Call for Presentations
Cultivating Hope: From Mission to Impact is a walk-in conference hosted by Notre Dame, stemming from six years of grant-funded work focused on mental health, compassion fatigue, and community flourishing in residential life and beyond. Designed for student affairs practitioners, residential life staff, and campus wellness advocates, this conference is an opportunity to reflect on what works, hear from peer institutions, and leave with practical strategies for nurturing well-being at every level of your campus community. The conference will be held on September 28th, 2026, and will be free to attend.
So, what does it look like to intentionally build a culture of hope and well-being — not just for students, but for those who support them? We are looking to our colleagues to help us explore this concept. If you have a program, framework, or practical tools student affairs professionals at your institution are using for individual and community well-being, please consider submitting a proposal to present and share your insights. We are interested in approaches that expand across the various socio-ecological levels of your community, including prevention, early identification, skill building, and intervention. This could include bystander intervention programs, case management models, peer support structures, or other strategies that help students and staff recognize and respond to need. Most importantly, we are also interested in how your institution supports the caregivers and works to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. Presentations grounded in research, practitioner experience, or both are welcome.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Bystander intervention models and training
- Cross-campus collaboration and care teams
- Peer-to-peer support programs
- Data-informed approaches to student outreach
- Mental health destigmatization efforts
- Ways to support staff well-being, preventing burnout or addressing compassion fatigue
- Related topics in student wellness and prevention
Submit your proposal here.