton College
• Sara Abelson, MPH, Co-Investigator & Lead for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Projects with the Healthy Minds Network and Ph.D. candidate in public health at the University of Michigan

Thursday, April 1, 2021, 4 – 5:30 pm (CT)

WATCH THE RECORDING

---

SESSION 2

Supporting the Mental Health of Students: My Role

Being responsive to student mental health requires moving beyond “refer them to counseling.” In a small, liberal arts context, each of us has a role in creating an environment in which students can be mentally well, developing a safety net for when students are struggling, and helping students to feel valued. In this workshop, Lisa Broek and Liz Schneider-Bateman will present a socio-ecological model for mental health on a small liberal arts campus. We will examine how this model aligns with equity and highlight the interdisciplinary collaboration that the model calls for. We’ll provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on their own role and walk away with actionable next steps to support the mental health of their students.

Presenters

• Lisa Broek, MA, CHES, Director of Health Promotion, Macalester College
• Liz Schneider-Bateman, MSW, LICSW, Director of Counseling, Macalester College

Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 4 – 5:30 pm (CT) 

WATCH THE RECORDING