The Task Force's charge recommended data gathering as an important first step for the work ahead, and Carnegie Mellon leaned on the expertise of its researchers to conduct a study of the undergraduate student experience, called the Life@CMU Project. The study tracked first- and second-year undergraduates over the entire spring term, asking questions about resilience, stress, sleep and other factors. Participants wore Fitbits to measure sleep and activity patterns and downloaded an app that passively measured things like participant smartphone use and geolocation. In total, this project was one of the most ambitious research studies to comprehensively understand the student experience on any campus, exploring their experience while they studied, worked and lived on campus. Findings from the study helped to identify interventions as well as support practical change toward overall wellness.

This study represents an institutional commitment to the student experience and to understanding the narrative of student academic careers. Life@CMU Project data analysis is ongoing, and the first intervention study is underway to promote resilience and growth in first-year students. The intervention was designed as a direct result of what the researchers learned from the Life@CMU Project. A current proposal is being reviewed for continued institutional funding that would expand the study to a larger cohort of graduate and undergraduate student populations.

Prior to the work of the Task Force, students could drop classes up until the tenth week of the semester and/or withdraw until the final day of class. The university also had a standard practice to create an automatic, system-generated “auto-bump” allowing students to overload their course registration. This practice invited eligible students to register for more than one additional course over a standard load each semester. There was a strong sense that this administrative practice coupled with late drop and withdrawal deadlines were nudging students toward a culture that viewed overloading as the norm — rather than encouraging deep focus and engagement in a “normal” course load.

Examining policies regarding course registration was identified as an early priority for the Task Force, fully cognizant of how challenging such an undertaking would be. The work of the Task Force drew attention to hurdles students face in selecting classes. The working group convened town halls to engage the community, studied available data on student decision-making, and conducted benchmarking of peer institutions to understand our historic practice in context. They also engaged student governance groups to iterate and refine a proposal that would support student success and well-being.

The earliest action taken was redefining the normal load and overload level with input from every program. The auto-bump practice was eliminated, and overload processes now require consultation with an advisor. Another action taken was to create a Syllabus Registry alongside Course Profiles. These initiatives resulted from close partnership with CMU’s Faculty Senate, which drafted a resolution to ensure syllabi were available on the first day of classes. The Student Senate also worked on the initiative, providing feedback on necessary information that would allow students to make more informed course decisions. Prior to the adoption of these course documents, some students felt it was necessary to register for a class in order to understand the course structure, outcomes and prerequisite knowledge. The expanded course materials have been particularly useful for master’s students who can gain a deeper understanding of prerequisite knowledge for registering for a class.

Effective Fall 2018, the university implemented a revised academic calendar as well as a new late-drop voucher system to address concerns with registration. Once the syllabus registry and course profiles were established, the course drop deadline was moved to the sixth week of class and the course withdrawal date was moved up by five weeks. By the tenth week of class, students have enough time to get a sense of their workload and class outcomes as well as assessment measures. The new deadlines aim to help students manage challenges with their workload and work-life balance while also minimizing disruptive changes to class rosters in project-based courses where student teams are formed.

The late-drop voucher system supports the important culture of exploration and risk-taking while affording a pressure release option, allowing a student a limited number of opportunities to drop a course up until the last day of classes without the course appearing on their transcript.

Combined, these changes contribute to a greater ability for students to balance academic rigor with attending to their basic needs, make informed decisions early in the semester, and improve the academic experience.

The launch of the Task Force coincided with a major expansion of the Cohon Center on campus — Carnegie Mellon’s home base for the student experience that included new state-of-the-art fitness facilities. The university had already committed to health and wellness through these high-quality facility improvements, and the Task Force capitalized on this campus enhancement. A strong desire to promote individual fitness and build a sense of community inspired the Task Force initiative to offer Free Group X Classes to further reduce barriers for students, and later faculty and staff, to engage in the now no-cost aerobics, strength-training and nearly 60 other weekly exercise classes.  Staff in the athletics department have heard again and again from faculty and staff that “we feel valued” by the initiative, and utilization numbers paint a dramatic picture of the impact of the free courses: in 2019, CMU community members participated in  27,687 classes , up from 23,412 in 2017 — the first year the courses were offered cost-free.

Orientation is one of the first touchpoints Tartans have with the university community, and changing the tone and messaging felt vital to the Task Force working groups. Activities, conversations and language were examined carefully to emphasize self-care, well-being and reflection. Careful and explicit reference to campus resources was highlighted throughout the orientation programs for first-year undergraduate and graduate students alike. The goal of the revised program was to encourage help-seeking behavior and social connectedness, teaching students how to seek help and to communicate their needs, in addition to communicating the message that seeking help is a strength.

In addition to enhancing new student orientation, programming was also examined to include messaging and training for parents and faculty to support student success and well-being.

By focusing a sharper lens on these issues, the Task Force approach to orientation shifted the tone, enabling a culture of resilience and care for the entire community.

As a first step, the Task Force engaged leadership of the colleges who joined the campus-wide desire to more carefully explore the CMU experience. The Campus Culture and Student Success Working Group engaged the deans and academic leadership to execute meaningful conversations on issues facing our campus and our nation, and CMU community members responded in a big way.

Each college, fittingly, handled the town hall project in their own way — some holding smaller, more intimate discussions for each major or program, others conducting conversations entirely online, and still others incorporating creativity and student performance into their discussions.

The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, for example, created their town hall around a theme of the overall divisiveness of the 2016 presidential election, race relations and their effects on the emotional and mental health of those on campus. This town hall was specifically requested by graduate students within Dietrich who saw a need for a personal conversation on issues they felt were not being addressed by faculty, but were a regular part of their daily lives.

The town hall answered a stated need from students. Faculty and leadership eagerly attended and responded with action. Among other initiatives, the Dietrich Town Hall directly led to the development of:

• Training for faculty and students in collaboration with the Eberly Center to build inclusive teaching practices. Sessions have addressed topics ranging from microaggressions to empathy to navigating differences.
• General education requirements to include intercultural and global learning. This will coincide with efforts to develop core competencies university wide.
• Inspiration for expansion of staffing dedicated to supporting diversity and inclusion work at the college level, which several colleges have already done.

In 2018, the Racism is Real lecture series was developed to provide the campus community insight into the reality of racial prejudice and discrimination. The lecture series highlighted current research and scholars working in this area. Students throughout the university expressed a need for these forums for difficult conversations. The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion guided the speaker series, which in its first year covered topics ranging from how to talk about race to actions allies can take to combat racism.

Early on, the Task Force also sought ways to increase community engagement and two major university milestones brought to life that vision: the 50^th Anniversary Founders Day, which celebrated the history of the university and merger of Carnegie Tech and Mellon Institute, and the inauguration of President Farnam Jahanian. Both milestones provided an opportunity for faculty, students, staff and alumni to celebrate and build pride with the broader CMU community. The success of these celebrations reinforced the Task Force’s commitment to create opportunities for community engagement and a new tradition was launched in 2019: Tartan Community Day.

One of the most impactful community engagement projects launched by the Task Force came in the wake of unthinkable tragedy. In October 2018, 11 people were murdered in an attack on a synagogue near campus that housed Congregation Dor Hadash, New Light Congregation and Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation. The city, the campus community and the world were reeling in grief and shock. As a response, the UPLift Challenge subcommittee of the Task Force facilitated the installation of a temporary community art project, where CMU community members could visibly express their sorrow, prayers, support and hope. The project revamped a section of the Cohon University Center Lobby, creating space to sit, reflect and share personal sentiments following the tragedy. More than 500 responses were written on compostable tags in 20 languages and hung on the exhibit. When the art project concluded, the responses were digitized, archived and used in the soil to plant a memorial tree located on campus.

At the time, the Task Force was two years into their work. Because of the conversations generated by the Task Force, the university community felt ready to respond to such tragedy in a way that facilitated engagement and called for CMU to come together in support. The installation was directed by students, faculty and staff members who sought to create an inclusive way to bring the campus together. Together, they found a way for the community to respond and begin to heal.

Mental Health First Aid is a national 8-hour course offered to anyone with a desire to make their community healthier, happier and safer for all, and CMU has provided this training to faculty, students and staff since 2013. The Task Force endorsed expanding CMU’s Mental Health First Aid availability as a commitment to support students in need. The course is now offered for one day each month of the academic year. Staff, faculty, students and contracted employees can enroll free of cost to learn risk factors and warning signs of mental illnesses, build understanding of their impact, and connect people with existing resources on campus.

The CMULead Working Group created opportunities for increased professional development for staff members through a series of workshops in 2019. These were designed, coordinated and delivered to the inaugural pilot group of 23 staff leaders from across campus, who were nominated to partake in opportunities to build skills throughout a series of day-long workshops covering topics such as how a global research university is organized and governed; inclusive leadership; and strategy, vision and impact at CMU.

The Faculty Development Workshop Working Group, the vice provost for faculty, and the Committee on Faculty Diversity, Inclusion and Development saw a need to build administrative skills, enable faculty members to engage with the institution, and gain leadership opportunities. The Faculty Leadership Development Workshop for emerging faculty leaders was launched in 2018 and has since engaged 37 faculty members who were nominated by their respective deans.

Effective academic advising has a significant and positive impact on the educational experience and persistence of every undergraduate and graduate student.[1] As such, the Task Force identified holistic improvements to advising across the life cycle as a key strategy for improving the undergraduate and graduate student experience. A committee has been examining the practice of academic advising at the undergraduate and master’s level, with a focus on advisor expectations, outcomes of the advising experience, advisor professional development strategy, and related assessment of quality and impact.Because of the unique nature of the doctoral experience, doctoral mentoring was identified as a separable initiative that is described later in this report.

The committee has also focused on how best to hire, train, supervise, support and reward the individuals who commit to the advisor role. Regular trainings and workshops focused on nationally recognized key competency areas have been developed and offered alongside a new “advisor onboarding” plan.

[1] Austin, 2002; Bernstein & Russo, 2008; Kuh, Schuh, Whitt & Associates, 2005; Light, 2001; Prime, Bernstein, Wilkins & Bekki, 2015; Young-Jones, Burt, Dixon & Hawthorn, 2013.

The placemaking working group supported a Nooks project — an effort to rethink and renovate shared, small public spaces and learning environments so community members could learn, gather and enjoy the exchange of ideas. These bite-sized space improvements offered major impact.

Ergonomic seating, better lighting and fresh paint might seem like cosmetic upgrades, but these types of enhancements keep the community engaged. The Nooks projects were so impactful to students that they were inspired to undertake their own unofficial Nook projects. In the College of Fine Arts, for example, students took it upon themselves to add old and under-used furniture to an overlook inside the CFA Grand Hall. They called their creation “The Perch,” and even included a fake electrical outlet where they wished one existed. The Task Force was able to facilitate the provision of electricity and new furniture to The Perch to make these artists’ dreams a reality. The ongoing impact of the project has continued: CMU’s Campus Design and Facility Development now more thoroughly integrates aspects of experience-based design into student-facing spaces. All classroom and facility renovations now consider adjacent nooks or spaces that can be programmed and refurbished to improve the experience of the entire space.

The UPLift Challenge is an initiative that expanded the work of the Nooks project to examine common spaces and transform them to be more engaging, collaborative and fun. UPLift invited students, faculty and staff to submit creative ideas within three overarching themes: health and wellness; crossroads of the mind; and recognizably CMU. This project is dedicated to the work of the late University Professor Larry Cartwright, whose heart was in mentoring and working with students to improve the student experience through various placemaking projects. To date, UPLift has received more than 100 submitted ideas. The committee has been able to forward ideas on to relevant departments (such as restroom design or outdoor gym ideas) and has fully funded nine, ranging from a creative light installation in the Wean Hall stairwell to a very popular swing set placed behind Donner House. 

These grassroots initiatives complement other campus improvement projects along with the gift of 30 colorful, relaxation-inspiring Adirondack chairs donated by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in celebration of their 25^th anniversary at CMU.

The Task Force working group on space innovation took special interest in similar work throughout campus. CMU’s Sorrells Library, for instance, was already planning renovations when the Task Force convened. One design element featured heavily in the library renovation was seating for both small-group and individual study — an enhancement that increased library utilization by 110 percent. This renovation served as a model for Task Force plans relating to space innovation around campus.

In 2017, the university embarked upon a multiyear, $20 million Classroom Renovation Project to provide dramatic upgrades to teaching and learning spaces across campus. The project overhauled dozens of the most heavily used spaces in historic campus buildings, incorporating better lighting, increasing comfort, and utilizing flexible furnishings to allow spaces to adapt to a variety of learning activities. CMU also invested in technology-enhanced classrooms to allow students to engage actively with course content, collaborate with peers and interact with instructors while also allowing instructors to utilize on-campus resources in learning science to maximize the impact of their course content and delivery.

The Task Force was not necessarily overseeing each of the investments in physical space on campus, but their work created a pathway for community members to offer feedback on the importance of space and how such innovations can facilitate engagement and connection. One example of the Task Force inspiring other university work to enhance the CMU experience is the CMU Housing Master Plan, which will make an unprecedented investment in student housing renovations and construction of new buildings. Investment in the CMU experience set the tone for Housing Services to innovate, re-imagining the housing landscape in three distinct neighborhoods that include hubs of activity for holistic student engagement. Each campus hub will incorporate spaces to connect and to convene with the entire CMU family.

As the university continued its investment in physical spaces and emphasized diversity and inclusion as a strategic goal for the institution, the ethos of the Task Force can be seen in stakeholders convening to create a centralized space on campus for the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion in 2017. Housed in the Cohon Center in the heart of campus, the Center provides a space for functions and resources in support of the CMU experience for all students who are committed to diversity and inclusion efforts at CMU. The Center team brings particular expertise on supporting the experience of students of color, women, low-income students, LGBTQIA+, first in their families to go to college, and any individuals who have experienced underrepresentation and systemic inequality. The visibility of the Center speaks to both the mission of the Task Force and the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion as a foundation for excellence.

In August 2016, CMU’s provost emailed all faculty and graduate student instructors encouraging them to include a Statement on Student Wellness on their syllabi as well as language relating to student accommodations. Multiple working groups collaborated to craft the suggested language regarding wellness and mental health for inclusion in all course syllabi university-wide. The Eberly Center on Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation maintains a checklist for faculty developing their syllabi in accordance with Faculty Senate recommendations following their approval of this Task Force effort. Faculty looking for guidance in developing a course and writing its syllabus are prompted to include this important language and modify it for their courses to “send a positive signal of [their] support for students’ learning and well-being by including recommendations and encouragement for students to take care of themselves and seek help when they need it.”

The Academic Policies and Practices Working Group partnered with the mental health and well-being services working group early in the process to develop a CMU Cares Folder, a guide to helping students. The resource is available to all student-facing faculty, staff and graduate students (roughly 6,500 individuals) to utilize when they encounter a student in distress or in need of additional support. Housed on the website for Student Affairs, the document lays out university resources in an easily accessible manner and guides readers toward the appropriate contact for each service or type of support.

As mentioned in the Task Force goal of catalyzing culture shift, the Academic Policies and Practices Working Group instituted a Syllabus Registry for the university, supported by a Faculty Senate resolution. In an effort to emphasize the importance of syllabi for supporting students and their learning, as well as to make the collection and availability of syllabus information accessible to the entire CMU community, the registry was established in Canvas, CMU’s digital hub for academic information. Faculty and departmental administrators can now upload and make available all syllabi for the current semester. The information is password-protected for the CMU community, and in conjunction with expanded, more detailed course profiles online, allows students the resources they need when planning out their course selection in alignment with new registration policies. Access to information helps advisors and students build a balanced course schedule to support student success.

Early Task Force meetings in the Summer and Fall 2016 and their resulting discussions led to CMU’s central funding increase to expand Counseling and Psychological Services. These improvements to this crucial service included funding to hire more CaPS therapists as well as a full-time psychiatrist. Increased funding allowed CaPS to expand availability for individual and group therapy, open an annex location, and partner with University Health Services to more holistically support student health and well-being services.

The Task Force facilitated production of a series of videos regarding mental health treatment hosted on the CaPS website, and these continue to be updated with additional videos. Additionally, CMU invested in a subscription to the Headspace App, offering 1,000+ hours of content at no cost to members of the campus community seeking resources for meditation and mindfulness. Headspace has more than 54 million users across 190 countries, and as of Fall 2019, 3,620 of those users are from within the CMU community. On average, community members log in 3.2 times per week and, since adopting the subscription, the CMU community has meditated more than 500,000 minutes.