Helping Students Help Themselves
Even if we mention them in our syllabi, most of us have not had time to visit many of the campus resources available to students. We probably list them at the end of the syllabus, but we may not spend time discussing them since we have so much to accomplish in each class meeting. But most students don’t make use of the many forms of support the university offers without explicit encouragement. Students can be reluctant to seek help—there are stigmas against reaching out for academic support and mental-health support, especially. But we can do a lot to normalize help-seeking, especially if we view help-seeking as an important self-regulating skill that students need to develop. When we periodically remind students of the wealth of resources and encourage them to use them, we can frame support as a standard part of a college learning experience.
And it is. As we often point out, humans are social mammals, and our physical and emotional conditions shape our learning opportunities. Students can’t learn to their full potential if they’re hungry, or exhausted, or anxious, or in distress. Students each bring different prior knowledge to our classes, and learn at different rates, so some will need extra time and effort to accomplish the learning, but we want everyone to achieve the learning goals we set out for them. The resources available can help students surmount obstacles and persist in their work, and a nudge from a faculty member can persuade them to reach out for help.
There’s an exhaustive list of FSU resources here that you can link on Canvas, but you might want to mention a few in particular. The Academic Center for Excellence offers individual and group tutoring as well as workshops and consultations. The Reading-Writing Center offers support with writing projects. The Office of Accessibility Services supports students with accommodations. If you’re worried about a student’s academic performance you can submit a referral to the PRE (Proactive Referral and Engagement) Program and they will follow up with the student.
The Food for Thought Pantry distributes food to students experiencing food insecurity (and they are grateful for donations). Among many resources to help students take good care of themselves are Case Management Services, the Center for Health Advocacy and Wellness, FSU’s Student Resilience Project, and the Victim Advocate Program. You can invite a representative from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to your class to tell students about their resources. If a situation seems urgent and you want to walk a student to CAPS, they’re in room 250 in the Askew Student Life Center. If you’re concerned about a particular student, and not sure where to steer them, you can share your concern at report.fsu.edu and a professional will connect the student with the right support.
It doesn’t cost us a lot of class time to remind students of the support the university offers them, or to encourage students to take care of their mental and physical health. When we make well-being an ordinary subject to discuss, we can communicate that it’s normal to face challenges in college (whether academic challenges, mental health challenges, economic challenges, or others). It’s normal to talk to a counselor or seek other forms of support. Most faculty and TAs are not trained counselors, and we must resist the pressure to try to serve in that role, since we are not qualified. We can express care and concern, encourage students to seek help when they need it, and share resources available at FSU.
The resources above are available to graduate students and undergraduates. FSU offers support to faculty as well, through the Employee Assistance Program, which offers counseling, referrals, and other resources.
We are grateful for all you do for students. If you’d like support with any aspect of your teaching please reach out to us at pro-teaching@fsu.edu. We look forward to working with you.
2026 Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching
Friday, April 17th | 1:00-5:00 p.m. | Strozier Library Basement | More details on our website
We’re delighted to announce that CAT and FSU Libraries will host the third annual Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching on April 17, 2026. This event is an opportunity for you to share your teaching expertise and innovations with the larger campus community. Even if you’ve never thought about presenting at a pedagogical conference before, you likely have strategies and insights that could be of benefit to colleagues. We invite you to apply to host a roundtable discussion or present a poster.
If you would like to submit a proposal, please fill out our Application Form. The application due date is Feb. 1, 2026. We look forward to reading about your teaching!