Effective support means meeting university students where they are

When universities talk about student support, the conversation often centres on counselling services, advising offices or institutional well-being strategies. These services matter enormously. But when support is treated as something that happens elsewhere – in another building, another department, another professional role – we miss a fundamental truth: that, for many students, the classroom is where support either catalyses or quietly breaks down.

Faculty are often the first to notice when students are disengaged, struggling or questioning whether they belong at all. We see the missed classes, the incomplete assignments, the sudden silence from once-engaged students. Truth is, our everyday teaching practices can either lower barriers to learning or reinforce them. Student support, then, is not a parallel activity to teaching. It is embedded within it.

By no means am I asserting that faculty should be everything to every student – that is unrealistic and unsustainable. But it does mean we need to think more deliberately about how our teaching choices shape students’ confidence, motivation and sense of belonging.

Start with listening – and act on what you hear

Supporting students begins with listening, but listening only matters if it leads to action. On the first day of class, I ask students three simple questions: their major, why they chose the course and what they hope to do in the future. This exercise takes minutes, yet it reveals far more than attendance sheets ever could.

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If I learn that several students are interested in policy or community engagement rather than technical fieldwork, I can adapt examples and case studies accordingly. Instead of presenting forestry – my discipline – solely through a scientific lens, I might include regulatory debates or social dimensions of land management. These adjustments do not dilute academic rigour; they make learning more relevant. When students see their interests reflected in course content, they are less likely to disengage. That, in itself, is support.

Design courses with access in mind

We often talk about supporting diverse learners, yet course design frequently assumes a narrow range of strengths and preferences. In practice, student support means offering multiple ways to engage with material – not as a matter of personalisation, but of access.

In forestry, experiential learning comes easily. Fieldwork allows students to connect theory to practice and often increases motivation. But not all students thrive outdoors, and some face physical, sensory or logistical barriers. Support, therefore, lies in balance. I pair field experiences with lectures, labs and in-class activities such as examining specimens or working with original texts. Students can engage through observation, discussion, writing or hands-on exploration.

It’s also important not to rely on rigid learning-style categories, which are often over-simplified. The goal is not to tailor everything to everyone, but to ensure that no single mode of learning becomes a gatekeeper to success. When learning is connected to real-world contexts, students are more likely to see its purpose – and purpose is a powerful form of support.

This approach is transferable across disciplines. Arts students might engage with galleries or performance spaces, engineering students with prototypes or maker spaces, and social science students with community-based research. 

Invite students into the work 

One of the most underused support strategies in higher education is meaningful undergraduate research involvement. Too often, students are positioned as passive assistants rather than active contributors. When we give students ownership of a small piece of a project – designing a question, collecting data or interpreting results – something shifts.

Students begin to see themselves as capable scholars rather than outsiders looking in. Research participation builds confidence, demystifies academia and provides a clearer sense of possible futures. That sense of direction is, again, a form of support.

Teach the hidden curriculum – deliberately

Student support also includes addressing the skills we often assume students already have. Since the pandemic, many faculty have noticed gaps in writing, communication and professional confidence. Something as basic as composing a clear, respectful email to a lecturer can be a source of anxiety for students.

Teaching these skills explicitly is not remedial work; it is equitable practice. When expectations are left unspoken, students with less cultural or institutional capital are at a disadvantage. By modelling professional communication and explaining norms, we reduce confusion and empower students to advocate for themselves.

The same logic applies to artificial intelligence. Pretending students will not use AI is unrealistic. Framing it only as a threat also misses an opportunity. Instead, consider asking students to complete work first without AI, then to use it and compare outputs. This approach supports learning while teaching critical evaluation – a skill students will need well beyond university.

Care, but with boundaries

Finally, supporting students does not mean absorbing every problem they bring into the classroom. Students may share personal struggles, and listening with empathy matters. Sharing our own experiences of challenge can help normalise difficulty and reduce shame. But faculty must also know where their role ends.

Universities should ensure that all staff are trained to recognise when an issue exceeds their expertise and how to connect students with appropriate professional support. Clear boundaries protect both students and faculty, and they make support more effective, not less.

Support as everyday practice

Supporting students is not about heroic effort or constant availability but rather about consistent, intentional choices that reduce barriers and reinforce belonging. Know your students’ names. Design courses with access in mind. Make expectations explicit. Invite students into the intellectual life of the discipline. Listen, care and refer when needed. When student support is embedded in everyday teaching, it becomes sustainable – and shows students they truly belong.

Carrie Fearer is an assistant professor of forest health in the department of forest resources and environmental conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech. 

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