Reading Time: 4 minutes[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Sexting—digitally sharing sexually explicit messages or pictures—has become a common part of young people’s lives. While estimates of the prevalence of sexting vary, a study involving 1,650 first-year undergraduates at a large southeastern college found that 65 percent of the students had sent at least one sext to a current or potential partner.

Despite worries among many adults, sexting can be a healthy part of a sexual encounter. However, like any sexual interaction, it carries risks. Because sexting has become such a common phenomenon and one in which many young people report having positive experiences, it’s important that we adopt a harm-reduction strategy to help students mitigate the risks.

Here’s how you can help develop productive conversations about sexting:

1. Talk about it.

Acknowledge that students may decide to sext. Even if students aren’t planning on sexting themselves, it’s useful for them to reflect on how they might support a friend or handle an unsolicited message in their inbox. 

2. Create a non-judgmental space.

Avoid using excessive fear tactics. Focusing exclusively on the risks of sexting can increase shame and victim blame, decreasing the likelihood that people who receive unwanted sexts or who have their image shared without their consent will seek help. Assume a non-judgmental attitude and invite students to reflect on ways they can minimize the risks of their sexual choices.

For example:

• Suggest that students talk to the person they’re messaging with about what types of messages they’re both comfortable with (e.g., they could agree to only send sexy messages instead of images).
• If they decide to send images, recommend that they leave out their faces or identifying marks such as tattoos or birthmarks.
• Stress the importance of maintaining privacy and respect by never sharing or forwarding sexts to others.

3. Broaden the conversation.

Sexting is just one piece of the broader campus culture surrounding sexuality. Give students opportunities to reflect on their core values and to consider ways to live out these values in all areas of their lives.

When explicit images are shared

If you learn that sexual images of a student were shared without their consent, offer the student support. This is a serious violation of trust, and—depending on the specific circumstances—may constitute sexual harassment and may be a crime. Refer students to university counseling resources, as well as to Title IX coordinators.

“Title IX coordinators are available to talk confidentially to any student who has concerns about an uncomfortable situation or experience,” says Ksenia Sidorenko, Title IX coordinator at Yale College in Connecticut. “Students can come to a Title IX coordinator to let them know of problems or behaviors that need to be addressed, to access support resources, or to learn more about the options for filing a complaint of sexual misconduct. Title IX coordinators can also help arrange accommodations and practical remedies—things like academic extensions, changes in class schedules, alternate housing arrangements, and no-contact agreements between students who want to avoid further interactions. They’re here to assist and support students based on the students’ needs.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][school_resource sh101resources=’no’ category='[school_resource sh101resources=’no’ category=’healthservices,wellnesspromotion,studentservices,titleix,studentlife’]GET HELP OR FIND OUT MORE

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The issue

Many college students experience the impostor phenomenon—a feeling that they got into this university or program through luck rather than ability and effort. Certain student populations are especially vulnerable: first-generation students, ethnic and racial minorities, women in male-dominated fields, and students from high-achieving families.

Why it matters

Feeling like an impostor undermines the development of resilience. It’s a barrier to integrating socially and academically with the campus community (a key to student success). “Impostor” students may see challenges as evidence that they don’t belong in college rather than as opportunities for growth.

How to help students integrate with the campus community

Help grow students’ sense of belonging

Incorporate “social-belonging” messaging into communications. “The primary message is a message of growth—that over time, everyone comes to feel at home,” writes Dr. Greg Walton, associate professor of psychology at Stanford University.

How to get the message right

Connect students with similar faculty members

For example, create a way for first-generation faculty to share their stories and show that they’re available to meet with first-generation and low-income students. “The UVA web resource [below] is a great example of something that’s really easy,” says Katharine Meyer, a doctoral researcher in education policy at the University of Virginia. “The stories communicate that transitioning to college is difficult, stress and struggle are common, and that, eventually, students will connect and persevere.”

First-generation college graduates on faculty

Proactively bring students to office hours

Office hours can be intimidating. Bringing people there “communicates to students, and especially to first-generation students, that office hour attendance is welcome and something everyone does,” says Meyer.

Normalize and reframe impostor feelings

Acknowledge the impostor experience and demonstrate how to reframe these feelings and accept praise. Incorporate this strategy into RA training. “You have to practice reframing the thoughts in your head,” says Dr. Valerie Young, author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It (Crown Business, 2011).

Teacher: “Your feelings are common. You deserve to be here. In fact, I recommend that you take a more advanced class.”

Student: “Whoa, but I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Teacher: “You’re ready. Think about how much you’ll learn and what a great opportunity this is to challenge yourself.”

Recognize the value of failure

Emphasize that asking for support and experiencing failure help move us toward success.

“It’s OK to raise your hand and ask the question or say, ‘I’m not following; please explain again.’”

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The holidays make me think of two things: (1) lots of talk about kindness and giving and “the holiday spirit,” and (2) lots of stress about travel, family, last-minute work, and other holiday hassles. The problem is that I’m usually too busy dealing with #2 to bother with #1. Sound familiar at all? We often feel too weighed down by our own problems to worry about other people. But we’re missing one simple point: Caring about others actually reduces our stress.

How to be selfishly kind

Most of our stress and anxiety comes from a fixation on our own petty concerns, the stories we fabricate about what’s wrong with ourselves and our lives. When we turn our focus toward others, we loosen up this stressful, self-oriented fixation, and we can relax a bit.

For thousands of years, meditation masters have taught techniques for cultivating an attitude of kindness and generosity. They didn’t do it because they were hippies. They did it because kinder people are happier.

As the Dalai Lama says, “If you want to be selfish, be wisely selfish: care for others.” Science supports this idea too; studies show that people who volunteer are more satisfied with life, experience enhanced well-being, and may even live longer. What better time than the holiday season to get in on that action?

Here’s a quick, simple kindness meditation you can try when you’re caught up in holiday stress:

Close your eyes and picture someone you feel great love and gratitude for. It can be a relative, a friend, a mentor, etc. Cute babies and animals also work well.

Inhale and silently say, “May all your suffering melt away.” Imagine that you’re breathing in the person’s (or animal’s) suffering as a black cloud. (Note: This will not actually transfer their suffering to you.)

Exhale and silently say, “May you overflow with happiness.” Imagine breathing out happiness toward the person in the form of sunny, yellow light.

Repeat steps 1–3 for someone you feel more neutrally toward, like an or acquaintance or fellow staff member. Alternatively, go for a walk and do this practice for random people you pass on the street.

Happy (and kind) holidays!

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It’s important for issues of academic integrity to be properly dealt with on every college campus. But how and why students cheat is rarely a black and white matter. As increasing academic pressures and technology in the classroom change the landscape of academic integrity, students and faculty must learn to address these issues and uphold academic standards.

“I believe, for the most part, students don’t come to college intending to cheat,” says James Black, director of the Center for Academic Achievement at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. “More often than not, they get overwhelmed and panic.”

There are many behaviors that constitute cheating and reasons why students cheat—paying someone to write a paper for them or sharing tests with one another, for example. But you can help prevent academic integrity violations through helping students with tangible tactics, such as better time management and encouraging the use of school resources (e.g., the writing lab or tutoring center) to help them prepare.

How to help students not feel pressured to cheat

Most students who cheat don’t set out with the intent to be dishonest—instead, they find themselves in a situation where cheating seems like the best or only option. “Often, students who cheat haven’t set aside enough time to complete a paper, start researching online at 2 a.m., and find themselves copying and pasting material to cobble together a paper,” says Jessica Waters, dean of undergraduate education at American University in Washington, DC. “This is a recipe for disaster.”

One of the best ways students can keep themselves out of a situation where they’re tempted to cheat is by practicing better time management. Here’s how to help make sure they don’t get to a point of despair.

Encourage them to compare syllabi.

For all their classes, at the beginning of each semester. This way, they can flag any due dates that fall close together, which can help them prepare as early as possible for test day.

Give them a time frame for how long an assignment could take.

When it comes to papers (even the short ones), it’s important that students “set aside enough time to thoroughly research, write it carefully, and then have time to check that [they] have properly attributed and cited any outside resources,” says Waters.

Hold extra help sessions.

If students do find themselves in trouble, encourage them to ask for help by coming to your office hours or contacting you to come up with a plan.

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The idea of getting consent before doing something with someone else’s body or property is a basic one that most of us learned at an early age: Seek permission first, and only proceed if you get a ‘yes.’ That’s true of sexual consent too. Sometimes sexual consent is represented to be confusing or complicated, but it isn’t. It’s still the same set of rules. Before you touch someone’s body or property, ask first. Whatever their response, accept it. If you’re genuinely confused, ask for clarification.

Affirmative consent means that sexual interactions are held to the same standard as most other exchanges. Just as you can’t enter someone’s home or take someone’s stuff unless they’ve said it’s OK, you can’t touch someone unless they’ve said it’s OK. Consent can never be assumed.

Affirmative consent laws and policies make it harder for sexual assailants to argue that their victims “consented” to the assaults. These policies recognize that the absence of physical resistance doesn’t mean consent, just like the absence of fighting back against a mugger who takes your wallet doesn’t mean that the wallet was your gift to them.

Remind your students to:

• Always respect people’s physical and emotional boundaries.
• Take affirmative consent policies seriously.
• Respect all requests to avoid touching, working with, or being alone with specific people.

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College friendships aren’t confined to students’ lives on the weekends—they’re a key part of ensuring student health and success on campus. “Healthy friendships are important at every age,” says Dr. Marjorie Hogan, a board-certified pediatrician in adolescent medicine in Minnesota. “Strong friendships lead to positive mental and emotional health, providing acceptance, mutual affection, trust, respect, and fun.”

Social bonds can have a profound effect on students’ health and longevity. A 2010 review of studies found that those who have few friends or low-quality friendships are more likely to die early or develop serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer. On the other hand, healthy social ties appear to boost the immune system, improve mental health, and lower stress.

Aside from the health benefits, fostering healthy social relationships helps promote student success beyond college. “People are going to be more successful in life if they’re developed emotionally and not just academically and professionally,” says Dr. Ellen Jacobs, an adolescent and adult psychologist in New York. “Universities should think of themselves as trying to develop a whole person—it’s not just about developing academics but also emotional intelligence.”

College can be a particularly challenging time period for developing healthy friendships. “There’s a lot of stress in college, and it can come out in relationships,” Dr. Jacobs says. Meanwhile, college students are still developing their definitions of healthy social bonds—and skills at building them. “It’s a developmental milestone in college to really fine-tune the kind of relationships you want to have in your life,” she says.

To help support healthy relationships among students:

• Make relationships a topic included in campus health and wellness programming.
• Have campus experts write blogs or share thought leadership about the importance of having personal relationships.
• Focus on creating a positive community on campus.
• Create explicit conflict-resolution guidelines and procedures for disputes on campus using peer mediators.
• Make sure student counseling sessions are available to address a variety of interpersonal issues—not just anxiety and depression.

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Lately, I’ve seen a lot of articles along the lines of “Mindfulness without meditation!” or “How to be mindful in just 30 seconds!” or “Mindful binge-watching!”

OK, I made up that last one, but you get the idea. People want the calming, stress-busting benefits of mindfulness, but they don’t want to spend the time to get those benefits.

I get it. We all lead busy lives. While I do encourage setting time aside for traditional meditation—honestly, it’s changed my life—I know it can be hard for many.

Luckily, small amounts of informal mindfulness practice can bring real benefits. The Tibetan meditation masters like to say, “Short sessions, many times,” and I support that approach. After all, that “How to be mindful in 30 seconds” article I mentioned? I wrote it.

Here’s an easy way you can bring mindfulness into your life without carving time out of your day: Take activities you already do and learn to do them mindfully.

In the video below, I share a few simple ways to do that. These practices are great on their own, but my hope is that they’ll show you, and your students as well, how good mindfulness can feel, and inspire you and them to set aside a little time for traditional meditation.

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The majority of students retain information most effectively when blending a few different study methods. But setting students up for studying success begins before they get to the library.

Be up front

“Complete transparency about what it takes to study and retain the material is key,” says Amy Baldwin, director of the Department of Student Transitions at the University of Central Arkansas. “Letting students know that up front can be really impactful.”

• When you announce tests or exams, consider including an estimate of how far in advance students should start studying to do well.
• Have a successful former student talk to the class about how much time they dedicated to studying and what study tools they used.

Emphasize the “why”

Many students get a boost from knowing the “why,” or purpose, of material they’re being taught. “It’s very easy to dismiss something that doesn’t feel interesting or relevant,” Baldwin says. When material might not be directly relevant for their major, emphasize how the problem-solving or creative thinking skills they’re developing will help them later in life. “Learning to learn is a useful skill everyone can walk away with,” says Baldwin.

Champion study resources

Finally, do your part to normalize the use of outside help such as tutors and campus study centers. “Smart students go to tutoring—it’s not just for students who are struggling,” says Baldwin.

Here are some helpful tips

• Provide practice tests: These are a tangible way to help students stay on track.
• Encourage students to color-code materials to aid memorization.
• Come up with acronyms for lists students need to memorize.
• Create a concept sheet with key words, diagrams, and charts to summarize the material for each unit.
• Assign/encourage study groups.
• Record lectures and post them online for students to review.
• Break any study materials down into small sections to help students space out their studying.
• Encourage students to review lecture notes and add their own reflections or questions after class.

With some creativity, your students’ studying can be more effective and even enjoyable.

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The value of sufficient sleep can’t be overestimated, especially for busy college students. Researchers consistently find that not getting enough sleep can significantly affect how students function.

Lack of sleep has a negative effect on the regulation of hormones and other physiological processes, such as motor skills. Sleep deprivation is also linked to an increase in cortisol, more commonly known as the body’s “stress hormone.” And stress levels have an impact on weight, mood, energy level, immunity, and concentration—so sleep is a key factor in students’ academic success.

Acute sleep deprivation is often associated with episodes of “microsleep,” or brief, uncontrollable periods of sleep lasting three to six seconds. “[They can] intrude upon wake at inopportune times, such as during a lecture,” says Dr. Michel Bornemann, a sleep medicine specialist and former codirector of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center.

It can also be more serious. Dr. Bornemann points out that research shows driving after pulling an all-nighter is “very similar to the impairment experienced when driving while intoxicated with alcohol.”

How to help students get proper sleep

• Emphasize the essential role of sleep in physical and emotional well-being. Reiterate that sleep can help them in more ways than just feeling refreshed; their stress, concentration levels, immunity, and overall health will all improve.
• Help students find ways to prioritize getting sufficient sleep. If they can prioritize what needs to be done immediately and what can wait, they’ll likely get a bit more sleep.
• Teach them about good sleep hygiene. Winding down in a dimly lit room, avoiding screens an hour before bed, and going to bed and waking around the same time each day will help them regulate their sleep cycle.
• Encourage your student to avoid driving and similar activities when drowsy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy drivers cause 100,000 crashes every year.

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Sexual assault remains a problem in higher ed. Among a random sample of New York undergrads, 22 percent reported experiencing at least one incident of sexual assault since entering college (PLoS ONE, 2017). Women and gender-nonconforming students reported at higher rates—28 percent and 38 percent, respectively—while 12.5 percent of college-aged males reported experiencing sexual assault. In a recent Student Health 101 poll, 63 percent of students said they were aware of sexual assaults happening among their peers.

So what can we do about it? Part of the problem is recognizing that most sexual assault doesn’t look how we might expect it to. The US Department of Justice defines sexual assault as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” That can include:

• Forcing or coercing someone to have sex or do any sexual act
• Penetrating a person’s body with any object without their consent
• Unwanted sexual touching
• Unwanted sexual comments
• Anything that forces someone to join in unwanted sexual contact or attention

“Changing the culture around consent and communication is one of the best ways to prevent sexual assault,” says Evan Walker-Wells, a former communication and consent educator at Yale University and the cofounder of Scalawag, a magazine and website covering Southern politics and culture.

Cultural norms around sexual assault

Sexual assault among young adults is often associated with:

• Social norms that make it harder to speak up in defense of oneself or others (e.g., a double standard that judges people differently for sexual activity).
• A party culture that links alcohol with expectations of sex or hooking up.

How do we change the culture? Start with self-empowerment

Self-empowerment means identifying and learning to honor our own needs and desires. Helping students become self-empowered can help them get the sandwich the way they ordered it, help their friends and partners have their back, help them speak up when something’s not working, and help them feel confident in walking away from things when they need to. A key to satisfying relationships and interactions is being aware of and honoring our own feelings—which also helps us appreciate and honor others’ feelings.

4 ways for school staff to support self-empowerment

1. Work with students to normalize conversations about sex and sexuality

Faculty and staff can model thoughtful decision making, provide space for reflection, and introduce new ideas and norms. You can encourage dialogue, help find guest speakers, and incorporate these conversations and concepts into the classroom.

2. Encourage student leaders who are building a more positive culture

Student leaders help facilitate the environments in which their peers hang out, flirt, and sometimes hook up. By providing students with relevant training and resources on things like bystander intervention, sexual culture, and self-empowerment, you can help create an environment that’s less conducive to sexual assault and more conducive to thoughtful choices.

3. Help spread positive and diverse narratives

College plays a vital role in shaping narratives that students see and hear. You’re well positioned to introduce positive examples of self-empowerment and mindful decision making (e.g., when instructors select reading material for class).

4. Model empowerment

Students learn from their professors and school staff. Find everyday situations in which you can model polite boundary setting, make non-coercive requests, and affirm other people’s decision to say “no.”

Keep in mind that there are times when sexual pressure escalates into assault. No matter how good a person is at setting boundaries, it’s not always possible to stop that. A victim is never at fault for someone else’s choice to assault. When students learn to trust their instincts, though, it can make it easier to spot red flags early on.

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Research has shown that student communities include many survivors of sexual abuse and assault. When survivors receive positive social support, they’re less likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or substance abuse issues, research shows.

Survivors are most likely to disclose to a friend, but may come to staff or faculty seeking helpful resources and referrals. Here’s how to prepare for that conversation.

Know what your college or university expects of you

If you’re a “responsible employee” or “mandatory reporter,” and if it seems a student may be working up to disclosing an assault, explain up front to the student that you’re legally obligated to share such disclosures with the Title IX coordinator or equivalent colleague. If you’re unclear about your reporting obligations or have concerns about the limits of confidentiality, talk to your Title IX coordinator.

Know resources on and off campus

Familiarize yourself with resources that can support students who’ve experienced gender-based violence—for example, the Title IX office, counseling center, and local sexual assault crisis center.

Consider all facets of a student’s identity

“Taking an intersectional approach when responding to a friend who has disclosed is crucial. An individual’s multiple identities—racial, socioeconomic, geographic, religious—all intersect and can inform how easy or difficult it may be to navigate the services and information to help them,” says Nadiah Mohajir, founder and executive director of HEART Women & Girls, an organization that promotes sexual health and sexual violence awareness in Muslim communities.

Some students, particularly those who experience marginalization based on their identity, may be more comfortable connecting with a resource from their community (e.g., a counselor of color, a police officer who has worked with people with disabilities, or a religious professional). Reach out to your Title IX coordinator, who can tell you about resources such as multicultural and LGBTQ+ centers, chaplains, offices of international students, disability resource offices, and others. 

Know the key messages for supporting survivors

• “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
• “I want to support you. What do you think might be helpful?”
• “Would you like me to come with you to [helpful resource]?”

Read the full article: How to support sexual assault survivors of all identities

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It’s a cliché, but it’s true: Breakfast is a vital part of the day—especially for students who need energy for those extra-long days on campus. “Breakfast kick-starts your energy for the day. It’s fuel, both for [your] brain and body,” says Jan Dowell, registered dietitian and instructor in the nutrition department at Benedictine University in Illinois.

But that doesn’t mean all breakfast foods are created equal. For example, sweet cereals might taste good, but they can cram in more sugar than our bodies know what to do with. One bowl of a sugary cereal like Lucky Charms® could have students exceeding 25 grams before they’ve even had the chance to eat lunch.

Instead of a breakfast loaded with the sweet stuff, encourage students to incorporate these nutritious foods into their breakfast, which will help them set their day up for success:

Whole grains

Examples

Whole-wheat or whole-grain toast, waffles, or pancakes offer complex carbs that provide fiber and sustained energy.

Why

“The complex carbs from [a] waffle will give you energy to burn. The fiber from the whole grains will help to stabilize blood sugar, which will result in lasting energy to keep you full and satisfied all morning,” says Jenna Volpe, a registered dietitian specializing in weight management and eating disorders in Massachusetts.

Protein

Examples

Scramble tofu or lean meat into eggs and have some yogurt on the side. Tip: “Opt for plain yogurt to minimize added sugars,” says Volpe. 

Why

Protein can keep students energized and their appetite satiated. Eating 35 grams or more of protein at breakfast may even help avoid mindless snacking later, according to a 2013 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Healthy fats

Examples

Students can add nuts or seeds into a smoothie, slice up some avocado with eggs, or spread peanut or almond butter on toast.

Why

“A spoonful of nut butter can [offer a] boost of heart-healthy fats and will help reduce the glycemic index (rate at which our blood sugar goes up after a meal),” Volpe says.

Fruits and vegetables

Examples

“Green leafy vegetables, like [adding] kale or spinach to [a] scramble, adds lots of nutrients and fiber,” says Karen Moses, registered dietitian and director of health promotion at Arizona State University. “[Or] by blending greens into your morning smoothie, you get all the fiber and nutrients of the veggies in a delicious breakfast drink.” As for fruits, try berries, grapefruit, melons, kiwi, and oranges for low-sugar options.

Why

The US Department of Agriculture recommends at least 2.5 cups of veggies for women and 3 cups for men, plus 2 cups of fruit a day, so breakfast is a good way to sneak in some of these nutritious foods early in the day. Fruits and veggies provide energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

For recipes you can share with students involving all of these ingredients, check out the full article.

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