EpiCenter

Caring Campus

 

Recognize an employee who brings the Caring Campus commitments to life. Think of someone who helps create a welcoming, supportive environment for students, staff, and our community—whether it’s offering a friendly smile or walking a lost student to class. The individual you nominate will be recognized by the Caring Campus team.

Caring Campus Nomination

Caring Campus logo

What is Caring Campus?

The Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) created Caring Campus based on research that shows students who feel more connected to their college are more likely to be retained, persist from semester to semester, and complete their academic goals.

Caring Campus:

  • Is an intentional effort to make students feel welcome and a sense of connectedness to your college
  • Helps us connect with one another and with other employee groups to create a positive college environment
  • Creates behavior change that influences culture change across campus
  • Helps the college to re-examine policy barriers to student success

Get involved with these 5 Behavioral Commitments

Please commit to these 5 behaviors anyone can do to create a more connected, Caring Campus.

5 Behavior Commitments   

10-foot rule

In Person: If a student is nearby, greet them with a smile, say hello, and offer assistance if it appears they may need help.

 

Virtual: Reach out to students via phone, email, or text to let them know you are there to answer questions. 

Nametags and Identification

In Person: Wearing name tags or SMC lanyards makes it easy for students to know whom to approach with questions.

Virtual: Make sure those you are communicating with know your name and you know theirs. Create an email signature that gives students information about you: name, department, number, languages, etc., and put your full name on your Zoom profile account.

Two faculty members wearing SMC t-shirts.Need an SMC name badge? Request one below.

Request Your Name Tag

Warm Referrals

In Person: Call ahead, provide a map, or personally show students to the office they need. Follow up to ensure the student has received the necessary support.

Virtual: Use the student’s callback information to call the receiving office, make the connection on the student’s behalf, and ask them to contact the student. 

A female smiling councelor is sitting at her desk look and smiling at a student that is facing her. College pendents are hanging behind her.

Cross Departmental Awareness

In Person/Virtual: Facilitate connections with other departments to explore pathways for guiding students and fostering collaboration.

Students gathered around one student with long brown hair, facing the three female students reading campus maps. They are outside at a busy event.

First Week Greetings

In Person/Virtual: As a College, our aim is to create a welcoming atmosphere for students during their first week through engaging activities and effective wayfinding, encouraging them to feel at ease when seeking assistance.

A crowded college fair a student is speaking to representor. Two students our speaking behind the student speaking to the vendor at table

Building a Caring Campus Culture

 by Hannah Mock Caring Campus Training

Please commit to these 5 behaviors to show our students they matter. These behaviors were created by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change and have real impact; they are known to increase student retention and improve morale across campus. Caring isn’t an extra thing, it’s shown in how you do the things you’re already doing. Because at SMC, our faculty, staff, and students matter.

Print the Caring Campus Commitments for your office using the link below. We have some already printed from Reprographics- want one? Email us! CaringCampus@smc.edu.

Top Five Community Behavioral Commitments

 

 

 

  • Employees interested in joining the committee are required to participate in a Caring Campus training and commit to demonstrating the 5 behavioral commitments.
  • Interested in joining the Caring Campus Team? Complete our Interest Form! 

Contact Us Via Email

Image of a friendly woman smiling from her cubical in a pink sweater. Her hair in shoulder length and grey, she wears glasses.

Campus Coffee Connections

Coffee Connections Coffee mug with a blue and white gradient back ground

 

In an effort to increase cross- departmental awareness, these are monthly opportunities for faculty, staff, and managers to come together to build community over a cup of coffee, as well as learn something new about other departments on campus.

 

The goals of this initiative are as follows:

  1. Help people get to know one another better in a fun, informal setting.
  2. Help them learn about other departments so they can continue to learn more and serve as a resource for students.

Upcoming Dates

All events are hybrid and from 10 - 11 a.m. in the SSC 3rd floor staff lounge and on Zoom.

  • 10 - 10:10 a.m. - Coffee/ networking- Bring Your Own Mug!
  • 10:10 - 10:15 a.m. Introduction to Caring Campus
  • 10:15 - 10:30 a.m. - First office presentation allowing for 5 minutes of Q&A
  • 10:30 - 10:45 a.m. - Second office presentation allowing for 5 minutes of Q&A
  • 10:45- 11 a.m. - Coffee/ networking/ introductions

Can't come in person but want to tune in?

Join Campus Coffee Connections on Zoom!

Present at Campus Coffee Connections

Interested in highlighting your department at an upcoming Coffee Connections event? We are looking for presenters, and will be featuring two departments/offices per session.

What does it mean to be a featured department/program? It means that you/ a member of your team will be asked to speak in the staff lounge (while also being recorded on Zoom), to answer the question: What are the top 5 things I would like people to know about my department?  The goal is to help other campus community members know more about other departments and connect with people from across campus. 

Featured departments shoulld plan on speaking for about 7-10 minutes with Q&A lasting 5 minutes. 

Submit your interest in highlighting your department at an upcoming Campus Coffee Connections event!

Past Campus Coffee Connections

Because Caring Campus impacts everyone on campus, committee members support both staff and student facing events. Caring Campus brings staff together for fun events like Halloween, Holiday Happiness Week, Coffee Connections, and Fuel for Finals! Members also each commit to supporting at least two student-focused events each semester, such as Giving Thanksgiving, VIP Day, or Graduation.
Image of 5 people up on stage wearing Christmas sweaters, the foreground person with a microphone

Holiday Contest

Ugliest sweater and most holiday cheer.

A man from behind, looking to the left, wearing glasses and has a grey beard, is hugging an inflatable gingerbread man

Holiday Happiness Luncheon

Holiday Gratitude Lunch
A man on the microphone, wearing a Snoopy sweater, looks to his right at a man wearing a goofy elf hat, a lime scarf, and a burgundy Star Wars Christmas sweater, pointing a fuzzy eyeball toy while wearing a Santa hat.

Ugly Sweater Competition

Ugliest sweater and most holiday cheer.

A man smiling at the camera, gesturing a heart with his hands. He wears bright, great t-shirts with printed black eyebrows and yellow eyes

Holiday Happiness Luncheon

Holiday Gratitude Lunch
Two woman in the forground of the staff lounge the first woman laughing where scarecrow costume, the woman behind is wearing a red and white raggedy doll costume.

SMC Halloween Festivities

Spooktacular Halloween party!
Costumes, potluck, and carved pumpkins at the SSC Staff Lounge.

A woman is in the foreground of the SMC staff lounge, with a costumed figure behind her. She wears a tiny top hat, floppy doggy ears, and has big eyes in her glasses. Her light brown sweatshirt features paper cutouts of fireballs, and she holds a sign that says: THIS IS FINE, while wearing a black lanyard full of pins.

SMC Halloween Festivities

Spooktacular Halloween party!
Costumes, potluck, and carved pumpkins at the SSC Staff Lounge.

Who is part of the Caring Campus Core Team?

  • Erin ONeill
  • Christina Marcial
  • Kiersten Elliott
  • Carla Brown
  • Hannah Mock
  • Abigail Orosz
  • Cheryl Spencer
  • Sandra Franco
  • Valeria Garcia