UF launches U Matter, We Care program to promote caring campus culture

August 15, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A new initiative launching this fall at the University of Florida aims to teach students, faculty and staff how to spot members of the university community who may be in distress and to assist them in getting help.

Known as U Matter, We Care, the program will tap into the campus community’s natural compassion and focus it on those most in need of assistance, said Dean of Students Jen Day Shaw.

“Actually, various colleges and departments have been doing this for quite a while and doing it well,” Shaw said. “The U Matter, We Care effort just puts all of these programs and resources under one umbrella to make them more accessible.”

The “U Matter, We Care” initiative will provide:

  • A central website — www.umatter.ufl.edu — designed to provide easily accessible care-related resources and services
  • A training program for faculty, staff and students to recognize signs of distress, promote active listening and provide effective helping resources
  • U Matter, We Care stickers to display for those who complete the training program or other related training provided by the Counseling and Wellness Center, Crisis Response Team or additional campus stakeholders
  • A centralized phone line and email address for use by faculty, staff, students and their families to ensure providing information regarding students in distress is easy and convenient.

UF Human Resource Services and the Employee Assistance Program also are implementing U Matter, We Care for employees in distress. Additional information will be distributed soon about this component of the initiative.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use the U Matter phone number, 352-294-CARE (2273), or email address, umatter@ufl.edu, or refer a student to the appropriate resource hub listed below:

“UF has always been an incredibly caring place. U Matter extends that culture of care so that each person has the obligation as a member of this community to recognize signs of distress and proactively get the person in distress or information about that person to one of the helping resources on campus,” Shaw said. “The saying created by students in the College of Journalism and Communications pretty much says it all: 50,000 students and not one to spare.”