Graduate school offers a distinct student experience that differs significantly from undergraduate education. This transition can be life-changing, as students shift their focus toward specialized academic content aligned with their career aspirations. Along the way, they often face challenges such as adapting to intense educational expectations, managing time effectively, coping with imposter syndrome, battling burnout, communicating their needs to loved ones, and maintaining balance in their personal lives. These pressures can negatively impact the mental health and wellbeing of graduate students. Although college counseling centers are valuable resources for navigating these challenges, their services remain underutilized (Healthy Minds Network, 2022; 2023; Woolston, 2019). To address this issue, institutions must tap into the power of campus partnerships and collaborations. These intentional connections make it possible to leverage resources and support in ways that amplify the impact of collaborative efforts and create more meaningful outcomes for graduate students, both on campus and in distance learning programs, who may feel isolated or disconnected from their institution (Irani, Wilson, Slough, & Rieger, 2014). At the University of Michigan–Flint, the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has enhanced its approach to graduate student wellbeing by building effective professional partnerships. Our efforts to collaborate with various departments have enabled a dynamic exchange of insights, leading to the development of tailored resources and support strategies that elevate the graduate student experience. In this interactive, practice-focused workshop, students, faculty, staff, administrators, licensed mental health professionals, and non-clinical professionals will explore the impact of campus partnerships and collaborations through thoughtful discussions.
Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on how a collaborative campus environment can foster both academic and personal success for graduate students while also strengthening professional relationships on an institutional level. Additionally, attendees will be invited to consider actionable ways to initiate or deepen partnerships within their own campus communities.
