Cornell University
PA-14: Wellness Program

Cornell has three departments that are responsible for Cornell’s wellbeing-related initiatives and services for employees: Work/Life in Human Resources, the Wellness Program, and the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. Multiple offices are responsible for student wellbeing, the most prominent being the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office.

The employee wellbeing areas are a part of the new Cornell Employee Experience team in HR, which also includes HR Analytics and Talent Engagement and Retention. The university’s wellbeing strategy is informed by data collected from employees in the Employee Experience and Faculty Quality of Work/Life Surveys and other life cycle surveys.

All of these groups responded to COVID-19 with virtual services and adopting workshops and other programs for virtual participation. This has continued throughout the pandemic and will be an important part of supporting our commitment to sustainability, wellbeing, and inclusion.

In the Fall of 2022, Cornell signed on to the International Okanagan Charter to become a “health-promoting campus.” This charter specifies a commitment to people, places, and the planet. The work will be advanced by two new committees – the Student Wellbeing Council and the Workforce Wellbeing Core Advisory Committee.

The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program offers free, confidential, professional assessment, counseling, consultation and referral services by telephone, remotely or in person to all benefits-eligible faculty, staff, retirees and their dependents. Supervisors can consult with FSAP for assistance in managing employees with personal problems or whose behaviors are causing poor job performance or interpersonal conflicts. Counselors help individuals with a variety of topics including stress-related emotional issues; relationship issues; anger management; family issues and parent-child concerns; grief/loss issues; divorce/separation adjustment; depression and anxiety; alcohol and drug concerns; financial concerns; and interpersonal difficulties.

The Cornell Wellness Program helps individuals achieve their fitness and nutrition goals. With 5,000 members as of July 2021, including retirees, Trustees, and Professors Emeriti, in addition to employees, the Wellness program serves a broad range of needs. The program offers access to five fitness centers, an ice skating rink, and several swimming pools, along with group fitness and nutrition classes for employees of the university. Cornell Wellness offers virtual classes for low to high impact workouts that can be done at home in addition to in-person opportunities. Wellness has focused on flourishing and sustained mental wellbeing to support the increased mental health needs of employees.

Work/Life in Human Resources is responsible for supporting employee wellbeing through resource and referral services, consultations on breast/chest feeding accommodations, child care, self-care, and adult/elder care, providing support services to ill employees, consulting on workplace flexibility, managing the Cornell Child Care Center and other child care resources, and oversees Cornell’s retirement engagement initiatives.

The university’s 7-Dimensions of Wellbeing model includes Environmental Wellbeing as a dimension. Wellbeing workshops are offered by these departments in-person and remotely to employees on topics such as managing change, health and nutrition, caregiving, parenting, resolving interpersonal conflict, setting limits, depression, working with difficult people, compassion fatigue and burnout, keeping relationship satisfaction high, sleep, domestic violence, and more. The HR Wellbeing Liaisons in each of the colleges/units (26 in total) customize messaging and help spread the work about programs and services available (see Employee Wellbeing Update bi-weekly email at https://hr.cornell.edu/wellbeing-perks/employee-wellbeing-update).

The mission of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is to provide crisis intervention, outreach, and referral services to students. They also offer consultation, education, and prevention strategies to the University community. CAPS is a safe place for our students to speak with a mental health professional about any concern. This may include stress, loneliness, anxiety, depression, adjustment challenges, relationship difficulties, questions about identity, or managing an existing mental health condition. They support the well-being of our students by encouraging an environment of inclusion and personal development.

https://www.dfa.cornell.edu/policy/policies/smoking-and-using-electronic-cigarettes

Individuals are prohibited from smoking or carrying lighted cigars, cigarettes, or pipes, or using electronic cigarettes in any indoor facilities, enclosed bus stops, and university-owned or controlled vehicles, as well as within twenty-five feet of the entrance to any university-owned or controlled building. Smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes at Cornell athletic facilities is prohibited.

Building layouts, window and entryway locations, and environmental factors such as air currents and prevailing winds may vary from building to building. Therefore, building coordinators or other university officials may impose rules that are more restrictive in areas surrounding buildings for which they are responsible, resulting in greater restrictions such as prohibiting smoking beyond twenty-five feet of entrances.

Additional websites to visit for more information on our wellness programs.
http://www.fsap.cornell.edu/
http://wellness.cornell.edu
http://www.hr.cornell.edu/wellbeing-perks

Cornell Health offers a variety of tobacco and nicotine cessation services including pharmaceutical, free quit kicks, consultations with behavioral specialists, and more.