A mindfulness session that ends with watercolor painting. A candid conversation about consent and healthy relationships. An online strengths assessment followed by a workshop to help students develop their natural talents into strengths. These are just a few of the Student Life presentations regularly making their way into Miami classrooms.

Student Life offices offer brief, often interactive presentations that faculty and instructors can request for their classes, department meetings, or student groups. The sessions can complement academic content while giving students practical tools, campus context, and language they can use immediately.

“A guest voice can change the dynamic of the room,” said Jen O’Brien, director of communications for the Division of Student Life. “Sometimes it’s not about adding more content, but about helping students pause, reflect, or connect what they’re learning to their lives.”

Faculty often request presenters when students are navigating high-stress periods, learning how to work with others, or adjusting to the expectations of college life. Presentations range in length and can typically be adjusted to fit the classroom need. Many of the presentations are intentionally short, making them easy to embed into an existing class period.

Mental health and well-being is one of the most common reasons instructors reach out. Student Counseling Service and Student Wellness offer sessions on stress management, mindfulness, coping skills, and suicide prevention. Faculty can also request therapy dog visits or brief wellness breaks designed to help students reset during demanding parts of the semester. And if faculty are interested in promoting positive mental health without a guest speaker, they can sign up for the classroom connections program.

Other sessions focus on helping students make informed decisions about health and safety. The HAWKS peer educators from the Office of Student Wellness lead interactive conversations on harm reduction, consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention. These sessions are often discussion-based and tailored to student audiences, particularly first-year courses and student organizations.

For classes exploring access or inclusion, the Miller Center for Student Disability Services offers presentations that help students better understand disability on campus. They can focus on how the Miller Center supports access at Miami or facilitate a broader conversation about disability culture, language, and allyship. 

Faculty teaching first-year or transition-focused courses can invite the Office of Community Standards into the classroom. These visits provide a clear, student-centered overview of the code of student conduct, the good samaritan policy, and what accountability looks like in practice at Miami.

Student Life also supports classroom learning in leadership development. The Wilks Institute for Leadership and Service offers CliftonStrengths workshops and presentations that help students better understand their talents, communication styles, and approaches to teamwork.

The Title IX office provides training for students, faculty, and staff on topics such as Title IX student support, mandatory reporting responsibilities, boundary setting, and hazing prevention. These sessions can clarify processes, reinforce shared responsibility, and foster safer learning and community environments.

The list of presentations is long, but the division also considers it to be a starting point. “Many offices are willing to adapt their presentations to suit the needs of the instructor and of the classroom,” said O’Brien. “If a faculty member has an idea, we encourage them to get in touch.”

While each office coordinates its own requests, Student Life staff encourage faculty to reach out early in the semester and to think broadly about where a guest presenter might support learning goals. 

Requesting a presentation

Faculty interested in bringing a Student Life presenter into their classroom can contact the relevant office to discuss topics, timing, and format.

Community Standards

• Brief, comprehensive introduction to the Office of Community Standards, the code of student conduct, and the good samaritan policy

Request: Contact Alex Fields at fieldsa9@MiamiOH.edu.

Miller Center for Student Disability Services

• About the Miller Center
• Disability and access

Request: Email SDS@MiamiOH.edu with your topic, dates/times, and goals for the session. 

Student Counseling Service

Find the full list of topics frequently requested on the Student Counseling Service outreach page. Some examples include: 

• Stress reduction and anxiety management
• Meditation and guided visualization
• Providing difficult news or feedback to others
• Coping with homesickness, depression, and loneliness

Request: Call 513-529-4634 or email studentcounseling@miamioh.edu. Dog Therapy can be requested on the dog therapy page. 

Title IX, Title VI, and Hazing Prevention

• Title IX student support (typical audience is student organizations).
• Duty to report (typical audience is faculty, staff, and other designated individuals who are obligated to report incidents of discrimination and harassment).
• Boundary training (typical audience is students). 

Request: Complete the faculty/staff presentation request form or email TitleIX@MiamiOH.edu. 

Office of Student Wellness (HAWKS Peer Health Educators)

Find the full list of topics frequently requested on the HAWKS programs page. Some examples include: 

• Boost your balance: Mindfulness / Gratitude
• Flourish - positive psychology
• Mindset reset: Practical coping skills for everyday challenges

Request: Request a HAWKS program

Wilks Institute for Leadership and Service

• CliftonStrengths workshops, presentations, and one on one coaching sessions

Request: Email Wilksinstitute@MiamiOH.edu.