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Betsy Cracco, assistant vice chancellor of campus life and wellbeing, recently joined a select group of higher education leaders from across the country to address the current state of student mental health and wellbeing at The Coalition for Transformational Education’s Presidents’ Convening on College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing. The leaders were joined by behavioral health experts as well as those in teaching and learning, to explore data, share best practices and consider evidence-based approaches to helping all students on campus flourish.

The major theme of the convening, held at New York University was moving from response to prevention in creating population-based strategies for student mental health and wellbeing that take into account both the acute needs of some students and the mental health of all. Cracco participated as a member of a panel of wellbeing experts.

“It was an honor to showcase UMass’s commitment to wellbeing and mental health,” Cracco says. “Our whole-campus approach, reflected in our strategic planning process and commitment to the Okanagan Charter, puts us among campuses at the leading edge on these issues. Importantly, the work is about connection, and we evolve our approach together with our campus partners both internally and across the country.”

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The event was hosted in early February by the Coalition for Transformational Education, publisher of LearningWell magazine, and NYU President Linda Mills, in partnership with the Ruderman Family Foundation.

“It is imperative that the mental health of all students on campus continue to be a key priority for higher education leadership,” said Sharon Shapiro, community liaison and trustee at the Ruderman Family Foundation. “We were so pleased to see so many dedicated leaders working together to better understand how to create campuses that support their students, both personally and academically.”

The Coalition for Transformational Education is a group of colleges and universities dedicated to evidence-based, learner-centered education that lays the foundation for flourishing throughout life and career. The coalition is supported by a thought leadership platform that examines and shares information and research with key external audiences through a variety of channels including LearningWell magazine.

The Ruderman Family Foundation seeks to end the stigma associated with mental health challenges among young adults by partnering with leading higher education institutions, innovative organizations and field experts advocating for youth mental health in Massachusetts.