Skidmore College
PA-14: Wellness Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Levi
Rogers Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment Sustainability Office |
Does the institution have a wellness program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all students?:
Does the institution have a wellness and/or employee assistance program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all academic staff?:
Does the institution have a wellness and/or employee assistance program that makes counseling, referral, and wellbeing services available to all non-academic staff?:
A brief description of the institution’s wellness and/or employee assistance program(s):
Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an employer-sponsored paid benefit providing short-term counseling services to individuals and their families when personal concerns interfere with work performance, personal happiness, or good family relations. These services assist with any personal issues including:
Stress Management
Alcohol or Drug Abuse
Emotional Distress
Marital or Family Conflict
Financial Difficulties
Workplace Conflict
Self-Improvement
Use of EAP's services is completely voluntary and confidential to the fullest extent allowable by law. Employees are not charged for their services as the College pays a preset fee each year for all ongoing employees. Additionally, if employees need specialized resources or longer term assistance, EAP helps to find additional resources best suited to employee needs.
Wellness Programs include:
- Healthy challenges (Get Moving!, No Gain Challenge, etc.)
- Biometric screenings
- Wellness Fair
- Onsite fitness classes and facilities/equipment
- Support from insurance carrier with additional programs integrated into care management
Our Health Promotion department is a source of numerous projects aimed at creating greater awareness of and support for wellness across campus. Examples of projects run through our Health Promotions department include our Peer Health Education program, which is aimed at promoting healthy choices and lifestyles through educating and empowering the campus community on a variety of health-related topics, and the Social Norms Campaign, which is a multi-year campaign to give students information to keep them healthy and safe by correcting misperceptions about “normal” student behaviors related to drug and alcohol use. A student-run Wellness Center in our student center offers drop-in peer to peer consultation services, regular programming around sexual health as well as a lending library related to health/wellness topics.
Our Director of Health Promotion also partners with other departments and offices and oversees regular evaluation of our students’ health behaviors, including campus-wide surveys around a number of topics, including; alcohol and other drug use, sexual and gender-based misconduct, mental health and stress, social connections nutrition and exercise. Survey findings are used to design, implement, and evaluate programming on a variety of health topics.
In addition to the impact of the Health Promotion department, projects are also launched by other individuals, groups, and offices on campus. Some recent examples include:
- Student clubs such as Active Minds, FeelGood, HIPS Club, SkidEats, Outing Club, Yoga Club, etc. partner to host numerous engaging events each year.
- ConsentFest a peer to peer education program, co-sponsored by more than 20 different student and community organizations, focused on reinforcing affirmative consent in sexual behaviors as a shared campus value and on helping students understand and implement affirmative consent in their own lives.
- The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life offers religious services and holiday observances, contemplative practices, programming around mindfulness, educational programs, discussion groups, social justice projects, community service opportunities, and individual spiritual counsel.
- A student-run Emergency Medical Services (SCEMS) helps train, supervise and support students to serve as first responders for Skidmore community members experiencing a medical emergency. Last year, SCEMS responded to more than 100 individual calls for help.
- There are wellness-focused courses offered every semester including courses focused on nutrition, mindfulness and stress reduction, physical activity, positive psychology, etc.
- The Counseling Center sponsors monthly “Wellness Series” talks which invite area professionals to address topics of general interest related to mental health. Previous topics have included grief and loss, healthy relationships, eating disorders and LGBTQ health.
- Skidmore is currently participating in the Jed Campus Program, a three-year comprehensive evaluation and strategic planning initiative targeting student mental health, suicide prevention and AOD abuse among our students. A working group composed of students, staff, and faculty recently completed the first stage of the program.
One of the primary goals of our 2015-2025 institutional strategic plan is to strengthen the inclusiveness, health, and well‐being of our community, and we are creating new opportunities for developing the skills that will make Skidmore a more healthful, inclusive, and creative community. A new subcommittee of our Institutional Policy and Planning Committee is also currently being formed to help give an even deeper emphasis to wellness in how we think and act as an institution and community.
Our Counseling Center is another critical component to our wellness program, and it offers confidential and professional mental health services and referrals to students struggling with a variety of social, emotional and psychiatric problems.
Does the institution prohibit smoking within all occupied buildings owned or leased by the institution?:
Does the institution restrict outdoor smoking?:
Does the institution prohibit smoking and tobacco use across the entire campus?:
A copy of the institution's smoke-free policy:
The institution’s smoke-free policy:
Skidmore College is a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus. All areas of campus are designated smoke-free and tobacco-free.
Smoking of any substance is prohibited on College property including campus grounds, North Woods, enclosed bridges and walkways, sidewalks, and parking lots. Smoking of any substance is also prohibited in all structures and buildings owned, operated, leased, occupied, or controlled by the College, including near exits, windows, or ventilation intakes. Smoke-free and tobacco-free areas include indoor/outdoor classrooms, studios, balconies, rooftops, hallways, public and private offices, College vehicles and private vehicles parked on campus property, residential facilities, break rooms, restrooms, administrative buildings, dining facilities, and athletic venues.
The purpose of the Skidmore College Smoking Policy is to promote a culture of wellness and provide the community with a healthy, respectful working and learning environment by limiting the potential exposure of students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the effects of secondhand smoke and by reducing the risk of fires.
All Skidmore community members, including guests and visitors, are expected to exercise cooperation and compliance with this policy.
Smoking and the use of any tobacco product are strictly prohibited in all College buildings, on the grounds of the campus including North Woods, as well as off-campus properties, including Castle Diamond, Van Lennep Riding Center, Skidmore Boathouse, and White Hollow Farm.
Tobacco is defined as any type of tobacco product including, but not limited to, cigarettes (commercial, handmade or “e”/electronic), cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, oral tobacco (spit/spitless, smokeless, chew, snuff) or any other smoking materials or device.
Effective implementation of the policy requires the courtesy, respect, and cooperation of all Skidmore College community members and guests.
Website URL where information about the institution’s wellness programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.