Belmont Hosts LearningWell Conference for Student Wellbeing & Formation

Belmont Hosts LearningWell Conference For Formative Education

Five years ago, Belmont President Greg Jones sat down with a small group of educators to ask a new kind question within higher education: what would it look like for colleges and universities to truly prioritize student wellbeing and formation?

By “formation,” Dr. Jones meant an education that shapes not just what students know, but who they become. At the time, this question felt forward-looking. Today, it fuels a growing movement – one that the LearningWell Coalition is helping lead.

The Coalition brings together 35 institutions across 19 states and three countries, all working to embed wellbeing, purpose and character development into the fabric of higher education. This year, Belmont hosted the Coalition’s fifth annual conference, welcoming more than 200 leaders from across the country.

“We were delighted to host,” said Dr. Jones. “I left deeply encouraged by the timely conversations and shared investment to the future of higher education and whole-person formation.”

A growing movement towards formative education

The conference focused on turning vision into practice. Faculty and staff explored how formation shows up in everyday moments: in classrooms, conversations and curriculum.

For Dr. Lauren Lunsford in the College of Education, that begins with better questions: “What brings you joy? What does the world need you to be?” she said. “These kinds of questions help students connect learning to purpose and the needs of the world.” 

Keynote speakers challenged institutions to reimagine a new learning ecosystem focused on ongoing moral development in the age of AI. Michelle Weise, author of “Long Life Learning,” emphasized that preparation for the future requires more than technical skills.

“As workforce demands shift and people live longer, more dynamic lives, traditional models of higher education are no longer sufficient,” Weise said. “Formative education tethers technical fluency to moral clarity, equipping learners to flourish after graduation.”

Industry leaders like Wendy Kopp, Ken Burns and David Yeager reinforced a shared reality: no single institution can do this work alone.

“It’s no small task to educate the whole person – let alone an institution full of whole people shaped by diverse backgrounds,” said Nathan Webb, director of Belmont’s Formation Collaborative. “Progress depends on working together to imagine new ways of engaging our campus communities.”

A collaborative path forward

After two days of conversation, it became clear that there is no single model for formative education. Each institution must do this work within its own context, but not in isolation. 

For Belmont and its partners in the LearningWell Coalition, the path forward will be characterized by innovation and collaboration.