Lynn LaGrone, Provost, VP Academic Affairs, Hawkeye Community College
1. How do you lead and interface with mental health and well-being on your campus?
As chief academic officer, one of my objectives is to empower our faculty to be mindful and to recognize mental health challenges in their students and also among colleagues. This is not to say I expect them to diagnose, but to notice changes in demeanor, engagement, and presence. I encourage all staff to look after and out for one another. Because the stress of balancing family and work can be overwhelming, when one of my team alerts me that they have a sick child or need to step away for an appointment, I don't hesitate to encourage them to take time. At a recent in-service, I reminded them about the different ways we manifest burn-out, ways to identify the signs, and how to seek help. People carry a lot on their plates and inherently want to do good work. In missing or taking time off, many worry about letting others down or not carrying their weight. This work stress/guilt is something I want to eliminate. Our campus has supported more time off, as in half-day Fridays during the summer months and opportunities for remote work days.
2. Would you share a story where you were concerned about something or someone, and the steps you took that either helped and/or left you perhaps considering how you would do it differently next time?
Years ago I had a student who, by his own admission, was a “low achiever,” but smart and capable. One day I ran into him an hour before class and he was quite distraught. He told me he had arrived at class just after the professor had closed the door and wouldn't accept his paper since he was late. She had a rule that all papers had to be on her desk before she closed the door. What was especially upsetting to him was that the assignment was worth 40% of the grade and since he was getting a zero, he was now failing, which also meant his financial aid would be jeopardized. Around that same time, my daughter relayed a similar story to me from her college days. She talked about a noon deadline for one of her classes and watching a classmate rush up to their professor's office with a final, only to be told-- she was a minute late which meant her work wouldn't be accepted. Again, the weight of the assignment was enough to drag the student's overall grade down below passing. The student was devastated.
Hearing these stories prompted me to rethink how I approach assignment due dates. While I want to be firm about course expectations and teach students about responsibility, I figure there has to be a better way. Do I need to add more stress and anxiety to the task of finishing a challenging assignment? I decided it wasn't how I wanted to teach and I've imparted that message to our faculty to consider how they want to handle their assignments and due dates.
4. Could you tell us about one high point and one low point in your work?
High Point: Last year we had students in a tough program who were extremely stressed and experiencing setbacks in their toughest classes; a couple were on the verge of dropping out and not continuing. I advocated that they work with faculty and be given a chance to revisit the most difficult concepts, review their exams, and see if they were capable of passing the courses by re-testing and remediation. After several benchmarks were met, all of them successfully passed and continued in good standing. I know we can't do this for every student or every class, but I hope this helped those students see that a missed opportunity doesn't always spell doom.
Low Point: One of the low points was when we lost a faculty member. He had suffered through some health issues for quite some time and faced mental health challenges as well. It was especially sad because he didn't have family nearby but had very devoted faculty friends. I want us all to be better listeners able to support our family, friends, co-workers. It was painful to know we have colleagues who are carrying burdens alone and feeling like it would be a bother to ask for help.
5. Is there something which you would like to normalize for others, where they may think they cannot share it?
Admitting that we're overwhelmed is difficult. People don't want to give the impression that they can't juggle all the spinning plates, riding the unicycle, and hum in key at the same time, all the time. The onus is on us to be attentive and reassuring when we sense overwhelmed co-workers. We should also be cognizant of our own guard rails and not dismiss them as we take on additional projects and responsibilities.
3 Self-Care Strategies Lynn Swears By
- Scheduling Non-Time. Something I recently learned at the Gardner Institute is to include non-scheduled downtime to exhale and step away for a short time-- could be as little as 10 minutes or as much as 30. I often have back-to-back meetings so finding a way to stay alert and present throughout the day is one of my goals.
- Time for Movement. Over Christmas, I bought a walking pad for my office. I have a goal of walking a minimum of 30 minutes a day and so far, I've done that.
- Connect with Friends. I know that sounds elementary but think about how often we say "let's grab lunch" or "how about a coffee?" and never do it? Reconnecting with friends is critical for me-- they're my comfort zone, sounding boards and brainstorming partners, plus, they laugh at my corny jokes!