{"id":5344,"date":"2026-09-21T07:15:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T14:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/?p=5344"},"modified":"2026-09-21T07:15:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T14:15:50","slug":"five-ways-faculty-can-support-online-student-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/2026\/09\/21\/five-ways-faculty-can-support-online-student-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Ways Faculty Can Support Online Student Mental&nbsp;Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In May 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/today.oregonstate.edu\/all-stories\/osu-becomes-first-health-promoting-university-oregon\">OSU became the first Health Promoting University in Oregon<\/a>, officially adopting <a href=\"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/media\/stream\/pdf\/53926\/1.0132754\/7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Okanagan Charter<\/span><\/a>, an international, collaboratively drafted vision that calls on institutions of higher education to incorporate health-promoting practices at every level and create supportive environments that encourage and inform health knowledge across campus.<\/p>\n<p>As part of this effort, over the past two years Oregon State University\u2019s Student Mental Health Improvement Initiative has worked to gather information about student mental health across the Corvallis campus, OSU-Cascades, and Ecampus. Sponsored by <a href=\"https:\/\/beaverhealthy.oregonstate.edu\/about-hpuosu\">the Health Promoting University Core Group<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/counseling.oregonstate.edu\/\">Counseling &amp; Psychological Services (CAPS)<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ctl.oregonstate.edu\/\">the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)<\/a>, the initiative brought together faculty, staff, and campus partners to examine how institutional practices influence student well-being. Representatives from each campus collaborated to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data related to student mental health and academic experiences. The process included a university-wide faculty survey in Spring 2024, student surveys conducted in Fall 2024, and student focus groups held during Winter 2025. More than 1,000 Ecampus students participated in the survey process. The findings reinforced what many instructors already suspected: student well-being is deeply connected to the learning environment.<\/p>\n<p>Survey results showed high rates of anxiety, depression, and academic stress among students, and focus groups offered insight into the realities of balancing coursework alongside employment, caregiving responsibilities, disability accommodations, military service, and other life demands. Students also spoke candidly about the teaching practices that helped them feel supported and connected. One message emerged consistently across the data:<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> faculty support matters.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>Students detailed how instructional practices such as flexibility, clear communication, timely\u00a0 feedback, instructor presence, and opportunities for connection support their mental and emotional well-being; in fact, 94% of Ecampus survey participants agreed that supporting student well-being is part of the role of faculty at OSU.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the findings, five university-wide goals for improving student mental health support were identified. A committee of representatives from across OSU was then convened to develop a research-informed, student-centered set of recommendations to help faculty promote student mental health. The result is a set of five teaching practices designed to help faculty create more supportive and human-centered learning environments, particularly in online spaces where students can sometimes feel isolated or disconnected. These recommendations highlight practical strategies that can reduce unnecessary barriers to learning while helping students feel supported, capable, and connected.<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>1. Design for Care<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>Course design can either reduce unnecessary stress or unintentionally amplify it. Students reported that confusing course layouts, unclear assignment sequencing, and high-stakes assessments contributed significantly to anxiety. Thoughtful course design helps students focus their energy on learning rather than navigating complex layouts or barriers.<\/p>\n<p>Faculty can design for care by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Using clear and consistent Canvas organization<\/li>\n<li>Breaking high-stakes assignments into smaller milestones<\/li>\n<li>Incorporating low-stakes practice opportunities<\/li>\n<li>Eliminating \u201cbusy work\u201d that does not directly support learning outcomes<\/li>\n<li>Offering assignment choices when appropriate<\/li>\n<li>Providing extra credit opportunities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>2. Set Clear Expectations<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>One of the strongest contributors to student stress is uncertainty. Students shared that delayed grading, unclear communication, and ambiguous expectations often left them feeling anxious and overwhelmed. In contrast, students identified clear expectations and detailed assignment guidelines as one of the most supportive instructor practices.<\/p>\n<p>Clarity matters in every aspect of a course:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clearly explaining assignment expectations and grading criteria<\/li>\n<li>Setting policies around AI use, collaboration, and communication<\/li>\n<li>Telling students exactly how and when to ask for help<\/li>\n<li>Providing timely, actionable feedback<\/li>\n<li>Reinforcing upcoming deadlines and expectations throughout the term<\/li>\n<li>Using syllabus quizzes or discussions to improve understanding of policies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>3. Build in Flexibility<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>Flexibility emerged as one of the most valued teaching practices among students. Online students are often balancing coursework alongside jobs, caregiving, military service, health concerns, and other responsibilities. Unexpected barriers are common, and rigid course policies can quickly escalate stress.<\/p>\n<p>Helpful approaches include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Providing a 48-hour submission window when possible<\/li>\n<li>Allowing for no-penalty extensions<\/li>\n<li>Clearly communicating late-work procedures<\/li>\n<li>Creating simple pathways for students to request help during emergencies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>4. Signal Support<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>Students are more likely to seek help when instructors convey care, approachability, and a sense of partnership. A supportive learning environment begins long before a student experiences a crisis. Even small actions can have a large impact on students\u2019 sense of belonging- students in focus groups repeatedly emphasized that personalized feedback and responsive, timely communication made them feel seen and valued, particularly in asynchronous courses where face-to-face interaction is limited.<\/p>\n<p>Faculty can signal support by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Using a welcoming and encouraging tone in communications<\/li>\n<li>Including supportive language in syllabi and Canvas pages<\/li>\n<li>Framing learning as a process of growth and development<\/li>\n<li>Sending regular announcements and check-ins<\/li>\n<li>Reaching out proactively to disengaged students<\/li>\n<li>Using a Week One survey to learn about students\u2019 goals and circumstances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>5. Create Connection<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>Online learning can provide flexibility and access, but it can also create isolation. Ecampus students in focus groups described wanting stronger opportunities to connect with instructors and peers. They highlighted instructor presence, Zoom office hours, discussion opportunities, and community spaces as especially supportive for mental health.<\/p>\n<p>Faculty can foster connection by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sharing authentic instructor introductions and videos<\/li>\n<li>Hosting Zoom office hours or informal virtual \u201cask me anything\u201d hours or study sessions<\/li>\n<li>Creating discussion spaces focused on community and connection<\/li>\n<li>Designing meaningful peer interaction activities<\/li>\n<li>Personalizing feedback and outreach<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Supporting Well-Being Supports Learning<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>Students value instructors who communicate clearly, teach intentionally, and demonstrate care. These recommendations remind us that supportive teaching practices are foundational to academic success and student persistence. Faculty can help reduce barriers to learning while fostering resilience, confidence, and a sense of belonging for all students. In online education especially, small actions can make a profound difference- which of these five would be most beneficial in your fall courses?<\/p>\n<p>You can learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/beaverhealthy.oregonstate.edu\/osu-mental-health-improvement-plan\">the OSU Mental Health Improvement Plan and our progress here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In May 2026, OSU became the first Health Promoting University in Oregon, officially adopting The Okanagan Charter, an international, collaboratively drafted vision that calls on institutions of higher education to incorporate health-promoting practices at every level and create supportive environments that encourage and inform health knowledge across campus. As part of this effort, over the past two years Oregon State University\u2019s Student Mental Health Improvement Initiative has worked to gather information about student mental health across the Corvallis campus, OSU-Cascades, and Ecampus. Sponsored by the Health Promoting University Core Group, Counseling &amp; Psychological Services (CAPS), and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the initiative brought together faculty, staff, and campus partners to examine how institutional practices influence student well-being. <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/2026\/09\/21\/five-ways-faculty-can-support-online-student-mental-health\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Five Ways Faculty Can Support Online Student Mental&nbsp;Health<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14,15,17],"tags":[439,450],"class_list":["post-5344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-self-care-and-support","category-student-success","category-teaching","tag-student-success","tag-teaching"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5344\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}