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Fostering Well-Being Faculty Toolkit
Notre Dame’s Catholic, Holy Cross tradition emphasizes the formation of the whole person—heart and mind—integrating intellect, character, and purpose. Notre Dame 2033: A Strategic Framework builds on this vision by prioritizing our most vital resource: our people.
Central to this commitment is the mental health and well-being of students, which is closely tied to academic success.
Students’ well-being is deeply interconnected with the systems and relationships around them. At Notre Dame, faculty are a key part of this ecosystem. In teaching, advising, mentoring, and leading research, they have a significant impact on student well-being. Fifty-six percent of Notre Dame students who report that they definitely have a professor who cares about them also report a higher level of flourishing, compared to just 19 percent of students who do not report this type of relationship with a faculty member (WISHES, Fall 2023).
Fostering Well-Being Across Notre Dame’s Educational Landscape: A Faculty Toolkit is a resource developed as part of the University’s ND Cares Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assist the University in addressing student mental health and well-being.
Section 1 of the toolkit explores four critical aspects of learning environments that can be leveraged to positively impact student well-being, engagement, and academic achievement. Sections 2–3 explore specific types of interactions faculty have with students beyond the classroom, information for identifying and supporting students in distress, and campus contacts for crisis situations. Section 4 suggests strategies for faculty well-being.
Faculty Toolkit References List
Additional Information
ND Cares Faculty Toolkit Resource Request Form (to request a printed version of the Faculty Toolkit, the Red Folder, or a workshop)
ND Cares Faculty Toolkit Comment and Questions Form
Workshop We Can Offer: Supporting Students’ Wellness in the Classroom