New Course, Greater Access to Mindful Practice Activities Help Students Learn in a Pandemic
There are probably a dozen words that quickly come to mind when summarizing sentiments of COVID-19 and the effects the pandemic has had on Fullerton College students. While most students might defer to words such as challenging, stressful, or overwhelming, one might be surprised to learn that more than 1,000 students might describe their experience as simply, mindful.
Such is the case for students like James Escobar, who began his first semester at Fullerton College this fall and enrolled in MIND 101, the first transferrable course offered at Fullerton College that focuses specifically on the practice of mindfulness, self-compassion, compassion for others, and the nature of well-being.
“I knew a little bit about the benefits of mindfulness because it was introduced by my English teachers in high school,” Escobar said. “But it wasn’t until I attended a workshop for the Promise Program during the summer, where we conducted a mindfulness exercise, and I learned there was a course being offered in the fall.”
Escobar, along with 150 other students, jumped at the chance to enroll in the new course, which offered five sections during the fall and will offer another five sections this Spring 2021. MIND 101 is the first community college course in California to focus exclusively on the practices of mindfulness and self-compassion and is one aspect of a robust Mindful Growth Initiative that fosters contemplative practices and growth opportunities to develop equity, student success, individual well-being, and community at Fullerton College.
The Mindful Growth Initiative is a growing movement, providing many opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to learn mindsets and mindfulness practice, through activities such as the Mindfulness Institute for Students, the eight-week Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Intensive, workshops, meditation sessions, and presentations across the district. All with the goal of moving Fullerton College into a more mindful campus. It was one of the most lauded programs at student forums as indicated in North Orange County Community College District’s Educational Master Plan.
“Fullerton College has become one of the first community colleges in California to pioneer a comprehensive, coordinated campus initiative for students, faculty, staff, and administrators focused on mindfulness and mindsets, which includes introductory transfer-level academic coursework (MIND 101) plus a multitude of campus-wide offerings that enhance the coursework and vice-versa,” said Deidre Hughes, co-coordinator of the Mindful Growth Initiative.
For many students, the new course become a game-changer, especially during a time like now, when many are attending college online for the first time and additional stressors related to the pandemic. Students in this fall’s Mind 101 class shared some of their sentiments in this video posted on YouTube.
Escobar couldn’t agree more. He said the course has helped him better understand how to manage the stress and anxiety that comes from remote learning and managing his many years of living with general anxiety disorder.
“One of the most important tools and what Deidre constantly teaches us is to be in the moment,” Escobar said. “So usually, if I feel myself getting too anxious, I’ll just stop whatever I’m doing and just focus on where I am and my breathing. I just relax my body before I restart whatever I’m doing.”
Escobar said he keeps these tools and tips in his back pocket, which helps him be a good role model for his younger sibling.
The Mindful Growth Initiative, which began years before the pandemic, pivoted these last nine months to support students virtually, Hughes said. Notably, this fall, more than 1,000 students have already participated in some form of mindfulness activity, whether it was a Canvas online mindfulness workshop, a Mindful Monday meditation, or the MIND 101 course. The participation number is in stark contrast to 2017-18 when the program reported only 250 had participated in their events.
Hughes said the program has been able to reach more students thanks to collaborations with various departments, such as Student Health Services, and programs such as Umoja, Promise, and Grads To Be. One example of this collaboration will occur during fall finals week, December 7 – 11, when FC Health Services and the Mindful Growth Initiative will host daily relaxation breaks which include various forms of meditation and introduce simple relaxation tools to help students get through finals.
In addition, Hughes said the initiative has developed a strong program of Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Ambassadors where student leaders bring the mindfulness and mindset practices into various classes and programs. Other activities aimed at bringing faculty, staff, and administrators into the learning module take place through District-wide retreats for administrators where the program integrates an equity focus into their events and offerings in keeping with statewide initiatives, like Guided Pathways. Recently, FC’s Mindful Growth Planning group members also led mindfulness practices each day during a state-wide 3CSN Strengthening Student Success Conference.
Escobar says he plans to continue sharing all that he’s learned in the Mind 101 course with other students and said he feels confident he can succeed as a biology major, using the tools and practices he’s incorporated into his daily life. “I want to become a doctor and after taking this course I’m actually more interested in studying the brain and human behavior,” he said.
For more information on Fullerton College’s Mindful Growth Initiative visit https://mindfulgrowth.fullcoll.edu/mindfulness/ or to learn more about activities and workshops follow Fullerton College Mindful Growth on Instagram.
