1. Develop a Wellness Center on Campus. This center should have a solarium (or sunlight), plants/trees, a lounge with earth tones, quiet or light instrumental music, hot tea or flavored ice water and access to resources, counselors, and mentors.
The counselors would be available for drop-in sessions to treat and guide mental health.
Mentors would be available for drop-in sessions and would help students connect with things they need to be successful and content –like make sure they have enough food or help problem solve issues on campus.
Wellness Center visits would be required twice per calendar year. Visits could be required to be able to sign up for classes. Campuses could also offer incentives to do visits such as $250/off tuition per calendar year making the total $1000 discount for students making wellness a priority.
2. The main message at the wellness center and all over campus would be: We value YOU as a person much more than your academic achievement and occupational attainment.
3. Encourage flexibility from professors. Should a student need flexibility from a professor due to health or wellness reasons, flexibility from the professors would be required on the first ask (i.e., extended deadline). If there are additional asks for flexibility, the professor would be required to allow for this if the person had been to the wellness center. For example, if a student misses a required class due to wellness reasons, an absence would be excused without grading penalty with an excuse for from a visit to the wellness center.
The wellness center would foster wellness such as having a hobby, sport, club, some way to be connected and engaged on campus, or volunteer opportunities. The center would encourage sleep, healthy eating, hygiene, taking care of oneself, connecting with family at home if needed, helping connect to build friendships on campus, meditation/mindfulness, connecting with nature/outdoor walks, encouraging movement, and provide supports if a student is struggling academically.
The counselors would be available for drop-in sessions to treat and guide mental health.
Mentors would be available for drop-in sessions and would help students connect with things they need to be successful and content –like make sure they have enough food or help problem solve issues on campus.
Wellness Center visits would be required twice per calendar year. Visits could be required to be able to sign up for classes. Campuses could also offer incentives to do visits such as $250/off tuition per calendar year making the total $1000 discount for students making wellness a priority.
2. The main message at the wellness center and all over campus would be: We value YOU as a person much more than your academic achievement and occupational attainment.
3. Encourage flexibility from professors. Should a student need flexibility from a professor due to health or wellness reasons, flexibility from the professors would be required on the first ask (i.e., extended deadline). If there are additional asks for flexibility, the professor would be required to allow for this if the person had been to the wellness center. For example, if a student misses a required class due to wellness reasons, an absence would be excused without grading penalty with an excuse for from a visit to the wellness center.
The wellness center would foster wellness such as having a hobby, sport, club, some way to be connected and engaged on campus, or volunteer opportunities. The center would encourage sleep, healthy eating, hygiene, taking care of oneself, connecting with family at home if needed, helping connect to build friendships on campus, meditation/mindfulness, connecting with nature/outdoor walks, encouraging movement, and provide supports if a student is struggling academically.
