| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.64 |
| Liaison | Amanda Kohn |
| Submission Date | Feb. 13, 2024 |
University of Minnesota, Crookston
PA-14: Wellness Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Wellness program
Yes
Does the institution have a wellness and/or employee assistance program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all academic staff?:
Yes
Does the institution have a wellness and/or employee assistance program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all non-academic staff?:
Yes
A brief description of the institution’s wellness and/or employee assistance program(s):
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides cost-free and confidential professional consultation and referral services for University employees, academic staff, and faculty who have work or personal concerns. Spouses/partners and dependents are also eligible for EAP services. Consultation areas include everything from stress management, to work relationships, to mental health.
UMC also has a Wellness Committee. The Wellness Committee is an interdisciplinary committee that includes representatives from various departments on campus including counseling, housing, student affairs, the Wellness Center, career services, diversity, and representatives from the academic departments. The committee explores well-being using the Eight Dimensions of Wellbeing model that includes physical, emotional, financial, environmental, occupational, social, spiritual, and intellectual wellbeing. Goals for the 2023 year included 1) eliminating the growth of unmanaged stress for all students; 2) increase the mean number of adequate days of sleep for all students; 3) reduce the upward trend of vaping prevalence; and 4) add a developing goal of integrating diversity, equity, and belonging into all dimensions of wellbeing. The committee engages structural level activities such as strategic planning regarding policies and procedures, and also creates and facilitates community and student events such as Sexual Health and Guidance Day (SHAG Day), Domestic Violence prevention/Bystander Intervention trainings, Career fairs and activities to increase cultural capital in the workplace for students; Exercise is Medicine events, and many more.
Student Wellness Care Team:
The Wellness Care Team is a multi-departmental committee that addresses issues related to student health and wellbeing and how it affects behavior on campus. The committee counsels on student concerns and creates actionable plans to connect students with resources and counsel faculty/staff in handling student needs and behavior.
Whether a bias report, or a general student concern, the Wellness Care Team is responsible for connecting with the student, and then identify next steps to help the student address their concerns.
Historically, a majority of the students referred to the Wellness Care Team come from underrepresented groups, such as our first general college students, our neuro-divergent students, or students from lower socio-economic status. Members of the team will work with individuals to identify resources on and off campus, as well as create safety plans, as needed, so the students are feeling safe and empowered to continue with their academics or other opportunities presented by the university.
Mentoring Program:
Beginning in the Fall 2022 semester, based on feedback from students, UMC piloted a mentoring program that sought to provide additional support to students whose unique situation or needs, often a result of their social identity, created additional barriers to success.
For most students in higher education, college is a time of drastic change. While these changes can be positive and even embraced by students, they also can present a wide range of challenges. Whether it be homesickness, academic and social adjustments, or trouble finding balance, we know when connected with intentional support, students are not only more likely to overcome these challenges, but they are more likely to thrive.
According to Alexander Astin (1993), “student-faculty interaction has significant positive correlations with every academic attainment outcome: college GPA, degree attainment, graduating with honors and enrollment in graduate or professional school.” In addition, “student-faculty interaction also has positive correlations with every self-reported area of intellectual and personal growth as well as with a variety of personality and attitudinal outcomes: scholarship, social activism, leadership, artistic inclination, and commitment to each of three life goals: promoting racial understanding, participating in programs to clean up the environment and making theoretical contributions to science.”
Based on the principles of Alexander Astin’s Involvement Theory, the goal of this program is to connect students with a mentor who will meet with students regularly over the course of the semester to offer space for reflection on key areas of their lives, as well as opportunities to brainstorm solutions to challenges, big and small, in their lives. We understand that life is complex and deciding what to concentrate on in one’s life is not always clear, especially after a setback. Our hope is for students to feel supported, take the time to reflect on obstacles to their success, and identify steps moving forward that will help them be more successful here at UMC and beyond.
UMC also has a Wellness Committee. The Wellness Committee is an interdisciplinary committee that includes representatives from various departments on campus including counseling, housing, student affairs, the Wellness Center, career services, diversity, and representatives from the academic departments. The committee explores well-being using the Eight Dimensions of Wellbeing model that includes physical, emotional, financial, environmental, occupational, social, spiritual, and intellectual wellbeing. Goals for the 2023 year included 1) eliminating the growth of unmanaged stress for all students; 2) increase the mean number of adequate days of sleep for all students; 3) reduce the upward trend of vaping prevalence; and 4) add a developing goal of integrating diversity, equity, and belonging into all dimensions of wellbeing. The committee engages structural level activities such as strategic planning regarding policies and procedures, and also creates and facilitates community and student events such as Sexual Health and Guidance Day (SHAG Day), Domestic Violence prevention/Bystander Intervention trainings, Career fairs and activities to increase cultural capital in the workplace for students; Exercise is Medicine events, and many more.
Student Wellness Care Team:
The Wellness Care Team is a multi-departmental committee that addresses issues related to student health and wellbeing and how it affects behavior on campus. The committee counsels on student concerns and creates actionable plans to connect students with resources and counsel faculty/staff in handling student needs and behavior.
Whether a bias report, or a general student concern, the Wellness Care Team is responsible for connecting with the student, and then identify next steps to help the student address their concerns.
Historically, a majority of the students referred to the Wellness Care Team come from underrepresented groups, such as our first general college students, our neuro-divergent students, or students from lower socio-economic status. Members of the team will work with individuals to identify resources on and off campus, as well as create safety plans, as needed, so the students are feeling safe and empowered to continue with their academics or other opportunities presented by the university.
Mentoring Program:
Beginning in the Fall 2022 semester, based on feedback from students, UMC piloted a mentoring program that sought to provide additional support to students whose unique situation or needs, often a result of their social identity, created additional barriers to success.
For most students in higher education, college is a time of drastic change. While these changes can be positive and even embraced by students, they also can present a wide range of challenges. Whether it be homesickness, academic and social adjustments, or trouble finding balance, we know when connected with intentional support, students are not only more likely to overcome these challenges, but they are more likely to thrive.
According to Alexander Astin (1993), “student-faculty interaction has significant positive correlations with every academic attainment outcome: college GPA, degree attainment, graduating with honors and enrollment in graduate or professional school.” In addition, “student-faculty interaction also has positive correlations with every self-reported area of intellectual and personal growth as well as with a variety of personality and attitudinal outcomes: scholarship, social activism, leadership, artistic inclination, and commitment to each of three life goals: promoting racial understanding, participating in programs to clean up the environment and making theoretical contributions to science.”
Based on the principles of Alexander Astin’s Involvement Theory, the goal of this program is to connect students with a mentor who will meet with students regularly over the course of the semester to offer space for reflection on key areas of their lives, as well as opportunities to brainstorm solutions to challenges, big and small, in their lives. We understand that life is complex and deciding what to concentrate on in one’s life is not always clear, especially after a setback. Our hope is for students to feel supported, take the time to reflect on obstacles to their success, and identify steps moving forward that will help them be more successful here at UMC and beyond.
Part 2. Smoke-free environments
Yes
Does the institution restrict outdoor smoking?:
Yes
Does the institution prohibit smoking and tobacco use across the entire campus?:
Yes
A copy of the institution's smoke-free policy:
The institution’s smoke-free policy:
https://policy.umn.edu/operations/smoketobacco
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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