What We're Working On

• Health Awareness and Lifestyle
  1. Expand communication on healthy extracurricular activities - not started
  2. Increase access to healthy extracurricular activities - not started
  3. Enhance wellness programs - ongoing
  4. Increase focus on healthy eating - piloted
  5. Provide more outdoor spaces - ongoing
  6. Publicize existing walking trail routes - complete
  7. Build a fitness trail - no longer pursuing, incorporated into publicizing existing trails

What We've Done

• Student Resources
  1. 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.  
  2. 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.
  3. 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.  
  4. 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. 
  5. WesBikes is a bike rental program that is led and managed by students.

• Employee Resources
  1. 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 total compensation of at least $14.62 per hour. Wesleyan updates the minimum compensation level each fall. 
  2. Wesleyan has an on-site child care facility, with income-based scholarships given for children of employees.
  3. 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.
  4. The Adult Fitness Program offers a variety of fitness classes to employees, graduate students, alumni, and retirees.

• Other Accomplishments
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. One, three, and five-mile walking trails have been mapped on campus.