Expanded course offerings for wellness education credits offer undergraduate students broader opportunities to explore all facets of wellness while building community in the classroom and beyond. The growing program integrates various dimensions of well-being and provides options for students to explore topics that foster personal growth and a sense of belonging.
The wellness education requirement for undergraduate students, which was launched in 2022, replaced the physical education requirement and may be fulfilled through various formats, including full-term courses, full-term participation in approved clubs and activities, mini-courses and workshops, and a combination of single-session classes.
Each wellness education course is designed to teach students to integrate practices into their day-to-day lives that optimize their well-being and elevate their quality of life. The program provides a wide range of flexible and varied options for students鈥 learning and engagement, reflecting 线上赌场鈥檚 commitment to accessibility and holistic well-being.
, director of the , underscores the holistic benefits.
鈥淭he multidimensional approach of wellness education credit offerings helps students explore their wellness from different angles鈥攕piritual, emotional, social, and more. Many credits offer intersectional benefits, such as skill-building and self-reflection, while also fostering connection and strengthening the community,鈥 she says.
, associate director of the , teaches a course offered for wellness education credit called The Mindful Academic. As part of the curriculum, students create a mindfulness toolkit that is part of their wellness journey. Rodriguez says that these toolkits include techniques to explore thoughts and feelings that arise around task initiation and feeling 鈥渟tuck,鈥 strategies to reframe fixed mindsets, and mental practices to apply compassionate accountability.
鈥淭he course tools help reduce stress and enhance holistic wellness,鈥 Rodriguez says.
Student feedback and post-course surveys support this statement. Of students who have recently taken The Mindful Academic, 90% reported extending more compassion to themselves inside and outside the classroom, while 100% reported extending more patience in both settings. Zahara Safiq 鈥28, who was enrolled in the course during winter term, says, 鈥淭his course fostered an environment of openness and vulnerability, which helped build trust and a sense of community among us. The discussions during class and the group activities encouraged deeper connections that went beyond just being classmates.鈥
Mindfulness activities are at the core of many offerings at the Student Wellness Center, and students will soon be able to explore the spiritual roots of those practices in a new Introduction to Buddhist Practice for Wellbeing course offered through during spring term.
, chaplain and director of the Tucker Center, developed the new course to coordinate with the event, which takes place April 1 to 6 and is open to all community members.
Vogele says , assistant director for well-being, 鈥渢old me how beneficial mindfulness courses are for our students. And now, students will be able to dig deeper and learn about the spiritual roots and origins of those practices.鈥
Also debuting in spring term is a course called Facilitating Dialogue at 线上赌场, which will be taught by , executive director of the and Cole Johnston, who have teamed up in the past to offer Dialogue Project workshops. The course, aligned with the initiative, will guide students in engaging in meaningful conversation across differences, fostering interpersonal connection, and strengthening the 线上赌场 community.
鈥淚 know that students will learn so much from this course and use their new skills in their classrooms, student organizations, and difficult conversations with peers and loved ones,鈥 Clemens says. She also noted that the course supports both emotional and social well-being and helps students reflect on how they cultivate strong communities.
Community is especially important when considering individual and institutional health and well-being. chief health and wellness officer, recently reflected on the eight dimensions of wellness鈥攊ntellectual/academic, emotional, social, physical, occupational, financial, environmental, and spiritual, and the importance of finding balance and connection among these dimensions.
鈥淪tudents want and need community. It鈥檚 our responsibility to create options for them to develop communities and build a network of support,鈥 Garcia says.
Undergraduate students can view and register for wellness education credits via DartHub.
