FAQs

For Engelhard courses, the curriculum infusion approach involves finding opportunities within the regular academic content of the course where topics of mental health, wellness, and student well-being can be highlighted, linked to course content, and also considered from a personal perspective. This is done through:
– Targeted readings or assignments that open up the connections between the academic content and well-being topic(s);
– In-class opportunities to learn more about the topic and to make personal connections to lived experience through class discussion and a guest presentation from a campus resource professional; and
– A reflective writing assignment based on the infusion topic.

As Engelhard Faculty Fellows, faculty members create space in a course for connections between regular course content and a mental health and/or well-being topic that is relevant to students’ lives. Engelhard Faculty Fellows then work with Campus Resource Professional (CRPs) Fellows to incorporate a presentation and/or discussion on the chosen well-being topic, in conjunction with class readings. In addition, Engelhard Fellows are part of a larger community, establishing connections with colleagues through project gatherings, including a Safety Net Training which provides an overview of campus student health resources. Both Faculty and Campus Resource Professional Fellows receive a stipend for their participation and additional funding is available for teaching assistants.

The exact topic(s) and form of curriculum infusion in a given Engelhard course are determined by the faculty member, and depend on the needs of that particular course and its students. While we are always happy to consult with faculty to discuss ideas for possible approaches, ultimately each faculty member determines a course’s Engelhard design. The connection between course material and the well-being issue creates an opportunity for faculty to deepen student engagement in a variety of ways. For example, if a course involves teaching statistical models, the faculty may decide to tailor a data set involved in an analysis to address a specific well-being issue. Or if it is a literature course, the faculty may decide to link concepts or characters from reading assignments to real-life well-being issues.

While there is a wide range of well-being topics, previous Engelhard courses have addressed: adjustment and transition to college, anxiety, coping mechanisms, depression, eating disorders, emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, mindfulness, mood regulation, self-forgiveness, sexual identity, sexual violence, sleep deprivation, substance abuse, suicide, and stress, among others. For more examples, visit our Course Profiles page. In determining the best fit for their course, faculty are encouraged to think about well-being topics that naturally connect with their course material and aspects of students’ lived experiences.

Yes! There is no limit on the number of Engelhard courses one teaches. Often Faculty Fellows teach one Engelhard course at a time, but we also work with faculty who integrate Engelhard into two or three courses in a semester.

It is never too early to begin thinking about the infusion of wellbeing in an upcoming course. When possible, it’s helpful to the project team to receive course proposals by the first week of classes of the semester in which the course is taught. Feel free to meet with us to discuss implementation before and/or after the proposal is submitted.

Our traditional model for Engelhard courses includes a collaboration between CRPs and Faculty Fellows. This pedagogical partnership is a vital part of the project to build cohesion between students’ academic work and student-facing services and resources. The CRP is an opportunity to introduce an additional perspective and level of expertise to students on wellbeing topic(s) addressed within that course. However, if you would like to propose a variation from this approach to Engelhard courses, please feel free to suggest it through the course proposal form and indicate how you hope to meet the goals of the project.

Once you determine that the course will not run/has not run as proposed, we ask that you please contact us at your earliest convenience. We will work with you to try to meet your course goals for the semester.