Academic Courses as
Outreach: Teaching as a
Model of Outreach Delivery
Tom Golightly, Ph.D.
Dallas Jensen, Ph.D
Counseling and Psychological Services
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah
CAPS Mission
 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers
preventive education, consultation, individual, group
and couples counseling (as well as referrals to other
agencies which provide similar services) for
developmental, emotional or interpersonal difficulties
that arise during the educational process. We espouse
a Counseling Center philosophy recognizing that our
mission is to assist student in fulfilling their
educational goals by helping them overcome obstacles
that interfere with their ability to succeed in college.
Teaching Fits the Mission
 Psychological Difficulties/Personal Development
 Impede academic performance and progress
 Building character/Life skills
 Increase retention
 Academic/Learning Concerns
 Impedes academic performance, related to
retention
 Career Concerns
 Related to academic progress, lifelong service,
character building, life roles after college
Other Factors Worth Noting
 BYU students: 10.5 semesters to graduate.
 University interested in matriculation
 Surveys of Student Needs, Reported problems
 Obstacles of freshmen: poor study skills (60%), time
management (67%), fear of failure (40%) poor
concentration (41%)
 On warning/probation (<2.0): 43% sensitive
concerns/depression/anxiety; double typical student.
 80% of students enrolled indicated they needed to
improve study skills, more than 50% high school did not
prepare them for college-level work.
Current Teaching Program: 34 courses
offered
Life Planning and Decision Making: Student Leadership
Development, Individual Development, Positive
Psychology/Living, Performance Psychology, Developing
Personal Character, Tutoring
Career Exploration/Career Strategies: Employment,
Graduate School, Pre-Law, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dentistry,
Pre-Health Professions, Exploratory Internships
Essential College Skills: Effective Study and Learning,
Surviving and Thriving at the University, Test Preparation,
Advanced Reading Strategies, Financial Management
Enrollment in StDev Courses (University
Enrollment – 32,000)
Year/T
erm
Fall
Wint
er
Spring/ Total
Summe
r
2015
---
3150
545
6,500 < n
< 6,700
(est.)
2014*
2832
3034
421
6287
2013*
2923
3144
558
6625
2012
3023
3137
500
6660
2011
3003
3078
241/22
8
6550
2010
3032
3098
403
6533
2009
2943
2730
390
6063
*- years University enrollment
was between 27,000 – 28,000 (12%)
Fall 2015 offerings:
•122 sections
•33 courses
What students are saying…
 This has been the most useful and applicable course I have taken at BYU. This
course should be a must for any student. The principles I learned in this class
have made the college workload far more manageable and I thoroughly enjoyed
every class period. I actually looked forward to Mondays because of this class.
 Thanks for a great semester of learning about myself and the importance of
being myself in my career exploration. I will continue to use the tools I have
developed to further my education.
 This class changed my outlook on life and hopefully I'll continue applying these
things for the rest of my life.
 This course opened my mind to many ideas. It definitely helped me develop as
a student. Because of it I am much more confident about my future, both in
academics and ultimately my career.
 Really great professor. Is very passionate about the subject matter and
provided a lot of real world experience. He also made the class very applicable
to our every day lives. Loved the meditation/relaxation segments.
Course Examples
StDev 109: Effective Studying and Learning
StDev 117: Career Exploration (subsets)
 Availability for 325 students
Availability for 437 students
 Some students referred by
academic support units and
other advisors
One section for int’l students
and two for women
 Some students are under
university academic
sanction
 Content
Typically under-classmen
Wide ranges of career
maturity
Content
2 Additional Examples
StDev 247: Performance Enhancement
 Students in performance
arenas (student-athletes,
music, dance, theater arts,
academic performance,
etc.)
 Experientially-based course
 Heavy focus on CBT
techniques
 Content
StDev 358: Leadership Training
 Akin to paraprofessional
training
 Knowledge and practicebased course
- Focus on
identification/recognition
and beginner counseling
skills
- Strategies for self-care also
taught
 Content
Sample Activity
 Adjusting to your population
 Mindfulness (Here and Now)
 Positive Psychology – Flow
Drilling Down:
The Example of SPoPL
Student Development 214R: “The
Science & Practice of Positive Living”
 Since 2010
 Twice/semester; Fall and Winter
 20/25 students
What I Hope to Share:
 One example of ways to take expertise out to the
campus community via a course/workshop format
 How the course works
 Basic philosophy
 Ingredients
 Process
What I Hope to Share:
 The utility of measuring the effectiveness of what we’re
doing
 What the data says
 Ideas to get you thinking about outreach in a class or
extended workshop
 Creative ways to meet demand
 Not just a ‘reactive’ service
Development of the Course
 Intent: create a combination of intellectual +
experiential learning about increasing well-being…
 …that also happens to yield a grade, and course
credits…
 …and meshes with aims of outreach
 Prevention, education
 Mental health professionals for the campus, not just clients
in our offices
Development of the Course
 What can I offer?
 What have I enjoyed teaching?
 How can I use what I’m interested in to enhance the mental
health of the campus?
 The pitch to the higher-ups:
 Create a vision for what the course could offer
 Show how it could be good use of resources
 Night class?
Philosophy of the Course
 Enhance well-being/emotional health in 15 weeks
 More than one way to balance a scale
 The absence of disease =/= health
 Educate, invite new perspectives, discuss...not therapy
 Perhaps more palatable for some students?
 feels different than a focus on pathology, distress
 Hammer HARD on discarding the typical mentality when
they walk in the classroom door
Shawn Achor talks
(very fast)
about happiness
Course Structure
 Experiential learning
 Biggest ROI
 Supported by science/research
 Cemented by writing, discussion
 Basic process of the course:





“Science of ______”
Experiential Assignment
Record thoughts/feelings
Discussion & Follow-up
Rinse & repeat

Mar 2
The Science of Interpersonal Connections

Mar 7
Discussion & Follow-Up

Mar 9
The Science of Happiness: What is it, anyway?

Mar 14
Discussion & Follow-Up

Mar 16
The Science of (Di)Stress Management

Mar 21
Discussion & Follow-Up

Mar 23
The Science of Decision Making: Dealing with Ambiguity

Mar 28
Discussion & Follow-Up

Mar 30
The Science of Mindfulness

Apr 4
Discussion & Follow-Up
Ingredients
 12 Modules, topics related to well-being and
mental/emotional health
 Media presentations by students
 A sprinkling of readings, quizzes
 Discussion groups
 Investment Points (self-graded)
 Final synthesis paper
What kinds of topics?
Happiness
Savoring
Stress
Management
Mindfulness
Decision Making
Exercising Will
Others
 Interpersonal Effectiveness
 Purposes and values
 Character Strengths
 Gratitude
 Self-Compassion, Awe, Empathy, Altruism
Example Module: Purposes & Values
 Research on values, meaningfulness
 How aware? (Values sort)
 How engaged?
 What do you want to be about?
 Can you start living in those directions?
 Two assignment options, journal, discussion, wrap-up
Sample Experiential Assignment: Gratitude
Gratitude II Experiential Assignment: Gratitude Letter
Think about the people in your life that have significantly contributed to you in some way.
Consider those who have been especially kind to you but may have never heard you really
express your gratitude.
Write a Gratitude Letter to one of these individuals describing in concrete terms why you are
grateful. The letter needs to be in-depth and concrete: name specifics the person did for you,
and exactly how it has affected your life. Perhaps share what you are doing now and how you
often remember their efforts. Make it come alive. Note: this is a letter, not a text, tweet,
facebook message, or thank-you note.
Once you have written the letter, the next step is to deliver the message. You have some options
here—the first two are more challenging but more rewarding, the third one may be easier but
you’ll miss out on some of the rewards. It’s up to you which one you choose but I want to invite
you to push yourself.
Options
1. Deliver the letter in person and read it to the person.
2. Call the person if they are too far away to visit, and read them your letter over the phone.
3. Send your letter through regular mail/email.
Make sure to note thoughts/feelings/reactions about your experience, and its effects on you and
the other person, in your course journal. For the discussion groups, be prepared to share a bit
about who you thanked and why, and what kinds of things you included in your letter.
Discussion Groups
 Small groups
 Takes some initial coaching
 Provide some back-up questions
 Everyone share their experience
 Students write about these groups in their final papers
Investment Points
Completed at the end of each unit
 Experience 30
 Journal 10
 Discussion 10
50 x 12 = 600 of the 1000 possible points
Assessing Effectiveness:
Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Measure
Something
 Pilot study
 Pre/Post for several semesters (Fall ‘12 – Winter ‘14)
 About 140 total
 How do I want to measure it?





Some qualitative, some quantitative
Some ambitious, because research study
Some quick and easy
Simple pre-to-post change
Administrators like number-y things
 Gaining Campus Commitment to Outreach
Tools Used:
 Psychological Well-Being
Scales






Autonomy
Environmental Mastery
Personal Growth
Positive Relations
Purpose in Life
Self Acceptance
 Life Orientation TestRevised
 Outcome Questionnaire
45.2
 Self In School
 Mindful Attention
Awareness Scale
 Savoring Beliefs Inventory
 Gratitude Questionnaire-6
 Subjective Happiness Scale
 Approaches to Happiness
Questionnaire
So…Does It Work?
Pre Mean
Post Mean
Difference
t
p
Psychological Well Being- Autonomy
56.36
58.47
-2.11
-3.112
0.002
Psychological Well Being- Environmental Mastery
57.77
61.97
-4.2
-5.612
< .001
Psychological Well Being- Personal Growth
69.63
70.83
-1.2
-2.073
0.04
Psychological Well Being- Positive Relations
63.23
65.88
-2.65
-3.582
< .001
Psychological Well Being- Purpose in Life
66.34
68.67
-2.33
-3.471
0.001
Psychological Well Being- Self Acceptance
60.42
65.51
-5.09
-6.419
< .001
373.75
391.33
-17.58
-5.345
< .001
Life Orientation Test
20.99
22.77
-1.78
-6.018
< .001
OQ Symptom Distress
32.2
27.86
4.34
4.532
< .001
OQ Interpersonal Relations
11.65
9.65
2
4.716
< .001
OQ Social Role
10.92
10.28
0.64
1.928
0.056
OQ Total
54.78
47.78
7
4.539
< .001
Self in School
85.26
87.35
-2.09
-2.26
0.025
Approaches to Happiness- Meaning
22.3
23.31
-1.01
-3.541
0.001
Approaches to Happiness- Pleasure
18.47
18.73
-0.26
-0.747
0.456
Approaches to Happiness- Engagement
16.74
17.28
-0.54
-1.95
0.053
Gratitute Questionnaire
37.53
38.09
-0.56
-1.849
0.067
Subjective Happiness Scale
19.71
21.53
-1.82
-5.994
< .001
Mindful Attention Awareness Scale
3.75
3.76
-0.01
-0.03
0.976
SBI- Savoring the Moment
4.82
5.04
-0.22
-2.623
0.01
Psychological Well Being- Total
Paired Samples t-test
Bonferroni's Correction: Bold = sig at p < .004
So…Does It Work? (MANOVA highlights)
Pre
Mean
Post
Mean f
373.75
391.33
7.78 0.006
Life Orientation Test
20.99
22.77
10.1 0.002
OQ Total
54.78
47.78
6.59 0.011
Subjective Happiness Scale
19.71
21.53
8.15 0.005
Psychological Well Being- Total
p
So…Does It Work?
 95/133 people started in the clinical range on the OQ
 = students that need help may be self-selecting into the
class
 Post-hocs: more advanced students benefited a bit more
from the class
 No difference between in therapy/not in therapy at
time of class
 But those with previous therapy differed significantly from
those without
What Do Students Say?
Snippets from papers, course evaluations:
(Prevention/Education?)
“Yes, I have to admit this 2 credit course is probably the easiest ‘A’ I
will ever receive, but it has been the most impactful 2 credits of my
college career.”
“To be honest I thought the class would be something I could blow off
and get an easy A. As the semester progressed I realized this class was
what was holding me together.”
“I signed up to take this class because I needed two extra credits I
needed to fill in and learning how to positively live sounded really
interesting. I did not really know what I was getting myself into.”
“Prior to this class I had never paid much attention to what I feel in a
given moment, or what happiness really means to me.”
Student Reactions
(Maintenance/Intervention?)
“My reasoning behind taking this class was due to how difficult last year was
for me. I went through a lot of trying personal experiences. Overall I was not
happy with who I was or where my life seemed to be heading.”
“I elected to take this course during a pretty tough time in my life….I feel
that I can walk from this class with mental and emotional tools.”
“I have become more understanding of myself and less frustrated or
intolerant of the emotions that I have that I do not control.”
“This class has really changed me and I am sure will keep changing me.”
“Going in to see a therapist? Yeah, that was something that I would never do.
Yet, here I was, discussing with my parents whether I needed to seek
professional help. I had been suffering from depressed thoughts and feeling
extremely forgotten….I am here to say that this positive living class helped
me learn coping strategies that eventually helped me overcome some of
these depressed thoughts.”
More Student Reactions
“One thing I really didn’t expect but loved was how much we were
expected to apply what we learned.”
“With an observing mind I’ve come to understand more about myself than
I could ever have done without. Mindfulness in itself has been a useful
tool, but combined with value-oriented motivation, willpower, and all
of the other concepts I’ve practiced throughout the semester, I feel
that my capacity to live happily has improved substantially.”
“While I had hoped to enjoy this class, I must admit I am surprised by
how effective it has been in changing my life for the better.
Specifically, practicing mindfulness, assessing my values, and savoring
things have led me to experience a more full and positive life.”
“This class teaches so much more than textbook. It teaches how to
improve your life. I think a lot more education needs to be like this.”
Acknowledgments, Caveats, and Various
‘Yeah, buts….’
 Self-selecting students?
 Full semester course may or may not be a forum that
you have available to you on your
 Usual obstacles—getting the word out, filling
 Limits on scope (25 students x 15 weeks)
 Support from administrators
Yes, this IS outreach!
 Sneak in some education/prevention, engage students
in actual practice of attending to their psychological
health, without it being therapy
 Maybe doesn’t look like the first image we get in our
heads when we think ‘outreach’
 Proactively taking our expertise as mental health
professionals out to the campus
 vs. waiting for students to come to us in distress
 Not just a ‘reactive’ service
Factors contributing to success
 Student Life/Development: Equivalent to an
academic college (UCC, FAC, FDC, VP position)
 Clinicians have faculty status, expectation to
teach
 History: Since 1970’s
 Word of mouth
 Buy-in of faculty/clinicians, Hours to teach
 Support of broader administration/mandate
 Liaisons w/ Advisement Centers
Difficulties and Complications
 ‘Filler’ class, easy? Making courses academic
 How to grade ‘personal development’
 Lack of faculty interest/buy-in at times
 Balance with clinical demands
 Difficulty assessing outcomes/effectiveness
 Clinical training vs. student development training
 Respect from academic areas
 Credit vs. required vs. elective
Effectiveness?
 Consistent student contact:
 Do students who take the classes use therapy less or more?
Answer: More 11% to 7%. Explanation.
 Course Evaluations: Higher than average on campus for
course and instructor
 Continued enrollment (levels up from other colleges)
 Improved Liaisons with departments, agencies, colleges
(e.g., Athletics, Residence Life, General Education,
Advisement Centers, Deans)
 Students complete requirements for graduation one
semester before others.
Suggestions For building a program
 Tailor to mission of college/university and center
 Must have buy-in of clinicians—teaching meets a need.
 Present case to administration
(with data)
 Start small, one class. Experimental/activity classes
 Gather data: Needs assessment and outcomes of
course(s)
 Spread the workload
 Market skills of PhD-level clinicians as clinicians,
teachers, researchers.