Health and Well-Being
By taking steps to promote the health and well-being of students and employees, Wesleyan builds its social sustainability capacity and becomes a more resilient institution. Through student groups and campus programming, Wesleyan has already taken many steps toward a healthy and happy community.
The initiatives below show what we've done and what we plan to do via our 2016-2021 Sustainability Action Plan (SAP). See pages 20-22 in the SAP for more details.
What We're Working On
- Health Awareness and Lifestyle
- Expand communication on healthy extracurricular activities - no longer pursuing
- Increase access to healthy extracurricular activities - no longer pursuing
- Enhance wellness programs - complete
- Increase focus on healthy eating - complete
- Provide more outdoor spaces - complete
- Publicize existing walking trail routes - complete
- Build a fitness trail - no longer pursuing, incorporated into publicizing existing trails
What We've Done
- Student Resources
- WesWell, the Office of Health Education, offers programs to promote positive health behaviors, supports campus policies that promote health, runs alcohol and other drug prevention programs, supports student events, provides a Health Information Resource Library, and does sexual assault response and prevention.
- The Peer Health Advocate program is coordinated through WesWell. The volunteer PHAs create and implement peer-led health education outreach efforts on health issues, including workshops on alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, sexual violence, and stress relief.
- The Wesleyan Outing Club is a student run group started in 1937 that offers a wide range of outdoor trips most weekends and over breaks. All are welcome to join, regardless of experience level. The Outing Club also rents outdoor gear to students and employees.
- WesBAM is a student-run organization focused on mental and physical well-being at Wesleyan. WesBAM offers classes by trained student instructors, including yoga, kickboxing, spin, and Zumba.
- WesBikes is a bike rental program managed by Public Safety for semester long bike rentals.
- Employee Resources
- Wesleyan reviews salaries periodically to ensure that employees are compensated equitably. All non-student employees receive wages in excess of state minimum wage standards. Contractors must provide competitive hourly compensation of at least $15.39 per hour, excluding benefits. Wesleyan updates the minimum compensation level each fall.
- Wesleyan has an on-site child care facility, with income-based scholarships given for children of employees.
- The Wellness Program supports a comprehensive approach to decreasing the incidence, duration and severity of preventable illnesses and disease by promoting educational opportunities, wellness activities and self-improvement. The program includes biometric screenings, adult fitness classes, a points program, fitness challenges, therapeutic chair massages, and lunchtime wellness series.
- The Adult Fitness Program offers a variety of fitness classes to employees, graduate students, alumni, and retirees.
- Other Accomplishments
- A series of trails on the west side of Long Lane are used by the cross-country team but are also available for the use of students, faculty, staff, and community members for running in spring and fall and skiing or snowshoeing in the winter.
- Long Lane Farm and the WILD Wes permaculture gardens provide a chance for students, faculty, and staff to increase their physical fitness through gardening and become more connected to nature.
- One, three, and five-mile walking trails have been mapped on campus.
Contact
Jennifer Kleindienst, Sustainability Director
(860) 685-3242