Adrienne Frame

As educational institutions evolve, it’s never been more important to nurture students' holistic development, viewing their intellectual growth and mental and emotional well-being as part of the same whole. This balance is essential for cultivating well-rounded individuals who are ready to contribute positively to society and navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Chris Mansfield, GoodCourse’s Client Services Lead, sat down with Adrienne Frame, Vice President for Student Success and Well-being at the University of Central Florida, to discuss everything from the importance of encouraging open dialogue and constructive discourse to strategies for creating a safe and inclusive campus environment.

Adrienne's Journey

Chris: What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education? And how did you arrive in your current role?

I went to a pretty small high school, and when I went to college, it seemed like a whole new world. I did well academically, but I struggled socially. Many people in this field started off working in student government or residence halls, but that wasn’t my experience at all. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to do an exchange at Harvard University in my junior year, where I got involved in activities including student radio and rowing crew. I went on to study for a Master’s Degree in Counseling, completing a graduate assistantship  in a college counseling center before I ended up working in student housing. I stayed in that field for 20 years, and it was an excellent opportunity to learn about the full spectrum of the student experience. From there, I transitioned to a Dean of Students role, working on the entire continuum of care from crisis management to mental health.

UCF-wise, I’ve been here for about seven years. I started off as Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, and I was elevated to my current position after the retirement of the previous Vice President. Following the development of our Unleashing Potential strategic plan, we set up a new division called Student Success and Well-being, which is dedicated to supporting students and helping them thrive. 

Chris: What’s your approach to fostering a positive campus climate and promoting student safety and awareness?

Here at UCF, we are laser-focused on unleashing the potential of people and ideas to spark positive change in the world. So we think in terms of belonging, engaging, achieving, and producing meaning. That’s our idea of success and well-being. To create a safe environment, it’s important for us to build relationships with students to help get information out about our response systems and support resources. Students need to know about our policies and procedures and how to access resources. We need all members of our community to step up to make sure our campus feels safe and inclusive. We are a huge institution, with 69,000 students, so there are lots of opportunities to connect – but students need to feel safe, welcomed and encouraged to do it on their own terms. If anyone is concerned about a student, academically, emotionally, socially or for any other reason, we encourage them to fill out a Student of Concern form, and that will send our student services staff out to contact that student to see what their needs might be. Every person on our campus is part of the continuum of care which helps connect our students to each other, campus resources, and the greater community around them. 

Chris: We live in a time of increasing polarization. How can we encourage students to build constructive dialogue across difference?

The university environment is a true marketplace of ideas. It’s an opportunity to hear open dialogue in a content-neutral way to explore all perspectives and viewpoints. We want everyone to have a safe opportunity to experience that. It’s up to students to be exposed to a range of ideas and make up their own minds. Relationships are key for making this happen in a safe, effective manner and ensuring people can be heard. True, constructive dialogue is central to the success of our learning community.

Chris: In such a large institution, how do you ensure that your key messages get across so that everyone is on the same page?

Civil discourse is key, and we use multiple approaches to get our messages across. We need to leverage different communication methods to reach students on their own terms, whether that’s through social media, face-to-face interactions, or student government. The message also needs to match the voice: I might communicate through email, whereas student leaders might use Instagram instead. On a campus of our size, we need to be clear about our priorities and work through multiple channels. Lastly, relationships are crucial to getting our message across and creating a web of communication that reaches everybody.

Chris: Orientation is a key part of the student journey. What are your main focus areas when getting students acclimatized to university life?

As a learning community, you need to take a step back and think about the purpose of orientation on your campus. People want to put everything into orientation, but it quickly becomes overwhelming for students with too much information being shared all at once. So we focus on those first critical six weeks, and what students need during that time: enrollment in courses, advising, establishing community with connections to peers and student organizations, and resources. Then, we think more broadly about what students might need after those first six weeks and communicate about the kinds of support we provide. It’s not just about those first two or three days; it’s a year-long process of introducing them to our community and helping them to feel at home here. 

Chris: Students have many demands on their time, and it can be difficult to keep their attention. What’s the secret to cutting through the noise?

Every campus I’ve ever been on has a cadence to it. There’s that first big football game, the first set of exams, the first time students go home for the holidays. These milestones help us to anticipate what support might be needed, and when. Then, we can build our communications strategy around that. We understand that our students are very busy, and they might not see every email. So we’re trying to be more intentional with our communication to be more specific to students’ needs, asking what the message is and who is delivering it. Sometimes, you need to have difficult discussions about topics like mental health - you can’t send out a message like that on Friday afternoon and not check back on it until Monday. We have a whole team of people thinking about the mental health implications of our business practices and academic processes. It’s crucial to be thoughtful and purposeful about how and when we communicate.  

Chris: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Dr Laura Osteen once told me, “Feedback is love.” If someone has chosen to give you feedback, it means they believe you are worth their time, and care about helping you improve.