Associate professor at Eastern Michigan University Ronald Flowers was inspired by a personal loss to create a new initiative called "Building a Community of Caring."
This initiative focused on destigmatizing mental health and bringing a wellness-based approach to classrooms. Those involved in the project develop and help implement plans to improve the mental and behavioral wellness of students and faculty across campus. Flowers said that by the Fall 2025 semester, their plans should start to be seen.
“Lots of little things add up to shift and change the culture within an organization,” Flowers said.
The first thing students will see, and may have already seen, is the branding.
A little penguin holding a green star with EMU's Block E appears in 75% of buildings across campus, Flowers said. “You Belong” banners have also been placed and can be seen in buildings such as the Student Center. Faculty also had the chance to order different merchandise, with around 125 orders, according to Flowers.
Another recent task has been a Means Reduction Audit. Flowers said this is the process of going around to different locations on campus and identifying ways students could potentially harm themselves. Safety measures are then put in place, such as locking doors and removing access to harmful chemicals in labs. Posters that read “We Care” and include mental health resources have also been displayed in these locations.
On campus, the task force also works with the Rec/IM to generate programs and ideas that promote wellness.
Another resource that is in the works is Wellness Wednesdays, which will have a feed in the Eagle App with wellness advice, resources, suggestions, activities and writing prompts.
Currently, the task force behind "Building a Community of Caring" is working with EMU’s IT department and computer science students to create a web portal that will be linked on EMU's website. The page will include educational videos and materials and information about campus resources.
Additionally, Flowers said that the task force will be visiting every department to advise them on how to support students, including mental health first aid training and new faculty orientation. The first aid training will also be available to students.
Flowers also collaborates with EMU’s Department of Public Safety and Police Chief Matthew Lige on clarifying how mental health crises will be handled by the police if 911 is called and the importance of de-escalation procedures.
A learning community will take place in the Fall of the 2025-2026 school year for students and staff to better understand "Building a Community of Caring", and start more outreach.
The task force is not only focusing on students, Flowers emphasized. An initiative will begin a newsletter for families of students, with information and resources on how to best support their students and themselves.
“The caregivers need care, too," Flowers said.
To accomplish these goals, "Building a Community of Caring" is using the Flinn Foundation Grant they received last year to pay for services, equipment, time and more.
The program has several partners. JED is their main partner, and they are also working to partner with The Steve Fund, which promotes mental well-being among students of color, and The Trevor Project, which promotes mental well-being among LGBTQ+ students.
While there have, and continue to be, funding changes at the federal level, Flowers said he is not worried about these affecting upcoming plans or the future of the initiative at all.
“Resources are always tight at any large institution, and mental health has been established as a pretty strong priority," Flowers said. “I don’t take no for an answer. We may not have the money to do what we want to do the way we want to do it, but let's find a way to get it done.”
As a former administrator, Flowers has studied the impact of mental health on students.
He cited the June 2024 Gallup poll that asked why students chose to drop out of postsecondary education. The poll found that 74% of respondents cited emotional stress as a very or moderately important reason. Additionally, personal mental health reasons were ranked as very or moderately important by 64% of poll takers.
This ties to what Flowers calls return on investment. If an institution can keep already enrolled students, funds from tuition are greater than if the institution were to recruit new students, and the small investment into mental health will be worth it.
Flowers said he believes that the faculty at EMU truly care about their students and want to see them succeed. Getting a degree can be life-changing, and if mental health is what is holding the student back, he wants to be able to provide more to help them and keep them going.
For teachers, he said, this does not have to be a compromise. It is as simple as noticing when a class is zoning out in the middle of a lecture and taking two minutes to do a mindfulness activity and get refocused.
As for right now, "Building a Community of Caring" will be hosting a mental health summit with Campus Life on May 22 with a speaker from JED and a time for conversations about wellness and mental health.
Flowers also collaborates with EMU’s Department of Public Safety and Police Chief Matthew Lige on clarifying how mental health crises will be handled by the police if 911 is called and the importance of de-escalation procedures.
With many future plans including informal opportunities to talk about mental health and wellness and LBC-approved peer mentorship roles, "Building a Community of Caring" is here to stay and expand.
Flowers said he loves to talk with different people and student organizations on what is and is not working, as well as what they would like to see added. The task force plans to look at this feedback over four years and adjust where needed from there.
“We are open to any and all ideas,” Flowers said. “I don’t say no to anything, we always listen and think about it even if we don’t act on it right away.”
Flowers encourages anyone with questions, feedback, or ideas to email him at rflowers@emich.edu, or the initiative at we_care@emich.edu.
