About Student Wellness

Student Wellness is the health promotion unit within Magers Health and Wellness Center and the Division of Student Affairs. Our vision and mission support the mission of our institution and the Division of Student Affairs by keeping true to the following set of guiding principles, adopted standards, core values, and department goals that drive the essence of our work.

Student affairs values

• Connectedness – We foster positive interpersonal relationships, collaborate with others, and work together to better serve students.
• Diversity – We strive for an inclusive campus where all are valued and treated with civility and respect. We celebrate the understanding and appreciation of our similarities and differences with a welcoming and embracing attitude.
• Integrity – We approach our work with professionalism and ethical standards, seek to provide quality service, apply best practices, and promote a culture of excellence and accountability for student success.
• Lifelong Learning – We model and inspire to commitment to lifelong learning with students we serve. We are holistic in our approach with students, interested in not only their academic success, but also their personal development.
• Passion – We believe a vibrant passion for serving students is critical for both student and divisional success.

Guiding principles

Student Wellness’ core values are congruent with and in some cases parallel to the “Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education” developed by the American College Health Association and adopted by Health Enhancement. These standards and our core values are guided by several premises about the mission and scope of practice of health promotion in higher education as well as health itself:

• “In the broadest sense, health encompasses the capacity of individuals and communities to reach their potential;
• Health transcends individual factors and includes cultural, institutional, socioeconomic, and political influences;
• Health is not solely a biomedical quality measured through clinical indicators, a view that prevails in today’s society.”

Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education

SPHPHE standards

Effective practice of health promotion in higher education requires professionals to:

• Incorporate individual and community health promotion initiatives into the learning mission of higher education.
• Support campus and community partnerships to advance health promotion initiatives.
• Demonstrate cultural competency and inclusiveness in advancing the health of individuals and communities.
• Understand and apply professionally recognized and tested theoretical approaches that address individual and community health.
• Understand and apply evidence-based approaches to health promotion.
• Engage in on-going professional development and service to the field.

Core values

Student Wellness is committed to:

• Student-Centered Initiatives – developing interventions with student input as a core part of the development process. This includes but is not limited to formal and informal needs assessment, media preferences, and attitude, knowledge and behavior surveys.
• Data-Driven Initiatives – using local and national data, current research, and evidence-based approaches to prioritize and formulate interventions and programs while minimizing interventions based solely on personal preference, precedence, popularity, and politics.
• Primary Prevention and Population Based Services – focusing primarily on primary prevention strategies and population-based intervention efforts allows us to impact the greatest numbers of students given available resources.
• Innovative initiatives – creative solutions are encouraged and implemented on a trial basis whenever possible before campus-wide and more costly programs are implemented.
• Partnerships and Collaborations – we believe that partnerships and collaborations within our community of practice, student affairs, academic affairs, student organizations, the entire surrounding community, and with our state and national colleagues are essential for integrated, high quality and effective interventions.
• Positive – Inclusive – Empowering – we believe that these three qualities are central to our development of media and other interventions.
• Diversity – we appreciate and incorporate diversity in terms of intervention development, differing points of view, provision of outside resources with different perspectives, and the health needs of a diverse student population.
• Interconnectedness Between Academic Success and Well-being – student wellness and the academic mission of higher education are natural allies. We believe that our interventions should primarily address health issues which have the greatest impact on the academic success of our students.

Mission

Student Wellness promotes lifelong wellness. Student Wellness cultivates student learning and influences health-related outcomes by promoting healthy attitudes and behaviors, and by preventing illness, injury, and disease, thereby shaping a healthier campus community. Student Wellness also strives to prevent and reduce preventable health risks and illnesses that interfere with academic performance, learning, student retention, student success, and personal growth opportunities.

Student wellness ethical principles

The Student Wellness program adheres to the Ethical Principles of ACHA and Ethical Standards of CAS.

Provide beneficial and caring services

Commitment to humane, kind, and compassionate treatment of people is essential to meet their physical, psychological, cognitive, and interpersonal needs. Further, as college health professionals, it is our obligation to focus on providing care designed to benefit the health and well-being of individuals. Caring treatment creates affirming relationships, reduces anxiety and avoidance, and encourages health-seeking behavior.

Do no harm

Engaging in activities that cause or result in physical, psychological, or social harm to any individual is unacceptable and contrary to all standards of practice in the helping professions. Risk of harm must be managed and weighed against the potential benefit to the individual. Monitor and take steps to assure that association and institutional policies, programs, and practices do not threaten any individual’s health and well-being, self-worth, dignity, or safety, or are unjust or illegal.

Ensure respect and autonomy

Autonomy addresses individual freedom and the right to choose what will happen to one’s own person. Individuals should always be duly informed and permitted to make decisions regarding their education, treatment, and care. The individual has an inherent knowledge of personal needs and is most profoundly affected by any decision made. Supporting autonomy mitigates against undue influence to choose a particular course of action.

Protect privacy

Privacy refers to the ability of the individual to maintain control over the time, place, manner, and extent to which information about one’s self, beliefs, or person, is shared. Safeguarding privacy, respecting confidentiality, and protecting against disclosure of information except when required by law or authorized by the individual are essential to foster the establishment of a trusting relationship, preservation of the dignity and autonomy of the individual, and an increase in the likelihood that those who need services will seek them. Follows appropriate behavior regarding research and assessment with human participants, confidentiality of research and data, and students’ rights and responsibilities.

Promote justice

The ethical principles of impartiality, fairness, equity, and reciprocity are basic elements in promoting justice. Justice also demands the appreciation and affirmation of the value of human differences, and vigorous opposition to all intolerance and discrimination concerning those differences, including, but not limited to: age; gender identity, including transgender; marital status; physical size; psychological/physical/learning disability; race/ethnicity; religious, spiritual, or cultural identity; sex; sexual orientation; socioeconomic status; or veteran status. Concern for maintaining human dignity and working toward social justice supports the development of health disciplines responsive to the needs of all. Includes the expectation that staff hold those exhibiting unethical behavior accountable. 

Fiscally responsible

Manages institutional and grant funding responsibly.

Promotes scholarly integrity

Academic integrity and honesty are the foundation of the University community. Students are expected to practice academic integrity in all assigned work. Students are expected to be honest in all interactions with other students, faculty, and staff.