
A preview of the Conflict Competence webpage.
January 25
The due date for program proposals for the 2025 Steps to Leaps Summit on March 12 (submit here) and for nominations for the 2025 Steps to Leaps awards (submit here) is quickly approaching. This month, we wanted to remind you of some of the ways we’ve seen Steps to Leaps in action over the past year in hopes of inspiring you to submit your program proposals or nominations. We encourage you to consider the following whole reading through these recaps:
- Do I have a program that produces similar outcomes?
- Has my department/staff member created a program that, like these, aligns with a Steps to Leaps pillar?
- Are we collaborating with partners to provide resources for students?
- Are we incorporating Steps to Leaps language into our conversations with students or into our class presentations or materials?
- Did you assign Steps to Leaps modules to your students?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we encourage you to submit a proposal or nomination.
CAPS, RecWell and PUSH
Over the past few years, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has worked to increase accessibility to their services. In past conversations, students remarked that they had been told by their upper-class peers that seeking services at CAPS took too long. That is no longer the case. Students are now recognizing a change in perception that the CAPS mantra of “same day, next day” services is true. The staff at CAPS have worked tirelessly to ensure students are supported in a way that is flexible and accessible. This includes resources through the TAO portal that are available to students and staff at all hours. CAPS has also increased its use of group services and offers services at several locations on campus. We see Steps in Leaps in action through their efforts every day.
Students also experience the impact of Purdue Recreation & Wellness (RecWell) on their well-being. This is exemplified through the record-breaking numbers of students using RecWell facilities. Demand has increased to the point that RecWell is seeking ways to expand resources so they can serve more students. The RecWell Master Plan envisions renovated spaces and new pickleball courts to serve this growing sport. RecWell also supports well-being through their development of student leaders, numerous fitness classes, wellness activities and more. Every staff member understands how important Steps to Leaps is and how it can help students understand the resources available to them.
Finally, Purdue University Student Health Service (PUSH) is a mainstay in providing well-being services for students. PUSH offers ancillary services and support, such as sports injury care, radiology, physical therapy, infusion therapy, travel medicine, allergy and immunizations. In addition to primary care services, PUSH also manages pre-matriculation immunization requirements to ensure compliance with state mandates and provides laboratory services managed by LabCorp. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PUSH was instrumental to the well-being of students. Their all-hands-on-deck approach to student care and support is a daily reminder of their impact on students every day.
Conflict Competence
How we engage with students around conflict can lay the foundation for how they approach future conflicts. Using resources like the Conflict Competence Modules can teach students and staff about conflict styles and the steps they can take to resolve conflict. All groups can find resources to help support them in these modules or on the Steps to Leaps website. Helping students find this information and resources early on can have a lasting impact.
There are varying ways to support students and their ability to navigate conflict. Weaving conflict competence training into leadership and professional development can build students’ capacities to participate more fully in the organization. Assigning the first module in a class before students are assigned group projects can lessen the likelihood of negative conflict. Simply posting a link to the resources can provide students with an opportunity to build their grit/persistence.
Well-Being Initiative and Sleep
One outcome we’ve seen from this common language is that we more easily notice the way other department’s programs connect to the work we’re doing. Collaborations are made more easily. One prime example of this type of collaboration on a large scale is the Student Life Well-Being Initiative.
The Well-Being Initiative brings together campus leaders in wellness to align Purdue's many resources and services into a holistic, integrated and strategic approach to promoting well-being across the university. One of the first efforts by the initiative was to use the Steps to Leaps assessment to identify an area of need for our students. The assessment found that many of our students were not getting enough sleep. Therefore, Student Life is highlighting sleep education as a common focus. Additionally, the Well-Being Initiative is endeavoring to focus on five areas to increase the impact of their collective efforts. Those areas include signature programs, assessment and research, train-the-trainer programs, environmental mobilization and student engagement.