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The Chronicle’s Higher-Education Mental-Health Forum

Strategies for Cultivating Connection, Calm, and Positivity on Campus | October 8, 2025
Mental Health Forum Imagery

The Chronicle’s Higher-Education Mental-Health Forum

Times are tough for higher ed and its constituents. Funding has been thrown into disarray, the value proposition of a degree is increasingly questioned, laws and regulations involving the industry are in flux, and government and community relationships are fraught with tension and uncertainty.

In addition to these concerns, there are greater worries for students — about the value of their degrees, job opportunities when they graduate, opportunities for loan forgiveness, and for some, the status of their residencies and more. These mounting worries are creating a heightened sense of anxiety, pressure, and isolation on campuses — how can institutions provide the stability and support their students need amid this turbulence?

Join us for a transformative half-day of professional development featuring interactive sessions designed to address the growing challenges of loneliness, anxiety, and negativity that students, faculty, and staff are facing on college campuses. Through engaging discussions and practical strategies, campus leaders will gain valuable insights to better support student well-being and foster productive mindsets.

For inquiries and for registration of groups of 10 or more, reach out to workshops@chronicle.com.

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Program Leaders

kimberly quinn mindcraft
Kimberly Quinn
Founder and CEO
Mindcraft University
McMillen_Liz.JPG
Liz McMillen
Contributing Editor
The Chronicle of Higher Education

Agenda

Program Overview
With a constant barrage of regulatory and funding changes, uncertainty is on the rise in higher ed, creating a sense of overwhelm, panic, and declining mental health. Join us in May for an opportunity to take a step back from the constantly evolving institutional pressures to assess the big picture mental health impact on students and develop strategies to help them move forward through these turbulent times.

This engaging and strategy-packed professional development experience will leave you with practical tools that can be applied immediately—both in and out of the classroom.

Core Modules



This virtual program will explore the following key modules:
  • Understanding and Addressing Campus Loneliness
  • Understanding and Navigating Anxiety
  • Rewiring for Happiness

Program Logistics



Format & Schedule:
  • Date: October 8, 2025
  • Time: 1 - 4 PM ET
  • Format: Zoom Webinar
  • Please note that the program will be recorded and distributed to registrants upon its conclusion. If you won’t be able to join us live, you can still save your spot to access the recordings and resources at a later time.

Your registration includes:
  • One 3-hour virtual webinar, facilitated by Dr. Kimberly Quinn and The Chronicle
  • Post-event access to recordings and resources from the live event
  • A specially designed workbook to help you navigate pressing mental health concerns
  • A digital copy of Overcoming Student Loneliness, a Chronicle report

Pricing:
  • Individual registration: $395
  • Early-bird registration, before September 5: $295 with code MENTALHEALTH25
We offer a group rate for 10 or more registrants. Please reach out to workshops@chronicle.com for details.
Seminar
Module 1: Addressing Campus Loneliness
Explore the complexities of loneliness among today’s college students, its misconceptions, and the impact of technology and social media. Learn how to better foster belonging and implement actionable strategies to create a more connected and supportive campus environment.


This session will explore:


  1. The context of the current loneliness issue on American college campuses
  2. Misunderstandings about loneliness
  3. The Big Dilemma: “Fitting in” versus belonging
  4. Connected Disconnection: Social media, loneliness, and anxiety
  5. Practical strategies for faculty & staff to support students
Seminar
Module 2: Understanding and Navigating Anxiety
Gain a deeper understanding of anxiety and how it differs from stress. Discover how obsessive-compulsive thinking reinforces itself, the risks of avoidance behaviors, and practical tools to help students (and yourself) manage anxious thoughts effectively.

This session will explore:

  1. The context of anxiety on college campuses
  2. The Buddhist concept of “The Monkey Mind"—a state of regular chaotic mental chatter and lack of focus
  3. What is anxiety and how does it differ from stress?
  4. How anxiety manifests
  5. How OCT (Obsessive-compulsive thinking) reinforces itself
  6. The detriments of enabling avoidance behavior
  7. Practical strategies for reducing mental chatter
Seminar
Module 3: Rewiring for Happiness
This session will explore how to cultivate a more positive mindset through mindfulness, gratitude, and intentional language. Learn simple, science-backed strategies to rewire the brain for resilience and optimism.

This session will explore:

  1. Happiness as a choice
  2. Mindfulness (what it is and what it is not)
  3. The power of thought to actively change your outlook
  4. The neuroscience of gratitude and how to rewire for positivity (the Tetris effect, building new neural pathways and “neural pruning”)
  5. The power of intention and language
Testimonials From Our Last Session
“Kimberly’s presentation was full of practical takeaways that can be implemented immediately both personally and professionally. She provided an abundance of information and relevant data to give context to her instruction and ideas. The topics of loneliness, anxiety, and mindfulness certainly feel familiar to all of us, but studying these concepts through the lens of the Gen Z experience was incredibly helpful. What made this program even better is how Kimberly taught us to incorporate new practices into our own lives, improving our ability to convey these valuable practices to students. Whether you are a faculty member or support staff, this program will bring you into the lived experience of our current students so you can bring additional value to the work you already do.”

“I found the Higher Education Mental Health Forum to be exceptionally well-organized, with a thoughtful structure that facilitated meaningful engagement. The presenters demonstrated a deep understanding of their topics, offering valuable insights and practical strategies that reflected both expertise and experience in the field.”
Register