Why this is important.

Colleges and universities must prioritize student wellness to ensure their campuses are safe learning environments. Meaningfully investing in programs dedicated to students’ physical safety and mental health demonstrates an institutional commitment to student wellness and decreases the risk of future student wellness crises. Governing boards are becoming increasingly engaged on this issue and must continue to support students by learning the scope of their institution’s wellness efforts as well as key areas for growth and risk prevention.

Questions for boards.

Click below to reveal key questions for your board to consider:

Board Processes

Consequential Questions:

  1. Does our board discuss national developments and campus trends related to student well-being on a regular basis? How often do we discuss it with the president and institutional leaders?   
  2. Does our board have clear goals and benchmarks in place for measuring student well-being? What has our board done with this information in the past?  
  3. Does the board ever consult with student representatives firsthand about student well-being to see if students feel fully supported?  
  4. When is the last time our board discussed student mental health and physical well-being? 
  5. Under what circumstances are institutional leaders expected to apprise the board of student wellness crises developments so that it may fulfill appropriate board-level fiduciary duties?  

Institutional Climate and Approach

Consequential Questions:

  1. How does our institution define student well-being? What’s encompassed in this definition and what’s excluded?  
  2. Does our current mission statement reflect our institutional commitment to student well-being?  
  3. Has our institution allocated sufficient resources and staff to meet its student mental health related obligations?  
  4. How is our institution protecting our students from sexual predators and ensuring our campus is a safe learning environment for all?  
  5. Do our institution’s student well-being initiatives align with our justice, equity, and inclusion initiatives?  

We carefully curated these staff-picked resources for you:

Students Are Humans First

Trusteeship magazine, September/October 2023
By Sara Goldrick-Rab

Fostering Change in Higher Education

Trusteeship magazine, November/December 2023
By Bridget Burns

Heavy Pressure

Trusteeship magazine, March/April 2022
By Charlotte West

Higher Education Risk Governance in an Increasingly Complex, Expansive, and Regulated Environment

Podcast
Featuring Leigh Goller, Barbara McCuen Jones, Sharon McMullen, and Anne Pifer

Mental Health Issues on Campus: Time for New Solutions

Webinar On Demand
Presented by W. Scott Lewis, Aaron “Chip” Reese, and Makenzie Schiemann

All resources.