Basics of Caring Course Design - 5:28
The Basics of Caring Course Design, offering practical frameworks and strategies to help educators integrate empathy and care into their teaching.
Daily Events Teaching Resources
CAREolina is officially here! Start the week off with a few of our featured resources.
New links and materials added daily!
- Begin your day with a quick and calming meditation.
- Stressed about the Digital Accessibility deadline? Here is an easy accessibility checklist to help.
- Interested in learning the basics of adding care to your curriculum? Check out our
CAREolina short videos.
We have much more, so explore the page and find the tools you need.
Daily Events and Highlights
Creating a welcoming environment in the university classroom can be easier than many think. Learn why care and empathy in the classroom are important, what the research says, and productive ways teachers can enhance their classrooms, materials, and professional development. Topics include teaching with compassion, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), learning student's names, the Student Experience Project (SEP), and more!
Sessions
Teaching with Compassion: Trauma-Informed Approaches for Higher Education | Register
Build classrooms grounded in care, connection, and courage.
11:00am-Noon | In-person
The Student Experience Project: Faculty Community and Growth Mindset | Register
Hear how SEP’s low-lift, easy-to-use practices have influenced the teaching of a panel
of faculty members in USC's SEP community.
1:00pm-2:00pm | Webinar
Name Dropping: Building Rapport Through the Science of Names | Register
2:20pm-3:10pm | Webinar
Educators, including faculty, staff, and graduate teaching assistants, often forget to take care of their own emotional, mental, and physical health. Benefits exist across campus to help educators walk into class ready for a productive session. Learn more about free and low-cost services that you can take advantage of today!
Sessions
Leave Benefits and FMLA (Family and Medical Leave) | Register
10:00am-11:00am | Webinar
Recovery Ally | Register (Please note the special instructions in the registration link)
10:05am-11:20am | In-person
Prioritizing Your Well-Being | Register
Noon-1:00pm | Webinar
Somatic Subtleties & Sound: Living Beyond the Workplace | Register
Release tension, calm the nervous system, and nurture resilience through somatic movement
and restorative sound practices.
1:30pm-2:15pm | In-person
Balancing Your Role as an Instructor and Graduate Student | Register
Learn about tools and resources to balance your role as an instructor and student
while emphasizing the importance of self-care.
3:00pm-4:00pm | In-person
A student’s lived experiences directly influence how they enter the classroom and engage in the materials presented to them. USC offers support, outreach, and guidance to help them navigate their concerns outside of the classroom so they can show up ready and engaged.
Sessions
The Balance of Care and Accountability | Register
Explore strategies for navigating challenging conversations with students while maintaining
appropriate accountability and providing empathy, care, and support.
10:00am-10:50am | Webinar
Leadership, Power, and Empathy: A Virtual Reality Activation | Register
Be immersed in a Virtual Reality (VR) empathy activation designed to deepen self-awareness,
empathy, and perspective-taking both in the classroom and the community at large.
11:00am-1:30pm | In-person
Virtual Environments Community of Practice | Register
Noon-12:50pm | In-person
Beneficial resources are available to students across campus and online to support academic and career excellence.
Sessions
Creating Academic Spaces that Foster Success for First-Generation College Students
| Register
1:15pm-2:30pm | In-person
The Student Success Center: How your Students Can Utilize Peer-led Academic Support
| Register
Learn how the Student Success Center can support your students, including supplemental
Instruction, peer tutoring, and peer writing.3:15pm-4:00pm | In-person
The week ends with the First-Generation Symposium, an annual celebration of the experiences, successes, and unique needs of first-generation college students. This collaborative event is supported by the Center for Teaching Excellence, First-Generation Center, TRIO Programs, Graduation and Retention Network (GARNET), the Office of Access and Opportunity, the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support, and Aramark. Join us for an inspiring day filled with engaging discussions, insightful data, and impactful stories.
Registration Deadline: Friday, March 17 Register (Note: This event currently has a waitlist.)
Time: 9:00am - 1:15pm
Location: University Conference Center (8th floor, Close-Hipp Building)
Yet in practice, I've found that kindness as pedagogical practice distills down to two simple things: believing people, and believing in people.
Catherine Denial, "A Pedagogy of Kindness," 2020
CAREolina Gallery of Useful Tools and Resources
Coming Wednesday, March 26: Educator Toolkits
Check back on Wednesday for resources grouped by commonly-asked questions, including course building, accessibility, integrity violations, and university services.
Video Gallery
Growth Mindset - 4:41
Learn what it means to have a growth mindset and help students frame learning experiences as encouraging opportunties that can help them plan for what comes next.
Creating a Welcoming Classroom - 4:49
This video highlights simple, practical strategies to help you create a space where students feel supported and ready to engage.
Building Community Through Group Work - 4:58
Help students gain a greater sense of self-efficacy, belonging, and community can boost learning success. This video stresses the importance of building student connections through group work.
The Curb Cut Effect & Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in College Classrooms -20:21
This session explores how applying a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in the college classroom serves as an expression of empathy for students while also fostering compassion for instructors. By intentionally designing flexible pathways for engagement, assessment, and representation, UDL supports diverse learner needs and promotes inclusive participation. At the same time, these practices streamline grading processes and clarify engagement expectations, reducing instructional burden and supporting sustainable, effective teaching.
Find more in the CTE Media Archive of Caring Pedagogy
An Interview about Care on Campus with Xavery Hopkins
In this interview, CTE talks to Xavery Hopkins, Senior Director of the Office of Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement at the Darla Moore School of Business. She recently won the 2026 Martin Luther King Social Justice Award and took time to talk to us about why empathy is important on campus and how educators can foster care in the classroom.