Faculty Academy of Graduate Student Well-Being

Apply for the Faculty Academy

The Faculty Academy of Graduate Student Well-Being trains faculty to instruct a graduate student well-being course within their own graduate programs or across a cluster of graduate programs. While participants will be exposed to mental health research and discussions, as well as consultations with mental health experts, but the program will not be a space for group therapy or individual therapy for faculty. 

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Participant Criteria and Information

  • Applications for the Fall 2022 Cohort are due July 13th. 
  • Both Academic Senate and Academic Federation faculty are invited to apply. Faculty must have a teaching/instructor of record eligible appointment for academic courses.
  • Applicants must include a letter of support from the Graduate Program Chair indicating support for offering the course. If the applicant is the chair, they can upload a short paragraph describing how they will advocate for the course as chair.
  • Trained faculty may receive the title Academy for Graduate Student Well-Being Faculty Fellows for their graduate programs and receive academic enrichment funds ($1,000) for delivering seminars for their programs.  Academic enrichment funds are subject to matching support from the faculty member's college.
  • The training will be held September 7-9, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. in Walker Hall (in person). Food will be provided.

If you have any questions about the program or the application, please contact Elizabeth Sturdy, Director of Mentoring and Academic Success Initiatives, by emailing ejsturdy@ucdavis.edu.

About the Initiative

The Faculty Academy of Graduate Student Well-Being trains faculty to teach a graduate student course on well-being within graduate programs. This course is based on the success of a course created by Professor Carolyn Dewa (Public Health, Psychiatry, and Behavioral Sciences) who developed a well-being course (course syllabus) offered as a graduate seminar for academic credit. The course titled "Tools for Becoming a Successful Professional and for Enhancing Your Well-Being and Work Environment" has been offered to a number of graduate programs since 2019 and takes a public health approach to mental health promotion. It addresses skills to deal with common graduate school stresses by introducing graduate students to the scientific evidence regarding stress and tools for self-care. The skills introduced in this course can be used both personally and professionally.

This program empowers faculty across campus to instruct similar courses within their own graduate programs. Faculty participants will learn scientific evidence and develop facilitation skills to lead conversations on well-being.

Trained faculty may receive the title Academy for Graduate Student Well-Being Faculty Fellows for their graduate programs and receive academic enrichment funds ($1,000) for those that teach the course for their programs. 

In addition to being equipped to teach material for the graduate student well-being course, participants in the Academy will:

  • Review classroom teaching and facilitation skills to use with this material
  • Discuss how to set protocols and safety nets within your academic community for mental health and stress reduction
  • Explore methods and strategies for supporting vulnerable students including historically underrepresented students
  • Create a community of practice and resources for the graduate student mental well-being courses
  • Enhance faculty well-being

Impact

After participating in the training, 90% of faculty found the content would help students with mental health challenges and 90% would recommend the program to their colleagues. A majority of faculty also found the tools would help them handle stress personally in their roles as faculty members. From the courses offered thus far, 74% of graduate students learned new skills to enhance their well-being. As a result of taking the course, graduate students reported being able to better eliminate stress, focus on the positive, and look for creative ways to address difficult situations.