During a Large-course Wellness Check-in, students complete a brief questionnaire that gauges their well-being, provides optional feedback to the instructor, and offers a connection with a wellness coach during a stressful time of the semester.

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A student speaking with two faculty members about the large-course check-ins.

Large class sizes and high academic expectations — especially in gateway courses — can leave students feeling anonymous and unsupported. Many first-year and first-gen students, in particular, struggle with stress, imposterism, and uncertainty about seeking help.

The interventions

Undergraduate check-ins

The larger course wellness intervention for undergraduate students is embedded in large introductory courses to support students’ academic and personal well-being. The intervention connects students to brief academic and well-being check-ins, improves faculty confidence to support student well-being, and directs students to targeted mental health and well-being resources.

GSI pilot program

Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) play a vital role in the U-M classroom experience, and they often navigate challenges of balancing their responsibilities as both instructors and students. Research consistently shows that graduate students experience elevated rates of stress, isolation, and burnout. The Fall 2026 GSI Wellness Check-In Pilot is a brief, QR code-based survey intervention designed to normalize conversations about well-being, help GSIs reflect on their stressors, and connect them with campus resources to support their graduate education experience. Data will be available in June 2027.

Partnerships

  • Foundational Course Initiatives (Undergrad & GSI)
  • The Office of the Ombuds (GSI)
  • Wolverine Wellness (Undergrad & GSI)

Impact

Since 2020, wellness check-ins have reached approximately 5,000 undergraduates each term across more than 20 courses and 7 schools/colleges, with a major footprint in gateway STEM courses.

  • 83% of first-gen and 72% of non-first-gen students feel supported by wellness check-ins.
  • 88% of faculty report increased confidence in student well-being support.
  • It’s especially effective for first-year and marginalized groups — reducing stigma, bolstering belonging, and supporting early intervention.

Sustainable support & expansion

Strategically embedding these check-ins in high-stress and/or high-impact classes creates a culture where no student is “just a number” and strengthens the faculty’s ability to promote mattering at scale.

This early-intervention model embeds “opt-out” wellness check-ins into large, foundational courses to help students — especially first-year and first-gen students — feel supported, reduce stigma, and connect to tailored resources. Now reaching over 10,000 students across five schools and expanding to include GSIs, the initiative strengthens faculty and GSI capacity to promote mattering and well-being at scale so no student feels like “just a number.”

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No Longer Just a Number - Presentation slide from NASPA strategies