Last year, NIRSA partnered with the American College Health Association (ACHA) as it presented its inaugural Mental Health Symposium. This year, that symposium has emerged into a two-day, two-track event: 2018 College Health and Wellness Leadership and Innovations Summit.

Happening live October 8-9, 2018, from 8:45am – 3:30pm ET, at George Washington University, participants can choose to follow “Program 1 – Building a Culture of Campus Wellbeing” or “Program 2 – Creating a Foundation for Wellbeing by Addressing Our Students’ Food and Shelter Needs.” NIRSA is proud to once again partner with ACHA to convene student health and wellness professionals, higher education officials, and policy leaders around this crucial topic.

Tune-in online

Like last year, this event will once again be live streamed – so you can tune in to the conversations regarding real-world solutions to improve student wellbeing, how to measure it, and how promote a more holistic experience for students without having to leave your office! Joining by live stream is free; however, you will need to register in advance.

Several sessions from the 2017 Mental Health Symposium were recorded and made available online after the event; if you can’t join in real-time for the 2018 event, be sure to check back periodically on the ACHA website to see which sessions may become available from this year’s event.

NIRSA thought leaders will be present

Those who follow “Program 1 – Building a Culture of Campus Wellbeing” will see some familiar faces partaking in the panel discussions.

David Bowles, Senior Director for Recreation & Health Promotion Services, University of Florida, will represent NIRSA on the first panel discussion of the event, on October 8 at 9am ET, titled, “Destination Student Wellbeing: What Is It and How Do We Get There?” This panel will examine the concept of wellbeing and the roles campuses can play in constructing and promoting a culture of wellbeing, as well as the potential challenges in this work.

Later that afternoon, another familiar face to NIRSA members can be seen during the “Strategies for Engaging Faculty in Designing Wellbeing in the Classroom” panel. Past President of NIRSA Kathleen Hatch, Executive Director, Recreational Sports, The Ohio State University, will join the discussion on how to engage faculty in the work of building and maintaining wellbeing on campus, while examining legal, social, economic and institutional barriers that prevent campuses from changing their cultures.

  • For more information, contact NIRSA Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships, Erin O’Sullivan.
Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at | NIRSA Profile

Erin O'Sullivan is currently the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at NIRSA.