Leading a Campus That Cares: Scaling Mental Health Support in Higher Education

Leading a Campus That Cares: Scaling Mental Health Support in Higher Education

Student mental health is no longer a side conversation on campus. It is the conversation. In this episode of Beyond the Quadcast by Insight Into Academia, we sit down with Tremaine El-Amin, Vice President of Mental Health First Aid USA at the National Council for Mental Well-being, to unpack what it really takes to build a campus-wide culture of care. From rising rates of depression and suicidal ideation among college students to overextended counseling centers, institutions are facing a defining moment. The question is no longer whether to act, but how. Tremaine offers a clear, evidence-based roadmap for higher education leaders: move upstream, train your community, and create a shared language around mental health that empowers faculty, staff, and students to act early, not just react in crisis. Tremaine El-Amin leads Mental Health First Aid USA at the National Council for Mental Well-being, a national movement focused on equipping everyday people with the skills to recognize and respond to mental health and substance use challenges. Under her leadership, the program continues to scale across communities, workplaces, and more than 1,500 college campuses nationwide .Follow Beyond the Quadcast for conversations that go beyond headlines and into the strategies shaping the future of higher education. If this episode resonated, share it with a colleague, your cabinet, or your campus leadership team. This is the work that defines what comes next.

Funding What Works: Data-Driven Budgeting & Program Review with Dean Jean-François Coget (Sacramento State)

What does it really mean to run a college like a high-functioning organization, without losing the heart of higher education? In this episode of Beyond the Quadcast, Dean Jean-François Coget, Dean of the College of Business at Sacramento State, has a candid conversation about data-driven budgeting, program review, and the realities of leadership behind hard decisions. Dean Coget shares how business schools use outcomes data, employer feedback, accreditation metrics, and class efficiency to align resources with student success and workforce demand, while also protecting mission, culture, and trust. You’ll also hear Dean Coget’s honest leadership lessons on listening tours, pacing change, navigating feedback, and why he thinks of leadership as “riding an elephant.” In This Episode: 1. What “data-driven budgeting” looks like day-to-day in a college of business 2. AACSB accreditation and how it shapes metrics, strategy, and accountability 3. Using outcomes data (including a LinkedIn partnership) to understand graduate career pathways 4. When to reinvest, redesign, or sunset programs and how to do it transparently 5. The difference between state-supported vs. self-support programs and what “break-even” really means 6. Why culture comes before strategy (and how to build trust in decision-making) 7. Leadership lessons: patience, loneliness, not taking feedback personally, and bringing people along Featured Guest: Dean Jean-François Coget, Dean, College of Business, California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) Host / Co-Host: Misty Evans (Host) DeMario Easley (Co-Host) Subscribe & Follow: If you found this conversation useful, follow Beyond the Quadcast for more tools, best practices, and real solutions for higher education leaders. Keywords: Higher education leadership, dean leadership, budgeting in higher ed, program review, enrollment strategy, AACSB, outcomes data, campus culture, academic administration

Rethinking International Student Success: A Proven Retention Model from Syracuse University

What if international student success wasn’t treated as a standalone service—but as an integrated part of academic advising, career development, and community-building? In this episode of Beyond the Quadcast, we sit down with two campus leaders who did exactly that—transforming international student support from a transactional process into a holistic, measurable, and deeply human success model. You’ll hear how Syracuse University created a first-of-its-kind role dedicated solely to international student success, embedded directly within academic advising. You’ll learn why traditional silos fail international students, how career development must begin in the very first semester, and why peer mentoring is one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost retention strategies available. This conversation goes beyond theory. Our guests share: * How they rebuilt international support from scratch using five strategic pillars * Why integrating academic and career advising dramatically improves retention * How AI tools are now scaling resume development and mock interviews * What international students really worry about before arriving on campus * How communication platforms like WhatsApp and WeChat changed engagement * Why not all 4.0 students make the best mentors—and what really does * How advising can function as teaching, with real learning outcomes * What low-budget campuses can implement immediately * And how data—not anecdotes—must guide retention strategy For institutional leaders navigating enrollment pressures, global recruitment, staff burnout, and student disengagement, this episode offers a replicable roadmap grounded in results—not buzzwords. Whether you lead Student Affairs, International Programs, Academic Advising, HR, Institutional Research, or Enrollment Strategy, this episode provides a practical blueprint for building belonging at scale.

Survey Smarter, Lead Better: Campus Data That Drives Decisions

In this episode of Beyond the Quadcast, our hosts sit down with Gabriel Reif, PhD, vice president of research and evaluation for Viewfinder®Campus Climate Surveys, and a leading expert in institutional research, to explore the essential—but often overlooked—role of campus climate surveys in higher education. The conversation dives deep into how strategic survey design and implementation can illuminate campus climate, support equity efforts, and inform major institutional decisions. Dr. Reif emphasizes the importance of intentionality in survey research, offering insight into how well-executed data collection can catalyze real change. From overcoming survey fatigue to increasing response rates, the episode offers practical strategies for improving data quality and building a culture of continuous feedback. Key Takeaways: * Data-driven decision-making is vital to effective leadership. * Survey data must be acted upon to improve outcomes and resource allocation. * Less is more: streamline and prioritize impactful surveys. * Many colleges miss student retention signals due to a lack of data. * Declining response rates require new approaches to campus engagement.

Empowering Foster Youth in Higher Education with Wendy Simmerman

In this episode of Beyond the Quadcast, Katy Abrams and Misty Evans discuss the Foster Success Program at Utah Valley University with Wendy Simmerman. The program aims to support foster youth in their transition to higher education by providing a comprehensive network of resources and trauma-informed training for faculty and staff. Wendy shares her personal experiences as a foster parent and the challenges faced by foster youth, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive environment that addresses their unique needs. The conversation highlights the significance of trauma-informed pedagogy and the role of mentorship in fostering success for these vulnerable students. This conversation explores the significance of trauma-informed pedagogy in education, emphasizing the need for faculty to understand and support students' individual experiences. The discussion highlights innovative approaches to student engagement, such as the Know Your Students app at UC Davis, which fosters connections between students and faculty. The importance of empowering students to share their stories and the creation of supportive environments for faculty are also discussed. Finally, future initiatives aimed at enhancing student success, particularly for those from foster care and other marginalized backgrounds, are outlined. Takeaways: * Foster youth face unique challenges in higher education. * Building a support network is crucial for the success of foster students. * Trauma impacts learning and brain development. * Training faculty and staff is essential for effective support. * The program aims to connect students with resources across campus.