Students come where they feel welcome and stay where they feel valued and cared for. The Institute for Evidence Based Change has developed a program that works with college Staff and Faculty to create a sense of belonging through behavioral commitments that has proven to help colleges develop a relational approach to serving students. This presentation will share this approach, including data that supports its success when faithfully implemented.

Mental health and other dimensions of wellness in higher education continue to be a priority among students, staff, faculty and administration. Most are in agreement that the conversation must shift away from individual wellness indicators and towards a more holistic well-being approach that includes effective policies, programs and services. Through informal surveys and online conversations, it’s clear that student health and counseling centers still often perceive themselves as being responsible for student well-being and that a conversation about how to engage and break down silos with other campus entities on well-being work is needed. Campuses utilizing public health and social change models in order to guide campus-wide well-being efforts are proving beneficial. After this session, attendees will be able to better understand what evidence-based methods and models are useful for well-being work, the processes campuses are using to choose a functional model and some of the challenges and successes resulting from their use.

Mental health in higher education continues to be a priority among students, staff, faculty and administration. Most are in agreement that the conversation must shift away from individual mental health and wellness and towards a more holistic well-being approach that includes effective policies, programs and services. Through informal surveys and online conversations, it’s clear that student health and counseling centers still often perceive themselves as being responsible for student well-being and that a conversation about how to engage and break down silos with other campus entities on well-being work is needed. Collecting campus-level well-being data is one way to help advance that conversation. The American College Health Association has three data collection tools that will be discussed during this session, the new Well-being Assessment, the Healthy Campus Inventory and parts of the National College Health Assessment. After this session, attendees will be able to better understand what data is collected in each instrument and how this data may be used in advancing campus conversations on wellbeing.