Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 53.24
Liaison Alicia Gowan
Submission Date June 18, 2024

STARS v2.2

Kwantlen Polytechnic University
PA-14: Wellness Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Alicia Gowan
Sustainability Specialist
Campus and Community Planning
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a wellness program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all students?:
Yes

Does the institution have a wellness and/or employee assistance program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all academic staff?:
Yes

Does the institution have a wellness and/or employee assistance program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all non-academic staff?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s wellness and/or employee assistance program(s):

Student Wellness:



  • KPU offers in-house KPU-employed counsellors who provide free and confidential personal counselling services to KPU students. Students can self-refer to see a counsellor or be referred by their instructors through the KPU Early Alert system.

  • Counselling services are complemented by KPU’s student support program, keep.meSAFE, which provides all KPU students with 24/7 access to a large, diverse network of professional counsellors for immediate support and referral to address a range of concerns.

  • These services are further augmented by student health benefits through the Kwantlen Student Association.

  • Additionally, the Student Health Promotion department facilitates a holistic, interconnected, and iterative approach to wellness. This is achieved through a range of peer programming and events addressing not only the individual behaviors of KPU students but also identifying and removing systemic and environmental barriers that impede student health and well-being. Examples include Pride at KPU, Multi-Faith Centres, and the KPU Campus Well e-zine.

  • Further supporting student wellness at KPU is a suite of sport and recreation programming, including fitness classes, intramural competitions, e-sports, and fitness centres. KPU employees are also able to access many of these programs and services. KPU offers numerous other cross-functional, interdepartmental initiatives and programs in support of student health and wellness but broadly speaking, all in service of KPU’s commitment to being a healthy university. 


Employee Wellness:



  • All eligible KPU employees have access to Homewood Health’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). Homewood Health is Canada's leader in mental health and addiction treatment and is supported by a national network of employees and clinical experts. The services are delivered by qualified professionals including registered coaches and certified counsellors.

  • Employees and dependents with group benefits can access these services. The cost of the EFAP is covered by KPU. The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provides eligible faculty, staff, admin and their dependents with:

    • confidential short-term counselling services

    • nutritional counselling and personal training/fitness consultations

    • legal and financial consultation

    • career consultation

    • workshops and learning opportunities

    • health and wellness library include articles, assessment tools, e-courses




If an employee is permanent/temporary full time and works more than 50%, then they are eligible for the EFAP. This includes employees from the Kwantlen Faculty Association, union (BCGEU) staff, and excluded administrators.


Does the institution prohibit smoking within all occupied buildings owned or leased by the institution?:
Yes

Does the institution restrict outdoor smoking?:
Yes

Does the institution prohibit smoking and tobacco use across the entire campus?:
Yes

A copy of the institution's smoke-free policy:
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The institution’s smoke-free policy:

KPU is smoke-free. This means smoking and vaping is prohibited on all KPU campuses and properties, including inside private vehicles while parked on KPU property. KPU recognizes this policy is inconvenient for some of our community, who have to leave campus to smoke. We encourage smokers to explore the smoking cessation resources available to KPU students and employees. You can also visit the BC Smoking Cessation Program, which helps eligible B.C. residents stop smoking by covering the cost of certain cessation products.


Website URL where information about the institution’s wellness programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

In-house KPU-employed counsellors: https://www.kpu.ca/counselling KPU early alert system: https://www.kpu.ca/earlyalert/student keep.me.SAFE: https://www.kpu.ca/keepmesafe Student Health Promotion Department: https://www.kpu.ca/student-health-promotion Healthy University Initiative: https://www.kpu.ca/hui/initiative


The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.