UCITE sessions: “Supporting Students' Emotional and Physical Health”; “Who is the Class of 2021?”

The University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE) will host sessions Thursday, Oct. 26, and Friday, Oct. 27, in the Allen Memorial Medical Library’s Herrick Room. Pizza and soda will be provided at both sessions. RSVP to ucite@case.edu.

“Supporting Students' Emotional and Physical Health”

Oct. 26 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Developmentally, undergraduate, graduate and professional students are at particularly vulnerable points in their lives. Many are away from home for the first time, facing new and unexpected academic and social pressures, and learning how to manage their lives separate from their families. In addition, the late teens or early 20s may be a time for an individual's first major mental health crisis, so university students are particularly in need of resources and support. On the front line in terms of student contact, faculty and staff may be some of the first to notice when a student is struggling. It is important, therefore, for them to be aware of the resources available to students, how to connect their students to these resources, and who to contact if they do not know how to address a situation. At this session, Richard B. Pazol, director of counseling at University Health and Counseling Services, will discuss services available to students and how faculty can support students who are struggling.

“Who is the Class of 2021?”

Oct. 27 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The transition into higher education is a critically important time in a student's academic career. Those students who are able to adapt quickly and integrate into university life have better overall outcomes in retention and graduation rates. As a result, CWRU makes a concerted effort to promote first-year student success through the work of the Office of Undergraduate Studies, Housing and Residence Life, and the Office of First-Year Experience and Family Programs. During this UCITE event, Edwin Mayes, director of First-Year Experience and Family Programs, and Kathy Petras, associate director of First-Year Experience and Family Programs, will discuss how to tell if a student may be struggling to adjust to the transition into university life. Faculty will gain insight into these early indicators of difficulty while also learning some general characteristics that define the class of 2021.