Overview
Supporting students academically, emotionally, and professionally is more than addressing individual concerns—it requires a proactive, holistic framework, clear communication, and thoughtful integration of campus resources. A successful support system begins with recognizing core indicators of student distress and well-being, which guide faculty in structuring timely interventions and connections.
Effective support includes consistent monitoring, prompt referrals to the CARE team, counseling services, and other resources, alongside structured mentorship, research opportunities, and career guidance. Regular check-ins, actionable feedback, and accessible channels for dialogue are essential to foster student resilience and growth.
Supporting Students
In your role as faculty or staff, students may perceive you as someone who can lend a helping hand or be a good listener. You are also uniquely positioned to be the first to notice if a student presents any concerning behavior. Your expression of interest and concern may play an important role in helping a struggling student find appropriate assistance. You can:
- Provide networking & mentoring opportunities.
- Support internships, connections to others, research.
- Help students see what they do have and not what they are missing.
- Refer a student to the Campus Assistance & Resources for Empowerment (CARE) team in the Division of Student Life if you are concerned for a student.
- Complete training to identify warning signs: Learn to identify at-risk students: Take Supporting Students in Distress Training (UF_GET811_OLT) and Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training from the Counseling and Wellness Center
UF Graduate School
Some of the roles and responsibilities of the Graduate School include the following:
- Upholding general standards of graduate admissions, scholarship and graduation
- Developing and coordinating procedures to implement Graduate Council policies
- Reviewing and determining new programs and curriculum
- Assisting graduate programs at the department and college levels in education, research, recruitment and retention
- Providing editorial support for graduate students’ thesis and dissertation documents
- Maintaining graduate student records
- Certifying of all graduate degrees
Graduate Student Success Center
- Administering award & funding programs
- Providing opportunities for graduate student support and engagement
- Facilitating professional development programs for graduate students
- Supporting graduate student recruitment efforts across campus
- Coordinating research presentation showcases for graduate students
- Hosting Graduate Student Appreciation Week
- Managing programmatic aspects of postdoctoral education
- Coordinating engagement opportunities with UF Postdoc Association
- Graduate Faculty Appointments
- Confirms automatic graduate faculty appointments for faculty in full-time, tenured or tenure accruing positions at the rank of assistant professor or above in academic units offering graduate degrees
- Appoints others at the request of a graduate degree granting unit, through a petition process
- Serve on thesis and dissertation supervisory committees for students in the unit of the appointment
- Serve as external members on supervisory committees across campus and provide support and direction to graduate students in pursuit of their degrees
- Mentor and encourage graduate students during their time at the University of Florida
- Engage in dialogue around key issues and needs in graduate education at the University of Florida
- FAMU Feeder Fellowship
- Grinter Fellowship
- Karen A. Holbrook Graduate Research Endowment
- McKnight Doctoral Fellowship
- McNair Graduate Fellowship
- Supplemental Retention Scholarship
Author: Zaina DeLaney, Ed.D.
Last Reviewed/Updated: June 2025