Wellness in the Classroom Support for Instructors (WCSI) Program
Instructors play a vital role in student well-being, due to their regular contact and trust with students. The Wellness in the Classroom Support for Instructors (WCSI) Program works in partnership with instructors to deliver wellness resources to all undergraduate students as they navigate university life.
Informed by the student life cycle, this project aims to help students learn about available resources and build the capacity to recognize their peers as key support resources. Through our monthly student resource email and Community of Practice meetings, we help instructors respond to trends related to the student life cycle, in ways that reflect their scope and role on campus.
Monthly Resource Subscription
Through a monthly email subscription, we provide instructors with resource information on how they can foster wellness in the classroom based on the Student Life Cycle. This cycle outlines the different student stressors and experiences each month of the year. Subscribers receive assets to share with students via email or PowerPoint slides that reflect themes and respective resources appropriate for that period in the student life cycle. By sharing the resource assets, instructors help play a role in streamlining the resource navigation process for students so they can access help when they need it. All undergraduate instructors are automatically subscribed to receive these newsletters.
Community of Practice Meetings
These meetings create space for instructors, teaching assistants and teaching staff to build and engage in a Community of Practice at the U of A, fostering dialogue around student support and for the WCSI team to provide knowledge on the services available to students and how to refer students to the appropriate services.
Specifically, through our Community of Practice, WCSI aims to :
- Continually develop helping skills within the scope of an instructor, eg., how to have referral conversations; examples of approachable language, and helping students connect with resources.
- Engage in a collegial conversation, and an open space to raise new ideas, discuss challenges, and share strategies.
- Highlight current trends and experiences in supporting students in the classroom.
- Discuss content shaped by common experiences and concerns.
- Meet 6 times virtually, twice in the fall/winter term and once in the spring and summer term.
Community of Practice meetings are announced in the Faculty Digest and our monthly newsletter.